Jeffrey Morris Isdal

Jeffrey Morris Isdal, 61, of Spicer, died Tuesday, April 20th from a car accident near Atwater. His memorial service will be at 3:00 pm, Monday at Bethany Long Lake Church in rural Spicer. Visitation will be from 1-3:00 pm, at the church. Interment will be in the church cemetery. For your comfort, please bring your own chair. Arrangements are with West Central Cremation Service in Willmar.

Jeffrey Morris Isdal was born October 22, 1959 to Morris & Virginia (McCarver) Isdal in Willmar, MN. He was raised in Willmar, on the backstretch of the racetrack, a place that his life would later revolve around. He was a member of the Willmar High School Class of 1977 & pursued further education at the Willmar Vocational College & graduated college in 1979 from the Auto Mechanic program.

Jeff met Melanie, the love of his life, at the race track in 1979, & they later got married on September 12, 1981 at the Eagle Lake Lutheran Church in Willmar. In this unity, they were blessed with 2 children: Sarah & Christopher.

Jeff thoroughly enjoyed anything with an engine & loved racing! His passion for racing started at the young age of 4 years old, as he would ride on the back of the water truck at the local track, now known as KRA Speedway. As his love for racing grew, he became more involved in the sport as a pit crew member, a driver, a board member for KRA, the crew chief for both his children & for the last several years, the crew chief for the 38J car. He would often say, “I’ve forgotten more about racing than you’ll ever know!” With that knowledge, he was more than happy to help many drivers get their start in racing, & continued to support them in their careers. He broadened his racing resume, by co-hosting a racing radio talk show for a few years on the Loon with Layne. Jeff also loved kids & got joy from giving random children a $1- he really got a kick out of it! If he wasn’t at the track, you’d find him in the garage watching Hogan’s Hero’s & the Red Green Show. At one point, Jeff was also the 4-H club softball coach for a few years, as well as a member of the Willmar Fraternal Order of Eagles #2334 & served on their board of directors. Jeff worked for Hanson Silo, loved his work & really enjoyed the guys he worked with! Jeff was very well known in the racing circuit, but his love for his family was second to none. He was very honored to be called “Grandpa Grey Beard” by his grandchildren.  He had a heart of gold, was stubborn & opinionated with a sick sense of humor! Jeff will always be remembered as being very direct & to the point, with the gift to gab. He lived everyday to the fullest, & would often tell his family, “If I die today, I’ve had a good run.”

Jeff is survived by his wife Melanie, daughter Sarah (fiancé Jon), son Chris (wife Jaime), & 5 grandchildren: Presley, Weston, & Oakleigh Isdal, & Gavyn & Gage Feldman. Also surviving is his sister, Deb Giroux (& Claude) as well as many other family members.

He was preceded in death by his parents Morris (1983) & Virginia (1999).

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