John Mikkelson, 79

March 28, 1947 - 

September 19, 2026

 

   Some people leave a legacy in buildings, businesses, or other things with their name on them. John Mikkelson left his…in his people. Born in Richmond, California, to Myron “Mike” and Ethel (Shelton) Mikkelson, John lived a life defined not by the attention he received, but by the impact he very quietly made.

     Because he had a rare childhood hip disease, John’s family moved between California and Wisconsin during his formative years, seeking both relief from his pain in the warmth of the West and access to specialized medical care in the Midwest. After fourth grade, his family left California for the final time. Before they did, after school one day, John witnessed his best friend being brutally beaten by a racially motivated attack. He always wondered whether his best friend survived. That experience stayed with him and shaped his lifelong belief that our differences, visible or invisible, are not what divide us, but what make us better…”Our similarities bring us together but our differences keep us together.” John carried that belief into every aspect of his life, always striving to see the person beyond what the world might see first. It was a belief that would ultimately make him the “best father ever” to Brady and become one of the greatest gifts he provided his family.

    John and his family eventually moved to Cresco, where he attended Crestwood Junior High and High School, graduating in the class of 1965. John truly believed that move happened for one reason only…to meet Sandra Stopperan, the love of his life. He and Sandy dated throughout high school and college, separating only a few short times along the way. Through Sandy, John also became part of the Stopperan family, a family that would become an important and cherished part of his life. Bev and Dave Kirkpatrick, Bingo and Jean Stopperan, Dale and Kris Stopperan, Karla and Rocky Hyberger, Lori Stopperan, and Jahn and Sue Stopperan and families welcomed John into their family, and over the years, those relationships grew into lifelong bonds filled with love, laughter, stories, and countless memories. John and Sandy were married on July 26, 1969. As Sandy began walking down the aisle, she suddenly realized she had forgotten John’s wedding ring at home and quickly borrowed one of the groomsman’s rings. It was a fitting beginning to a marriage that was never about perfection, but always about love, laughter, commitment, and family. John and Sandy became parents to Brady Mikkelson and Tara Soesbe (Dr. William “Bill” Soesbe III). As a young family, one of their favorite places was their cabin in Lansing on the Mississippi River, where countless summers were spent enjoying the outdoors, fishing, laughing, eating ice cream, and simply being together.

     John’s greatest legacy will always be found in his family. The love between John and Sandy was one of the greatest gifts they provided their children. Brady and Tara grew up hearing their dad say, “My number one job in life is to make sure your mom knows how important, special, and loved she is.” He did not just say those words; he emulated them. He showed his children what it meant to love someone intentionally, to cherish a partner, and to make sure the person beside you never had to wonder how deeply they were loved.

    When Sandy was taken from them far too soon by cancer, John lost the love of his life. The grief was immense, but the love they shared did not end with her passing. John carried Sandy with him in the way he loved and tended to his family and close friends. He never stopped being Sandy’s husband, even after he could no longer be by her side. John also carried the loss of his baby brother, Darrel, who passed away as an infant. Though Darrel’s life was brief, his place in the Mikkelson family story was never forgotten.

    To his children, John was Dad, their rock and safe place. To his grandchildren, Payge Duerre, Lawsen and Olivia Stage; and his great-grandson, William “Liam” Stage, he was Boppa. The name Boppa began with Payge after John visited her eight times on Whidbey Island during her first year of life, and it became a name that perfectly suited him. Now that name continues with Liam, creating one more beautiful thread between generations.

   To Brady, John was so much more than a father. He was a believer. While the world did not always know what to expect from an individual with Down Syndrome, John never seemed particularly interested in those expectations. He saw Brady for who he was and, perhaps more importantly, for who he would become. He believed Brady deserved a full, meaningful, independent life, and he did not simply talk about that belief; he helped build a life around it. He helped create opportunities for Brady and other children with uniquenesses by helping to establish a preschool in Waukon and also the Abner Hendrickson School in Decorah. Behind so much of Brady’s brilliance was a father who taught his family something profound: never underestimate what a person can become given the right environment to shine! John was one of Brady’s first cultivators of brilliance. Perhaps no words could have meant more to him than Brady’s final goodbye, “You’re the best father ever,” a moment that reflected the extraordinary bond between a father and son who spent a lifetime believing in one another.

    To Tara, Dad was the person who taught her that caring and feeling so deeply is never something for which to apologize. He encouraged her to stand up and speak up for what she believes, and to never let the world convince her that doing things differently means doing them wrong. She also values him for instilling in her the love of the water, the sense of calm a fishing pole can create, and the quiet peace of nature. 

