Ron Main age 93 of Danbury, WI passed away peacefully on Friday Jan 13th, 2023, surrounded by loved ones.

Ron was born in Rockford Illinois on August 14th, 1929 to parents Troy and Chrystie. He spent his childhood years growing up and going to school in Dekalb, Illinois.

Shortly after high school Ron joined the US Army were he proudly served as a heavy equipment operator during the Korean war. He didn’t talk a lot about his time in the service but then he didn’t talk about a lot of things, so it was to be expected.

Ron moved home after his time in the service and began working for the Barber-Greene Company in Dekalb, Illinois as a tool and die lay out person.

While visiting family in Webb Lake, WI Ron met the love of his life Arlene who worked at the Main store. They married on April 20th, 1963 and together made their home in Coon Rapids MN. For nearly 40 years this is where they raised their family. During that time Ron worked for Artistic Iron Works in Mpls and was a talented fabricator, there wasn’t anything he couldn’t do with a stick welder. Most of his working career was spent at the city of Coon Rapids in the maintenance/park department. After 27 years at the city Ron retired.

After Ron retired in his free time Ron could be found in Danbury, WI remodeled and adding on to the family home Arlene grew up in. He took great pride in doing this work, mostly on his own, in preparation for he and his wife Arlene to enjoy during retirement. Once Arlene retired, they moved to the home he had worked so hard on.

In retirement Ron enjoyed life on his tractors and fixing and tinkering in his garage. Ron was very handy and did most things on his own and didn’t seem to want to ask for help. Ron was also very particular and detailed oriented, he liked things just so and maybe this was the reason he never seemed to ask for much help?

When Ron wasn’t tinkering or working on the family home he enjoyed being in the outdoors and sharing that time with loved ones, often surrounded by his brothers, son, grandson and close friends. He enjoyed being “up north” canoeing on the Namekagon and St. Croix River or enjoying the many lakes in the Danbury/Webb Lake area.

This passion for the outdoors also included several trips to Canada fishing as well as trips out West hunting Elk and Mule deer and there was seldom a Minnesota deer season where you wouldn’t find Ron out at the Andersen farm.

Ron also loved traveling with his wife and friends. They spent several winter months together in Gulf Shores, Alabama with the WI snowbirds. Retirement also provided them the opportunity for many trips to Branson, MO as well as trips out west to many of the national parks and up into Canada and who could forget their once in a lifetime adventure to Hawaii.

True to his soft-spoken nature you would usually find Ron sitting in his chair every Sunday after church reading the newspaper. He enjoyed reading many newspapers as well as Time magazine and Consumer Reports to name a few.

Ron and Arlene celebrated 59 years of marriage before his passing.

The family would like to thank the Continuing Care Center in Grantsburg, WI for the wonderful and compassionate care they provided for Ron.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Troy, Chrystie and stepmother Geneva Main; sister, Rachel Main; and brother, Russell Main.

He is survived by his wife, Arlene (Gerber) Main; daughter, Rainy (Darrin) Main; sons, Brady (Michele) Main and Randy (Katie) Main; brothers, Rudy Main, Larry (Diane) Main, Dennis Main and Greg (Sue) Main; sister, Vickie (Scott) Main; grandchildren, Ross (Carrie) Budnick, Alicia Budnick, Rachel Main and Rhea Main; great granddaughters, Hannah and Avery Budnick; as well as many other relatives and dear friends.

Funeral service will take place on Saturday, January 21, 2023 at 11:00 AM (visitation from 10-11 AM) at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. Interment will follow at the Danbury Cemetery.

Arrangements were entrusted to Swedberg-Taylor Funeral Home.

Last Update: Jan 18, 2023 2:02 pm CST