AGC of Minnesota member Milt Lunda, 88, of Lunda Construction Company in Black River Falls, Minn., passed away Dec. 11 at Black River Memorial Hospital under the care of Black River Hospice.

Lunda was born Aug. 30, 1920, in Mount Horeb, Wis. He grew Lunda Construction Company into a nationally respected bridge building firm and he generously supported many civic causes in the Black River Falls community. He was a strong construction industry and transportation advocate and contributed in many ways to enhancing the stature and business of the bridge building industry.

In 1953, Milt and his wife, Lidy, moved from Detroit, where he was employed at the time, back to Wisconsin and settled in Black River Falls, where he eventually became the owner and president of Lunda Construction Company. Lunda Construction Company built bridges notably on I-94 from Milwaukee to Minneapolis, I-43 from Green Bay to Milwaukee, and throughout the Midwest and also Atlanta, Ga.

Lunda Construction also has an industrial and railroad division. Over the years, the company has received approximately 75 awards on its bridge structures for Safety and Best in Class. In 1977 Lunda Construction purchased Phoenix Steel of Eau Claire and later purchased the rebar division of Bethlehem Steel of Minneapolis and the Pipkorn Rebar Company located in Milwaukee.

In 1988, the Lunda family established the Lunda Charitable Trust, which has supported numerous state and local causes. Milt and Lidy’s personal philanthropies are in the arts, health and education fields to which they donated more than 40 scholarships annually. The Lundas are well known for their numerous financial donations to the community of Black River Falls including the Lunda Center and the Lunda Community Park.

Some of his personal awards are: 1988 —Marquette Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award, 1995 — Rotary Civic Award, 1997 — the CRUE Merit Award for Public Relations and the Marquette Alumni Community Service Merit Award; 1999 — WASDA Award for Special Recognition for Service to Wisconsin; 2002 — the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Engineering Construction; and 2008 — the Western Wisconsin College Legacy Award.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials be given either to the Lunda Community Park Maintenance Fund or Black River Hospice. All memorials may be sent to the Lunda Family, c/o Carl Holmquist, P. O. Box 669, Black River Falls, WI 54615.

The Buswell Funeral Home, Black River Falls assisted the family with arrangements.

Online condolences are available at www.buswellfuneralhome.com.

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