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Russell "Rusty" W. Lego, of Federal Dam, passed away on February 11, 2019, at the age of 90.

Rusty was born in Federal Dam to the late Russell and Grace (Shoemaker) Lego, December 14, 1928. He attended school in Federal Dam and graduated from Boy River High School. On December 8, 1953 Rusty married Karen Ringstrom in Bemidji. He worked as a hunting and fishing guide, co-owned and operated Lego Brothers Logging, was the manager for Leech River Wild Rice, and owned and operated R. Lego Maintenance for 26 years. He served in the Army, then the National Guard and was honorably discharged in 1954. He was a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, the Boy River American Legion, and was involved in Ducks Unlimited, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Association. The Minnesota DNR honored Rusty with the Habitat Conservation Award for his donation of land and the preservation of critical habitat. He was an avid sportsman who enjoyed fishing, hunting, and spearing in the winter. Rusty enjoyed his morning coffee sessions with the guys at the Corps of Engineers office as well.

Rusty is preceded in death by his brother Mert, sister-in-law Ardene, son-in-law Wally Peterson, his parents Russell and Grace, and his beloved dog Luke.

Rusty will be missed by Karen, his wife of 65 years; their children Vicki Peterson, Randall Lego, Ronald Lego, Lisa Lego, Valori Lego, Allen Lego (Jennifer, daughter in-law). "Papa" will be greatly missed by his grandchildren (who are a bunch of "rockheads" and "baby's"), and great-grandchildren. We will miss his joyful whistling, his baby blue eyes, the way he lit up when we visited, and his teasing (mostly nice, always honest). We are lucky to have had him in our lives as long as we did.

Funeral services will be held at a later date at Our Savior Lutheran Church, in Federal Dam, where he was a lifelong member.

Arrangements by Carroll Funeral Home, Deer River and Bigfork, Minnesota.[[In-content Ad]]

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