Carlsborg, Lester Julian 1940 - 2022

CARLSBORG, SKAIM, HUGHES

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 12/31/2022 at 15:50:26

On Christmas Day, 2022, Lester Julian Carlsborg peacefully went to be with his Lord, surrounded by his family.

Lester Julian Carlsborg was born to Joseph O. Carlsborg and Lillian K. (Skaim) Carlsborg on Jan, 27, 1940 on a farm that crossed the line between Winneshieck and Allamakee counties in NE Iowa. He was baptized into Christ on Feb. 25, 1940 at Glenwood Lutheran Church, Decorah, IA. As a child he walked a mile to and from Glenwood School #4, a one room country school. In 1951 his family moved to Winona, Minn. It was there that he finished country school, was confirmed May 29, 1953 at Central Lutheran Church in Winona. He grew up loving the outdoors, hunting and fishing both with his family and by himself.

While in Minnesota, he was hunting with his family when he passed out and was taken to a hospital in Lacrosse to be treated for polio. There were four cases of polio in his neighborhood. He had no lasting effects, but his best friend had paralysis of his legs. Shortly after starting high school in Winona, the family moved to Waukon, where he graduated from high school May 21, 1957. He enrolled at Iowa State College in the fall of 1957 and enrolled in the Reserve Officer Training Core (ROTC). While there he met and courted Alycia L. Hughes. He graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in Dairy Husbandry May 27, 1961.

He joined the US Army and served his country at Fort Leonard Wood Missouri until Jan. 28, 1962, honorably discharged as a Sergeant E6. He returned to Ames to see his fiance and found a job as a Data Processing Technician at ISU. He filled their requirements of “handy mechanically, dairy husbandry training and background.” He started his life-long career working for ISU Feb. 1, 1962.

Lester and Alycia were married that spring at University Lutheran Church on June 2, 1962. They joined the St. Andrew’s congregation soon after. He had a quiet, private faith that was evidenced in all the work he did through the decades with the St. Andrew’s church family. Over the years, he made banners, served on pastoral search committees, on the finance committee, rarely missed a potluck and enjoyed making exquisite Kringla for the fellowship times after the Sunday service. He loved worshiping his Lord through the Liturgy, hymns and service to the Church.

Back at ISU, he worked with one of the first computers at ISU, a punch card data system where the one computer filled an entire room. As the department grew and generations of computers came and went, he became the Assistant Director of the Administration Data Processing Center (ADP) located in Pearson Hall, ISU, supervising computer programmers and data management for various organizations, the largest being the Dairy Herd Improvement Association. They processed the records for over 500,000 cows and goats in over 9 states every week, and he led this program in developing a very complex and accurate service that dairy farmers used to improve the health and milk production of their herds. He developed fun and friendly relationships across the ISU campus and enjoyed a weekly bowling league for many years at the Memorial Union. He retired on Sept. 30, 1997.

At his retirement party, Lester received many compliments on the work he did at the ADP. Kenneth R Butcher, Director of DRMS (Dairy Records Mgmt Systems), said, “Your leadership of data processing and software development of the Mid-States DRPC was recognized throughout the industry. The quality of the reports and of the database were a reflection of your attention to all the precision and detail needed in an outstanding information processing system.

Source: Decorah Newspapers Dec. 29, 2022