Dean Brinkman

Dean Brinkman, age 66, of Fosston, MN, passed away on Sunday, July 31st. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 6th, at New Journey Church in Fosston with Pastor Jarred LeBon officiating. Interment will be in Kingo Lutheran Cemetery, Fosston. Arrangements are with Carlin Family Funeral Service of Fosston and messages of condolence may be shared at www.carlinfuneral.com.

Dean Charles Brinkman was born on July 9, 1956, in Fosston, Minnesota to parents Dewain and Arlene (Anderson) Brinkman. He grew up in Fosston and graduated from Fosston High School in 1974. While in high school, Dean was active in sports, participating in wrestling, baseball, football, and track.

Following high school, Dean went to Itasca Community College in Grand Rapids. After completing his two years at Itasca, he continued his education at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, where he graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering.

As the years went on, he worked for several companies in various states. His first job out of college was in South Dakota working as a surveyor. He then worked for Boeing in Kansas, for the Air Force in Oklahoma, and in the cities of Orofino, Idaho, and Juneau, Sitka, and Anchorage in Alaska. His final stop before retirement was working for the Bureau of Land Management in Washington D.C. In 2016, he returned home to his roots in Fosston.

He was truly a cowboy at heart, finding community through cowboy action and target shooting competitions. He had a passion for travel and explored many places at home and abroad. He was an avid reader with a curious mind, who could nearly always be found outside tinkering on one project or another.

Dean liked helping people and would give the shirt off his back for anyone. Though he was frugal on himself, he was a very generous person when others were in need.

Survivors include his mother, Arlene, of Fosston; six siblings, David (Rosemarie) Brinkman of Fosston, Dan (Deaun) Brinkman of Hutchinson, MN, Ellen Brinkman of St. Paul, MN, Don (Amy) Brinkman of Fosston, Julie (John) Nordquist of Fosston, and Ann (Robert) Vorce of Fosston; nieces and nephews, Nate Brinkman, Kelly (Joe) Boler, Mike Brinkman, Matt Brinkman, Chelsea (AC) VanRaden, Cody Nordquist, Brianna (Will) Bergstrom, Derek (Katy) Brinkman, and Jared (Amber) Brinkman; grandnieces and grandnephews, Julia, Annika, Mace, Charlie, Jack, Luke, Hadley and William; aunt and uncles, Ethel Peterson of Minneapolis, Nordin Brinkman of Fosston, Harold (Jessica) Anderson of Florida, and Carl (Judy) Anderson of Florida.

He was preceded in death by his father, Dewain; nephew, Erick Brinkman; and grandniece, Charlotte Hope Brinkman.