Lawrence James "Jim" Levasseur, 76

A Funeral Service for Lawrence Levasseur of Baudette will be held at First Lutheran Church in Baudette on February 5, 2024, at 2 p.m. with a visitation an hour prior.

Lawrence James “Jim” Levasseur was born June 14, 1947, to Ernest “Bud” and Florence “Marion” Levasseur at the Warroad, MN, Hospital. His parents brought him home to their farm along the banks of the Rapid River in Carp, MN, where his older brother Gerald awaited him.

Like many “Carp kids” and Levasseur cousins, Jim attended primary school at the Carp School through 8th grade and then transferred to the Baudette School, where he played both hockey and football during his high school years. After graduating from Baudette High School in 1965, Jim enlisted in the United States Army, serving from March 1, 1966 - February 10, 1968, including overseas in Germany.

Jim returned to his hometown of Baudette in 1972 after working several post-military construction jobs in the Twin Cities area. Here, he met his future wife, Natalie, and began his 30+ year career as a journeyman lineman for NorthStar Electric Cooperative. Jim and Natalie were married on February 9, 1974, and welcomed their only son, Bradley James, on May 15, 1979. Jim took great pride in serving the community he loved, keeping the lights on for all - nights, weekends, holidays, and all the time in between. He retired in 2006.

In addition to his career as a lineman, Jim also farmed small grain crops, kept a small herd of cattle, and baled and sold hay with his father and his brother, Gerald. Jim enjoyed and took pride in maintaining his farmland as both wildlife refuge and hunting land, a joy he shared with his son Brad. Here, he loved to admire and chase the deer. He can also be remembered for time spent in his garden, though he wasn’t very fond of the weeding. He would pick and peel a cucumber right out of the garden, still warm from the sunshine, heavily salt and pepper it, and offer it up. You wanna bite? he’d say with a teasing laugh. Over the years, and in between work, farming, and lots of great card games, Jim took many trips to Whitefish Bay, Canada, a favorite getaway, where he fished for trout. But out of everything Jim enjoyed in his life, it was giving his granddaughters Ranger rides that topped his list.

Jim was a member of the American Legion Post 217 of Baudette for 54 years and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Club 723 of Baudette. He will be memorialized at the Lake of the Woods Veteran’s Memorial at Timber Mill Park in Baudette, MN, along with many veteran Levasseur cousins and his brother, Gerald.

Jim will be remembered by his wife Natalie (Stapek), who he would’ve celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with this February, his son Bradley (Katie) Levasseur and his granddaughters Sierrah, Savannah, and Shayleeh Levasseur, sister-in-law Carol Levasseur, niece Sheri Levasseur and her daughters, and many cousins. Jim is preceded in death by his parents Ernest “Bud” Levasseur and Florence “Marion” Levasseur and his brother Gerald. He died on January 24, 2024, of natural causes after years-long treatment for lung cancer.