Paul Clifford Strom

Paul Clifford Strom was born on October 8, 1951, in Alexandria, Minnesota, to Clifford and Viola (née Johnson) Strom. He grew up in the Brandon area and graduated from Brandon High School in 1970. Some of his happiest childhood memories were family time on Lake Chippewa, taking cattle to the Twin Cities with his Uncle Roy, and working with his dad at Strom Construction. After high school, he attended Brainerd Technical College, where he earned an associate’s degree in Natural Resources. Thereafter, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, completing his training at Fort Leonard Wood and serving as a medic at a U.S. military base near Stuttgart, Germany. During this time, he married Sharon Habiger, and to this union, three children were born.

After he was discharged from the Army, he settled back in his hometown of Brandon to raise his family. He initially did construction work before joining his dad at Strom Construction, ultimately taking over the family business. Paul married Vicki VanHorn on June 25, 1994, and they established their home on Lake Chippewa outside of Brandon.

Paul was active in the Land Improvement Contractors Association (LICA), serving as State President in the early ’90s. He was active in Cub Scouts, the American Legion, and Chippewa Lutheran Church. He enjoyed golfing, football, and family ski trips. After he retired from road construction, he worked as a truck driver and loved seeing different parts of the country. He and Vicki were able to take several trips, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Mexico. He also greatly enjoyed being a “Papa” to his eight grandchildren.

Paul appreciated the simple things in life, was slow to anger, and had a good sense of humor. His favorite saying was, “You can’t change anything by worrying about it.” When his health started to decline in the last few years, he accepted it quietly. He was proud of his life, his family, and his faith, and readily accepted what the Lord had in store for him.

Paul died on January 19, 2026, at his home surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife, Vicki; his children, Angela (Troy) Mennitt, John (Kayla) Strom, and Jason (Sara) Strom; eight grandchildren, Gretchen and Anneliese Mennitt; Eloise, Meredith, Finnley, and Maura Strom; Samuel and Owen Strom. He is also survived by three sisters, Mary (Dana) Baker, Elaine Strom, and Julie (Tim) Tello; three sisters-in-law, Kay Stenstuen, Shirley (Russ) Tolifson, and Jan (Bob) Micheletti; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Cliff and Viola Strom; his in-laws, Jake and Vernis VanHorn; his brother-in-law, Milton Stenstuen; and his niece, Jennifer Grey.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, January 25, 2026, 3:00 - 5:00 PM at the Anderson Funeral Home. Visitation will continue on Monday, January 26, 10:00 - 11:00 AM at Chippewa Lutheran Church in Brandon with a Funeral Service at 11:00 AM. Burial will be at Chippewa Cemetery in Brandon.