Jack Masters

Jack Alwyn Masters was born June 22, 1939 in New London to Glenwood and Mercedes (Wadsworth) Masters. The oldest of four children, he grew up and attended schools in the Spicer/New London area. His life as a farm boy changed at the age of ten when his father died and his mother moved the family to a home by Nest Lake. In spite of his tragic loss of a parent, he had fond memories of fishing, swimming and football. Jack was baptized and confirmed in the Presbyterian faith. As a young adult, he served a stint in the Air Force and worked at an assortment of jobs. In 1962, Jack married JoAnn Syverson and their marriage was blessed with seven children. He continued to work various jobs but always had a preference for trucking. They moved around a bit before settling in rural Murdock in 1972 for an extended time. In 1987, the family relocated to Granite Falls where they have remained. After this move, Jack worked for Cliff Viessman, Inc. which he considered his all-time favorite trucking job. In his free time, he relished auctions, ice-fishing and adding to his collection of old time fishing gear. A voracious reader, Jack could polish off a novel every two days. From restoring mechanical devices to making Klacker games to building an outdoor nativity stable, he found pleasure in working with his hands. He was initiated into the Catholic faith in 2006. During the past seven years, Jack suffered a multitude of serious illnesses and surgeries and became increasingly disabled. Although his sequence of physical issues was immense, he astounded his family by developing the virtue of patience. Despite his poor health, he never complained or exhibited self-pity. He gave a great example to his family. Jack died on October 21, 2017 at the St. Cloud Hospital. He is survived by his wife, children Gina (Frank) Quinn, Michelle (Scott) Gafkjen, Twyla Masters, April Masters-Chizek, Shereen (Duane) Masters Frank, Joseph “Tony” Masters and Kelli (Barry) Masters-Morgan, 22 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, sister Darlene (Wayne) Thompson, brother Daryl (Marlys) Masters as well as many nieces, nephews and other relatives. Preceding him in death were his parents, grandchildren Stefan Chizek, Mary Ann Gafkjen, Serenity Jean Gafkjen, sister Glenyce Gulbranson and brother-in-law Marvin Gulbranson.