Orville Carlisle Obituary

Orville “Fuzz” Carlisle was born October 8, 1942, in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, to Joseph and Verna (Tommerdahl) Carlisle. One of seven children, he grew up in the Detroit Lakes area and graduated with the DLHS Class of 1960.

After high school, Fuzz briefly moved to California, then returned to Minnesota and worked for Hallet Construction building highways. In 1965, he moved to Minneapolis and worked at Williams Hardware & Steel.

On May 28, 1966, he married Darlene Schultz at St. Paul’s Loon Lake Lutheran Church near Vergas. They lived in Minneapolis until 1967, then moved to the Fargo/Moorhead area, where Fuzz resumed his studies at Moorhead State University. In 1969, they bought their home on Rose Lake and later welcomed three daughters.

In 1971, Fuzz began working at Friesen’s in Detroit Lakes, becoming a skilled metal fabricator. He helped design, fabricate, and install specialized metal equipment, particularly for the mink and turkey industries. In 1991, he partnered with Todd Krieger, continuing fabrication work for companies like Swift Eckridge and ConAgra. In later years, Fuzz remained self-employed, creating greenhouses for Bergen’s Greenhouses in Forest Lake, Park Rapids, and Detroit Lakes.

Fuzz could fix nearly anything and rarely needed to call a repairman—he usually did it better himself. He was also a terrific cook, known for prime rib, turkey, and other meats cooked to perfection. His lefse earned top honors among family and friends.

A passionate outdoorsman, Fuzz loved fishing and hunting. He took trips to Lake Michigan for salmon and to Canada for trophy fish. Deer hunting near Vergas was a yearly tradition shared with family. He enjoyed football, especially the Vikings, and loved watching his grandchildren play sports—traveling often to cheer them on.

Fuzz never truly retired. He was always ordering steel or offering his expertise to anyone who called. However, he did take time each winter to head south—first to Arizona, and later to a favorite rural spot in Florida along the Gulf, where the fishing and relaxed pace became a beloved tradition. He also enjoyed time in Alabama, and these annual getaways were highlights for him and Darlene, spent with dear friends.

His giving spirit and wry wit will be so very, very missed by many.

Fuzz is survived by his wife Darlene; children: Susan (Troy) Ulschmid, Andrea (Trent) Baumann, Brittany Christianson (Bjorn Rommesmo); grandchildren: Quinten (Liza), Erica (Brandon), Sean, William, Elias, Ella; great grandchildren: Lydia, Peter, Lucy, James, Eden, Georgia; brothers: Curt (Darlene) Carlisle, Terry (Betty) Carlisle, Cheryl (Larry) Olson, Myron (Marie) Carlisle. Sisters-in-law Betty Carlisle, Ardyce Kicker, Carol Schultz, Marie Schultz.

He was preceded in death by his parents: Joseph and Verna Carlisle; brother Ken Carlisle; sister Pat (Jack) Burzette; in-laws Ernest and Olga Schultz; brothers-in-law LeRoy Kicker, Melvin Schultz, Kermit Schultz.

Services for Fuzz will be conducted at St. Paul’s Loon Lake Church, Vergas, Minnesota on Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025 beginning with a visitation and Prayer Service from 5:00pm to 7:00 pm.  A memorial service will be conducted at the church on Thursday, July 3rd, 2025 at 11:00am.