Clifford E. Fadness

Clifford E. Fadness, age 72, of Glenwood, MN, died Monday, May 31, 2021 at Glacial Ridge Hospital. A memorial service celebrating his life will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Monday, June 7th at Trinity Lutheran Church in Grove Lake. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Inurnment will be in in Grove Lake Cemetery. Arrangements are with Hoplin-Hitchcock Funeral Home in Glenwood.

Clifford “Cliff” Earl Fadness, son of Ellsworth and Pearl (Dreier) Fadness, was born June 5, 1948, at Minot, North Dakota. His father’s work as a union pipefitter took the family to various places in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa. It just happened that when it came time for Clifford, the fifth of their six sons, to be born they were living in Minot. Ellsworth and Pearl owned a mobile home that he would pull with his construction truck to wherever his work directed. Moving as often as they did, Cliff and his brothers attended many different schools while growing up. In a typical year they would attend two quarters of school wherever their father was working and two quarters in Glenwood. When Cliff was 15, his parents purchased the Grove Lake Resort near Glenwood. In 1967, Cliff graduated from Glenwood High School and instead of following the family tradition of becoming a union pipefitter; he opted to further his education at St. Cloud State University where he spent two years studying Mathematics and Engineering. Realizing that college wasn’t for him, he quit school and worked various jobs over the next few years. During that time, in 1970, Cliff’s father died. His parents had sold the resort and purchased a farm a few years before Ellsworth’s death. Within a year of Ellsworth’s passing, Clifford purchased the farm and his mother continued to reside there until she died in 1998.

Cliff eventually got the chance to complete an apprenticeship through Union Local 126, at Detroit Lakes, which allowed him to become a union pipefitter and work with his brothers in the construction industry. Cliff found working with family to be very enjoyable and he was so grateful to his brothers for helping him make it through the program.  Unfortunately, his career ended prematurely when, in 1980, he was injured on the job in such a way that he became legally blind. Afterwards he returned home to his farm in Grove Lake where he eventually started raising young cows. Once they became heifers, he would milk them. His herd grew to about 75 and he milked from 1989 to 1995. In 1995, Cliff was diagnosed with Colon Cancer. Unable to continue the rigors of farming, he sold his dairy herd and retired.  He successfully beat the cancer and spent many years enjoying being retired and living on his farm.

Cliff’s hobbies included collecting convertibles. He had three that he purchased new, a 1999 Mustang, a 2002 Thunderbird, and a 2003 Corvette. He also enjoyed bowling and participated in a league at the bowling alley in Brooten. He was also very fond of movies which prompted him to put a theater in his home so he could comfortably entertain friends. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran in Grove Lake and would often invite friends from church over to watch movies with him. He was known to be very friendly and a gracious host.

In 2018, Cliff was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Prostate Cancer. As his health deteriorated, he was very grateful for the assistance he received with daily tasks from his brother, Steve, Steve’s wife, Dee Dee and their son, Ryan. Despite waging a valiant fight, and surpassing his doctor’s estimates for life expectancy, early on Monday, May 31, 2021, his battle ended when he was called home by his Lord and Savior. Cliff wanted to make sure that his family and close friends knew how much he loved them and that they understand how very blessed he felt he had been to have them in his life. In his words, “Everything else is window dressing.”

Cliff is survived by two brothers, Elmer of Bemidji and Steve (Dee Dee) of Glenwood; sisters-in-law, Carol Fadness of San Jose, CA and Darlene Fadness of Sedan; as well as many nieces and nephews, relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; four brothers, Alvin, Melvin, Dale, and an infant brother, Bruce; two infant sisters, Laverna and Brucene; sister-in-law, Shannon Fadness and a niece, Tammy Fadness.

Cliff requested that memorials be directed to Glacial Ridge Hospice or Minnewaska Dollar for Scholars.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.