Irwin Dale Kaukola

Irvin D. "Swede" Kaukola, age, 83, passed away on in Hanford, California.Swede was bern in Virginia, Minnesota on May 9, 1939 to Eine and Sadie (Lindgren) Kaukola of Orr, Minnesota. He grew up at Myrtle Lake, in the Orr area. After school he worked for local construction and logging companies until he joined the U.S. Navy in December of 1958. He served 10 years and was honorably discharged at San Diego, California in December 1968.

During his Navy time he had several assignments around the world including 2 years at sea aboard an aircraft carrier. After sea duty he spent the next 3 years assigned the the Intelligence Division on the Joint Staff of the United Nations Command in Seoul, South Korea and Tokyo, Japan. Swede always said that, without question, his 3 years on the UN Staff was one of the major highlights of his life. During this period his duties involved travel to several countries on the Pacific Rim plus the Middle East and on to Egypt and Libya. He met and worked with many interesting and wonderful people from far-a-way places. After the Navy, still having travel in his veins, he bought a moving van and became a self-employed Long Distance Moving Contractor. He spent the next 35 years in moving (18 years contracted with Lyon Van Lines and 17 years with Allied Van Lines). During these years his moving jobs took him to all 48 states dozens of times plus many times to most of the Canadian Provinces. He retired from moving in 2003 and as he put it, "the pianos were starting to get heavier". After a few months of leisure and motorhome travel he worked the next 3 years for a local construction company, helping move heavy equipment. Following that he became a caretaker of a private horse ranch in Lemoore, Ca where he and Polly lived and spent the next 8 years. In 2014 he gave up work completely and became a resident of the California Veteran's Retirement Home in Fresno, Ca. where he resided until his passing.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Eine and Sadie Kaukola.

Swede is survived by his wife Polly of Hanford, Ca and 2 sons, Neil (Leanne)

Kaukola of Seattle, Wa and Glen Kaukola of Fremont, Ca.