Dayton Grafstrom Obituary

A Funeral Service for Dayton E. Grafstrom of Salol, MN will be held on Wednesday, November 12, 2025 at 11:00AM at First Lutheran Church in Salol, MN. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will take place at Spruce Cemetery in Roseau, MN.
Dayton was born to Erick and Mary (Sonsteng) Grafstrom on November 29, 1931, in Salol,
Minnesota. He passed away surrounded by family on November 4, 2025, at the Kittson
County Nursing Home in Hallock.
Dayton grew up on the family farm north of Salol. He attended Salol School and graduated
from Roseau High School in 1950. In 1952, he entered the United States Army and was
stationed at Fort Ord, California. After his service, he attended the University of Minnesota.
Dayton was an accomplished hockey player. He played for the United States National
Hockey Team 1960-61 and continued to play for many local and regional teams throughout
his life, often serving as a player-coach. He was named Ontario-Minnesota League Coach
of the Year in 1963–1964 and was among several Warroad Lakers honored for their
contributions to the sport.
On June 12, 1971, Dayton married Mary Pellett of Roosevelt, Minnesota. They had five
children: Mark, James, Thomas, Aaron, and Elizabeth.
Dayton was one of the early developers of the Warroad Estates Golf Course and housing
development. He built a home there and moved with his family in 1975.
Dayton, along with his brother Samuel and their friend Willy Hepner, founded HUG, The
Friendly Builders. The company grew into a family-centered business where relatives and
friends worked side by side, known for strong craftsmanship, steady humor, loyalty, and a
dependable work ethic. Dayton worked at HUG until his retirement.
He remodeled the old Salol School into apartments and moved there in 1987, returning to
the community where his life began. He lived there until his passing.
Dayton was an active member of the Salol community, serving on the town board and
church boards.
Dayton enjoyed being outdoors and working with his hands, always working on something,
building a shed, tending to his garden, hunting, or gathering firewood. When not working,
he enjoyed reading, keeping track of the news, weather, sports and making his daily rounds
on his 4-wheeler visiting with family and neighbors.
He was an honest man, kind and patient with a stubborn streak, an amazing husband,
father, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend to many. He had a long full life and will be missed.
Dayton is preceded in death by his infant son, Aaron; his parents; his brother, Lester; his
sister, Virginia Geringer; brothers-in-law Clinton Michal and Harold Forpahl; and sister-inlaw
Nancy Pellett.
He is survived by his wife, Mary; sons Mark, James, and Thomas; daughter Elizabeth
(Christopher) Poyzer; grandchildren Dayton, Landon, Ruby, Elinor, and Gunnar; brothers
Myron (Char) and Samuel (Lola); sister Genevieve Michal; brothers-in-law Bob Geringer
and Dave Pellett and sisters-in-law Verna Grafstrom and Catherine Forpahl.
The family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the staff at Kittson County Nursing Home
for their attentive and compassionate care, and to Hospice (HIA) for their support and
kindness to Dayton and his family.
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