Michael Robert Berglund

Michael Robert Berglund, 66 of Cloquet passed away Saturday, September 17, 2016 in his home. He was born June 15, 1950 in Cloquet to Robert and Betty (Crotteau) Berglund. Mike graduated from Proctor High School in 1968. He obtained his degree in accounting from Duluth Technical College. He owned Skyline Café and then the Copper Skillet through 1976. Mike was among the first restaurant owners to offer a 10% discount to senior citizens, a practice which spread nationwide. From 1975 to 1995 he lived in several states while employed by Conoco Oil as a district marketing manager. Of all the cities he lived in or worked in, Mike called Spokane, Washington the most perfect city in America. In 1995, 25 years after first enrolling at Duluth Technical College, Mike enrolled at the school again. Now called Lake Superior College, he achieved Dean's List status on his way to a degree in Business Microcomputing. He also became employed with the U.S. Postal Service in 1995 as a data conversion operator at the Remote Encoding Center. He worked there ten years before retiring in 2005. Mike was a youth hockey coach during the 1970's. In his younger years, he enjoyed all sports, including hunting and fishing. He was an amateur entertainer, and was quite proficient as an impressionist. His Ronald Reagan impression was very popular during the 1980's. For many years Mike's "fortress of solitude" was the family cabin on Long Lake in Cotton. In 2000, after turning 50, he began a passionate study of family genealogy, which led to his helping coordinate several major family reunions. It also led to his co-authoring a book tracing his father's family history. The book entitled "Connecting with the Jonassons" is an extensive recap of one of his father's genealogical lines, which was traced back to the year 1490 in Sweden. Later study by Mike of his father's mother's genealogy traced that line also to the 1490's in Sweden. Currently Mike was a columnist for the Cloquet Pine Journal writing "The Right Slant, by Mike Berglund". Mike was a member of Queen of Peace Catholic Church and the Carlton County Historical Society. He was preceded in death by his father, Robert "Buddy" Berglund and brother-in-law, Paul Bartlett. Mike is survived by his mother, Betty of Cloquet; brothers, Jerry (Linda) of Esko and Tim of Cloquet; sisters, Roberta (Blaine) Muckala of Hermantown, Yvonne (Curt) Lyytinen of Cloquet, and Carrie Berglund of Cloquet; nine nieces and nephews; and his six great nieces and nephews. Visitation: 5 to 7 p.m. with a Rosary Service at 6:45 p.m. Thursday, September 22, 2016 in the Atkins Northland Funeral Home, 801 14th St., Cloquet. Visitation will continue from 10 until the 11:00 a.m. Memorial Service on Friday, September 23rd also in the funeral home. Inurnment will be in New Calvary Cemetery. A time of lunch and fellowship will follow in the Fireside Room of the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Friends of Animals Humane Society or the Alzheimer's Association. To sign the guest book and offer an online tribute, see www.atkinsnorthlandfuneralhome.com