Ron DeShaw of Finland MN passed away on January 19, 2024, at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Silver Bay. Ron was born on September 13, 1936, in Effie Minnesota to Francis and Irene (Waldron) DeShaw. Raised in Effie, along with his eight siblings, the house was always filled with music which stayed with him his whole life. In high school, Ron was a Golden Glove boxer and continued to enjoy watching boxing. At the age of 18, Ron followed in his older brothers’ footsteps and enlisted in the Army. In 1958, Ron, and his brother Sonny, went on a double date with two sisters. One sister went home and told her mother that she had met the man she was going to marry. Ron and Evelyn (Beck) DeShaw were married on Oct. 10, 1959 (married for 59 years) and raised three children. The family moved to Finland in 1964 to be closer to Ron’s work, Reserve Mining Co., where he worked until retiring in 1998. His co-workers enjoyed working with him and his sense of humor.
Ron was an accomplished musician, playing his fiddle, mandolin, and guitar to the delight of everyone. He played in many bands and made lifelong friends with music. An avid reader, Ron enjoyed reading about history, particularly local and Minnesota history, John F Kennedy, and much more. Ron was an outdoorsman, skiing on his home-made ski hills, cross-country skiing, working at the cabin, hunting, fishing and gardening. Ron was very proud of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and loved spending time with them.
Ron was preceded in death by his wife Evelyn DeShaw, his parents Francis and Irene, his brothers, John, Neil, George, Sonny, Larry, his sister Shirley and his twin sister Ruth. Ron is survived by his brother Loren, daughter Pam DeShaw-Brackett (Steve), sons Jeff DeShaw (Patti) and Dan DeShaw (Barb).
Grandchildren Sarah (Whit) Winter, Kyle (Erin) DeShaw, Katy (Tom) Shefchik, Ryan (Nikki) DeShaw and great-grandchildren Jax & Dane DeShaw, Landon Winter, Mark, Max and Daphne Shefchik, Evelyn and Kenneth DeShaw and many nieces and nephews.
The family would like to give a special thanks to the staff at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Silver Bay who always showed love and compassion to our father for the 5 years he was in their care. We could not have asked for a more caring experience. And we would like to give a special thanks to St. Croix Hospice. The palliative care given to Dad in the last 5 months of his life brought back a younger dad, including his sense of humor, even if it was only for a little while.
A graveside service with Military Honors will be at 1:00 PM on Monday, February 12, 2024, at Crystal Bay Cemetery in Finland, MN. A Celebration of Ron’s life will be held in the summer, with the date to be determined. To share a memory or leave an online condolence, visit www.cavallinfuneralhome.com.
