George Paul Lemire

George Lemire, age 75, of Aitkin, passed away on Thursday, August 13, 2026 at his home.

George was born February 12, 1951, in Duluth to Cyril and Esther (Villeneuve) Lemire. He graduated from Robbinsdale Cooper High School, where he played hockey and met his high school sweetheart, Sonja Koosmann. George and Sonja were married on May 20, 1972, at St. James Lutheran Church in Crystal and celebrated more than 54 years of marriage.

George and Sonja began their married life in Champlin, later lived in Maple Lake, and spent most of their marriage in Buffalo where they raised their children, Tracy and Tony. In retirement, they moved to the Lemire family homestead in Aitkin.

George spent his career in the meat industry, beginning as a meat cutter with Schumacher's Meats before moving into meat sales and then into the brokerage side of the business. He later owned LeMire Sales, where he used his knowledge of the industry and his ability to build strong relationships to grow a successful business, he was proud of.

George was an avid outdoorsman and had a lifelong love of hunting and fishing. He enjoyed deer and bird hunting, annual fishing trips, salmon fishing on Lake Michigan out of Kewaunee, Wisconsin, and had several memorable trips to Alaska. George and Sonja shared many adventures throughout their marriage, including coon hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, and snowmobile clubs.

One of George's greatest passions was Lemire's Pure Maple Syrup, a family tradition dating back to 1890. George took great pride in the syrup farm and was the sixth generation to carry on the family tradition. He loved learning new ways to improve the process, giving tours, teaching others about maple syrup production, and helping ensure the tradition would continue for future generations.

George was outgoing, opinionated, fun-loving, and a wonderful storyteller. His table was always open with a hot cup of coffee.  George was always ready for a game of cribbage and believed in working hard while making plenty of time for fun. As a father and grandfather, he passed along those values by teaching his family to fish, work hard, work together, respect others, and enjoy life.

George is survived by his wife and high school sweetheart, Sonja; children, Tracy and her husband, Kevin Hanson, of Dassel, Minnesota, and Tony Lemire and his fiancée, Emma Llegue of Montrose, Minnesota; grandchildren, Lilianna Hanson, Isaac (Kenzie) Hanson, Bailey (Austin) Thomas, Hunter Lemire, Haley Lemire, Cody Somvong, Kyler Somvong, Nicole Llegue and Emilia Llegue; great-grandchildren, River and Jolene Hanson, and Nolan and Sophia Thomas; sisters LaVonne Anderson and Connie (Pat) Ordorff; mother-in-law, Carol Koosmann; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear lifelong friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Cyril and Esther Lemire; sister, Shirley Maxwell; brother-in-law, Terry Anderson; and father-in-law, Richard Koosmann.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be Friday, August 21 at 11 AM in St. James Catholic Church, Aitkin with lunch and fellowship to follow.  Visitation will be 1 hour prior to the service at the church.  Interment will be at a later date.

In lieu of memorials, the family asks that donations be made to St. Croix Hospice or the St. James Cemetery Maintenance Fund.  To leave a message of condolence, please visit:  www.srtfuneral.com.  Arrangements are with Sorensen-Root-Thompson Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Aitkin.

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