John had a quiet sense of wit, and a way of making people laugh without ever needing to be the center of attention. He could be stubborn when he believed something mattered, fiercely loyal to the people he loved, and always ready with a fishing story. Those who knew him best knew that beneath his quiet nature was a man with strong convictions, a generous heart, and an unwavering commitment to the people and places he loved.

    John had a deep love for the land and the outdoors. He loved conservation, fishing, and the peaceful places where you could slow down enough to notice what really mattered. John’s career took him on a journey from Goodyear Tires, traveling throughout Iowa, to The Hub, ADS Tiling, and eventually to the United States Department of Agriculture in Cresco, where he worked as a soil conservation engineer. His work in conservation was not simply a job; it reflected something he believed deeply…that we have a responsibility to take care of what has been entrusted to us and to be good stewards of our resources. After retiring from the USDA, John continued doing what he loved, stewarding the land, working alongside farmers, and making lifelong friends at Mehmert Tiling. Work was never simply about a job for John. It was about people, relationships, the land he cared so deeply about, and leaving things better than he found them.

   Some of John’s happiest memories over the last twenty-five years were made at Lynn Lake Lodge and the lakes around Webster, South Dakota, with his favorite fishing buddies. When the fish were biting, life was good. When they were not, the cards and cribbage board came out, the cocktails appeared, and somehow the stories got even better and the fish a tad bigger. The fish were never the only reason to make the trip. The friendship, laughter, boat mishaps, Ronda’s carrot bars, Gayle’s cooking and conversation, and time together were what kept everyone coming back. There were axles that broke, tires that ended up in a muddy slough requiring waders and ropes, and the occasional forgotten transom saver…all of which became part of the stories they told for years afterward. John’s family is grateful to Jarry Hughes and Gary Kelm, nicknamed the “Three Fishketeers” by Ronda, and all of the Lynn Lake Lodge fishing buddies throughout the years for providing John some of the greatest friendships and memories of his life. Those trips were a genuine treasure, one that he passionately shared with Tara and Bill.

    Thirty years ago, John said goodbye to Sandy. Now, after all these years, there is comfort in imagining her waiting for him; her smile, the two of them finding each other again, and the song that belonged to them, Have I Told You Lately That I Love You, playing just for them. Perhaps that is the greatest lesson they leave behind: don’t wait…tell the people you love, show them, hold them, and hug them a little longer. Life is far too precious to assume there will always be another opportunity.

    John passed away peacefully on September 19, 2026, at the Rehabilitation Center of Allison, surrounded by his family. His family is grateful to the Hughes and Kelm families, Sue Chailquist, Ann Seebach, Sue Easler, Bob Brown, Ted Henry, and all of the friends who gave so much of themselves to John and his family; bringing food, running errands, sitting with him, sharing conversations, and, most importantly, offering comfort, friendship, and simply being present. Their willingness to show up in the ways that mattered most meant more than words can express. His family is also deeply grateful to all the staff at Howard County Hospice, especially Kathy Grinhaug and Sue Eggrichs, who provided John and his family with extraordinary care, compassion, and comfort during the final months of his life.

    John’s family will forever be grateful for the way he believed in them and supported them in all they did. He taught them to see brilliance where others might not, to love deeply, to stand up for what matters, to care for the land (and the fish) and to understand that one person can quietly make an enormous difference. John spent his life cultivating brilliance in others, and now his family carries that work forward.

    John’s life is a reminder that a legacy is not necessarily something a person leaves behind…it is something they leave inside peoples’ hearts. He lives on in Brady, Tara and Bill, and in his grandchildren Payge, Lawsen, and Olivia, within his great-grandson Liam, in the family and friends who loved him, and in every person whose life was made better because John Mikkelson was here. Until they meet again, he will always be Boppa, Dad, and the first Cultivator of Brilliance.

    In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made in John’s honor to the Brady’s Brilliance Scholarship through Crestwood Dollars for Scholars, Howard County Hospice, whose compassionate care meant so much to John and his family, or Howard County Cancer Association (HOCA), an organization near and dear to John’s heart.  

    A memorial service celebrating John’s life will be held on October 3, 2026, at Heritage Event Center in Cresco, Iowa. Visitation will be held from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., followed by a short service from 11:00 to 11:30 a.m. A brunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with a time for friends and family to gather and visit from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. At 1:30 p.m., a private family burial will be held, where John will join Sandy, bringing them together once again after thirty years apart.