Willard Lee Karnes - Jr

Willard Lee Karnes Jr. was born November 23rd 1951 in Little Falls, Minnesota to Willard Russel Karnes Sr. and Marie Poegel. He was the 4th of 7 kids they had.

Willard married Darla Anderson on March 17th 1978 in Bovey, Minnesota. They had 3 kids together, a son Jeremy born in 1979, a daughter Harmony born in 1980 and a son Brandon born in 1983.

Willard worked at the Butler Taconite mine outside of Nashwauk as an oiler in the Concentrator, and a production truck driver until the mine closed in 1985. When the mine closed Willard and his family moved from their home outside of Marble to Hibbing. There he attended the tech college and graduated from the electrical maintenance program. He then began working at National Steel in Keewatin. He started out as a laborer, but also worked there as an electrician and a production truck driver until his death in 1998.

Willard loved the outdoors, and was an avid fisherman and hunter. He enjoyed these things even more when it involved friends and family. He wasn’t one to give up though, I remember many times still fishing or hunting in bad weather. Even when others would give up, he would stick it out for the chance of getting a trophy.