David Uno Hillstrom, age 88, of Menahga, Minnesota, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at Rose Haven Assisted Living in Menahga, Minnesota.

David was born on August 31, 1937, in Laurium, Michigan, to Uno and Ruth (Bylkas) Hillstrom. He grew up in Michigan’s Copper Country, spending much of his childhood on his grandparents’ farm on Torch Lake. After graduating from Calumet High School in 1955, David moved to Detroit to begin his career. It was there that he met the love of his life, Rose Bernice Knuuttila. The two were wed in 1958 and went on to raise 15 children together.

The family resided in Detroit until 1973, then moved to Novi, Michigan, where they remained until retirement. In 2006, David and Rose returned to the Copper Country near their childhood homes, before ultimately settling in northern Minnesota in 2013 to be closer to family.

The hallmark of the Hillstrom home was its open-door policy; everyone was welcome, and the house was affectionately known as "Grand Central Station" for its constant stream of family and friends. David and Rose loved traveling extensively, exploring destinations like Finland, Israel, Greece, Italy, Ecuador, Alaska, Arizona, and Florida. Yet no matter how far he traveled, David’s greatest joy was simply being with the people he loved. He treasured church gatherings, outdoor activities, holidays, and sharing stories with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Professionally, David spent the majority of his career as a mechanical engineer and designer for Marketing Displays International in Farmington Hills, Michigan. His inventive mind, and enthusiastic work ethic resulted in more than 55 patents.  Some notable contributions were the “WindMaster” and “PosterGrip” display systems.

Following Rose's passing in 2013, David found love a second time and married Charlene Beatrice (Hill, Karvonen) on October 26, 2014. Together, David and Charlene shared many wonderful retirement years traveling and visiting friends. They spent eight years making a warm, hospitable home in Monticello, Minnesota, before moving to an assisted living facility in Buffalo in 2022, where Charlene spent her final years. Through this marriage, David was blessed with an extended family whom he loved dearly.

With a heart devoted to those he loved, David kept his family close, leaving them a lifetime of cherished memories and unwavering love.  More than anything, his faith remained the steady foundation that carried him home to heaven. 

David is survived by his children: Kevin (Carol) Hillstrom; Brian (Patricia) Hillstrom; Sharon (Ron) Skoog; Linda (Kevin) Gilmore; Peggy (Karlo) Hillukka; Douglas (Beth) Hillstrom; Brent (Kathy) Hillstrom; Scott (Rachel) Hillstrom; Jane Carlson; Mary (David) Rigo; Aaron (Susie) Hillstrom; Beth (Paul) Huhta; Keith (Karen) Hillstrom; Kurt Hillstrom; and Carrie (Scott) Haataja.

His  97 grandchildren: (Kevin:) Derrick, Daniel, Sarah, (Brian:) Tricia, Gloria, Paula, Nels, Anna, Ethan, (Sharon:) Kirstie, LuAnn, Janel, Brandon, Jaclyn, Lindsay, Brita, Kayla, Tina, Heidi, Jordan, Cody, Leah, Michael, Kenneth, Amber, (Peggy:) Brianna, Laura, Ruthann, Amy, Julia, Maria, Kristy, Levi, Jody, Brett,  (Douglas:) Jacob, David, Logan, Katelyn, Jessica, Mitchell, Charles, Robert, Jack,  (Brent:) Hanna, Nathan, Emily,  (Scott:) Zachary, Alex, Tara, Gavin, Anders, Isaac, Garrett, Kyle  (Jane:) Elizabeth, Valerie, Benjamin, Vanessa, (Mary:) Kaia, (Aaron:) Dawson, Nicole, Jared, Ava, and Rylan (Beth:) Juliana, Ellie, Charles, Kylee, Mariah, Kendra, (Keith:) Brendan, Eric, Megan, Grant, Bria, Reid, Wyatt, Mara, Luke, Aiden, Owen, (Carrie:) Eli, Lars, Olivia, Henry, Jolene, Alyssa, Wayne, George, Lila, Hugo, Albert, Walter, Calvin, Eleanor. 159 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

His Brothers: Charles Hillstrom, Terrence (Mary) Hillstrom; His Sisters: Mary Maki, Sarah Sheffer, Brita (Howard) Ylitalo; His brother-in-law Robert (Lois) Knuuttila; His sister-in-law, Regina (Dave) Juntti.

His stepchildren: Susan (Matt) Jurmu, Sheila (Steven) Muhonen, Sheryl Karvonen, Stephen (Tracy) Karvonen, Karen Riley, Denise (Ross) Hillukka, Janelle (David) Lieder, and Lisa (Allan) Johnson; along with their families.

David was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Rose; his second wife, Charlene; his parents, Uno and Ruth Hillstrom; his son-in-law Nathan Carlson, his brother, William (Shirley) Hillstrom; his sister, Christine Seppala; his brothers-in-law, Ralph Sheffer, Carl Maki, Raymond (Laila) Knuuttila, Reynold (Jeanie) Knuuttila; his sisters-in-law, Ruth (John) Salo, Rachel (Douglas) Heikkinen, Karen Hillstrom, and Denise Hillstrom; three grandchildren: Amanda Hillstrom, Lucas Hillstrom, and Adam Hillstrom; two great-grandchildren, Bridget Sorvala and Trevor Sorvala.