Maple Lake businessman Tony Ellestad, 48, died on September 2 as a result of injuries suffered in a motorcycle crash on September 1.
According to the Wright County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were called at 8:18 p.m. to the scene of an accident at the 1500 block of County Road 8 SW in Marysville Township. Ellestad and his wife, Becky, were traveling northbound on County Road 8 when they struck a deer in the road. The couple was thrown from the motorcycle as it came to rest on the east shoulder of the road.
Tony Ellestad was taken by air ambulance to the Hennepin County Medical Center where he died in the morning of September 2. Becky Ellestad was taken by ambulance to Buffalo Hospital, where she was treated and released for minor injuries.
Tony Ellestad was involved in land surveying since 1975 and for the past eight years, operated Ellestad Land Services in Buffalo. He recently purchased a residence at 311 Division Street West in Maple Lake and was in the process of remodeling the building and moving his business to that location. The Ellestads’ three children, Luke, Emmy and Chelsey, are graduates of Maple Lake High School.
Former Maple Lake Schools superintendent Ken Engel recalled how Ellestad devoted his time and energy to the school during the construction of the elementary, remodeling of the high school and the creation of the school district’s ball fields and Irish Country Stadium. “Tony always responded quickly to our needs,” Engel said, noting Ellestad’s contribution of his services for the construction of the elementary playground. “Whenever we needed something moved or laid-out, he was so helpful to us.”
Randy Nuss of Cedaredge, CO, who has been a friend of Ellestad’s since the early 80s, said Tony was always quick to lend a hand with his surveying services.
“If you were a friend, he didn’t charge friends,” Nuss said. “If he could make time, he would help everybody in any way he could.”
Al Wolf of Annandale was in that position this spring when he and his wife, Colleen, were in the process of remodeling their house and the Ellestad’s, their neighbors and good friends, insisted on providing the couple with a home away from home.
“Tony and Becky said, ‘Just move on in,’” Wolf said. “They just opened their hearts and their arms and we became a family.”
It was a full house at the Ellestads this summer, and happily so. Long-time friend Connie Stuhr said the Ellestads’ two daughters both moved home after college graduation; Emmy with a degree as a registered nurse and Chelsey with a degree in horticulture. “Tony and Chelsey were working at the house putting in flower beds together,” Stuhr said.
And then there was the wedding of son, Luke, and new daughter-in-law, Amy, on the Saturday before the accident. The couple was married at the Ellestads’ home, and Stuhr said that with the addition of Amy’s son, Hunter, from a previous marriage, and the December due date of Luke and Amy’s baby, the Ellestads couldn’t have been happier.
“They were very much a family,” Stuhr said. “Tony just cared so much for people and cared so much for his family.”
And he also enjoyed his friends, who were large in number and had no shortage of stories to share.
Nuss said that he and Ellestad would hunt and fish, and had a long-standing joke between the two of them about their fishing prowess, or lack thereof.
“Tony and I would always kid each other that he and I should be banned from the lakes,” Nuss laughed, noting that their fishing failures were still a lot of fun. “He and I would always kid each other about whose fault it was.”
Wolf said that he and his wife went to Sturgis this summer with the Ellestads. “I rode in my pickup, providing support,” Wolf said. “Colleen was on her bike and Becky was right behind Tony on his bike.
“Tony did enjoy his motorcycle.”
And he enjoyed music. Nuss said that he and Tony both played in bands when they were younger, with Tony “very good on the guitar and harmonica. He dabbled a bit in the piano and was capable of playing a tune or two on the fiddle. We entertained ourselves quite a bit.”
Ellestad also entertained others in “Smoke-N-Gin,” a band made up of local musicians. “They played blues and a wide variety of music,” Stuhr said. “Tony was a fabulous harmonica player. And he wrote a song about Rasset Bar that he would always sing.”
Rick Ellestad of Bettendorf, Iowa, said his brother was a man of many talents. “Whatever he knew,” Rick laughed, “he learned from his older brother.”
Rick recalled his brother’s sense of humor and fun-loving nature. “Tony was a great practical joker and was noted for winning the prizes for original costumes at Halloween parties. He was quite a character and he loved life.”
Rick said Ellestad Survey is still open for business, with the family planning to continue operations.
And if there is one thing that can be said about the future, it’s that Tony Ellestad will not be forgotten.
“It would be a huge understatement to say that he’ll be missed,” Nuss said. “He was always organizing groups of people to get together at his place and things like that. So many people will miss his personality, his character, his integrity and his sense of honor.”
Wolf said that the support provided to the Ellestad family will also be remembered.
“There are so many people that have done so much,” he said. “It’s just really amazing.
“The support from this community has been greatly appreciated.”