Vernon Leonard Strandemo, 91, of Austin TX, formerly Mahnomen, MN, passed away Tuesday, July 11, 2017, at his home in Austin. Vernon, the middle of three sons of Leonard and Martha (Gunhus) Strandemo, was born in Mahnomen on November 17, 1925. Growing up, his family lived above the family clothing store on Main Street, where all three boys helped out. He attended school in Mahnomen and played the tenor sax in the Billy Mitchell Swing Band. He loved music of all kinds, especially swing bands and marches. Following his graduation from Mahnomen High School, Vern joined the United States Navy as a Flight Cadet. He honorably served as a radio service officer on the liberty ship Robert G. Cousins in the Pacific and the Philippines. After an honorable discharge, Vern furthered his education at North Dakota State University, where he was a member of the NDSU Bison Football Team and the Theta Chi Fraternity. Vern received a Bachelor of Science Degree on March 16, 1950, and remained a loyal Bison supporter. On June 30, 1954, Vernon was united in marriage to Glenna Brynjolfson in Willow City, ND. The couple made their home in Mahnomen where they raised their family. Glenna passed away in 1998 and Vern continued to reside in Mahnomen. Vern spent many of his winters in New Mexico and recently made Texas his permanent home. Over the years, Vern remained active with both work and hobbies. He served as the Mahnomen County Welfare Director for many years in addition to serving on the Northwestern Mental Health board in Crookston, MN. Golf was a major part of Vern's life. Not only did he coach the Mahnomen Boys Golf Team until his mid-eighties, he also taught golf instruction at the Tribal College in Mahnomen, spearheaded the Mahnomen Short Stop Golf Tournament, and was a member of the Mahnomen Country Club and the USGA. Vern was also a member of the American Legion Isaacson-Bjorge Post #31 of Mahnomen. He was a member of St. Michael's Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus as a 4th Degree Knight. Vern also enjoyed reading, water walking in the early morning, building model trains and driving his Subaru cars. Vern loved to entertain, cook, and look for a new recipe to try. His specialty was soups. During the holidays, he would fix his notorious "old fashioned" cocktails for family and friends! Vern is survived by one son: Guy (Kim) Strandemo of Delano, MN, three daughters: Gay Strandemo (Tracy Will) of Waunakee, WI, Jill Strandemo of Austin, TX, and Jacqueline (Michael) Jahner of Albuquerque, NM; nine grandchildren: Dominic, Roland, Glenn, Thomas, Madeline, Sarah, Sean, Ava and William. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, and two brothers.   Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00am on Friday, July 21, 2017, at St. Michael's Catholic Church, Mahnomen, MN. Visitation will take place at St. Michael's Catholic Church on Thursday, July 20, 2017, from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm, with a Rosary and Prayer Service at 6:00 pm. Burial will be in the St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery. Memorials preferred to: The Northwestern Mental Health Center in Crookston, MN, contact is Joan Tronson at jtronson@nwmhc.org 218-281-3940 or The First Tee https://thefirsttee.org/get-involved/ways-to-give/donate