Matthew Lesmeister
Matt Lesmeister, age 41 of Fargo, North Dakota, formerly of Morris, MN, passed away Sunday, July 19, 2026.
Visitation for Matt Lesmeister will be held Thursday, July 23, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. at the Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris, MN.
Visitation will continue from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. on Friday, July 24, 2026, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Chokio, MN, with Father Todd Schneider officiating.
Funeral services for Matt Lesmeister will be at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, July 24, 2026, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Chokio, MN, with Father Todd Schneider officiating.
Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery in Morris, MN.
Matthew “Matt” James Lesmeister, son of Jerome “Jerry” and Jeanne (Anderson) Lesmeister, was born May 13, 1985 in Morris, MN, arriving the day after Mother’s Day, a gift his mom treasured. He was baptized and confirmed at the Assumption Catholic Church in Morris and attended St. Mary’s Catholic School. He graduated from Morris Area High School in 2003. After high school, Matt moved to Wahpeton, ND, where he attended the North Dakota State College of Science and where he met the love of his life, Lacey Hanson.
Matt spent his working career in sales, serving with several companies over the years. He inherited a natural sales gift from his dad, and could persuade most anyone he talked to. He loved talking with (and maybe even arguing with) people, but always did it with kindness and a smirk on his face.
Matt was creative. He loved to draw, and he especially loved to tinker if there was an unusual way to accomplish a task, you could count on Matt to come up with that option. He loved working on cars, most of all the 1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS he inherited from his dad. Away from the garage, Matt enjoyed golfing, fishing, watching football, and following the Minnesota Twins at the ballpark when he could, and otherwise on TV or over the radio.
Matt loved being an uncle. He never missed a niece’s or nephew’s birthday, and some of his biggest smiles came while playing with them. He was a proud godparent of nieces, Arielle and Ella, and Brooke Banta.
Above all, Matt loved Lacey. From the time they met in Wahpeton, the two were inseparable. On April 2, 2013, they were united in marriage in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and made their home in Fargo, ND, where they were joined by their two beloved dogs, Murphy and Kirby. Together they loved going to the cabin on Little Pine Lake, traveling, and spending time with their families but whatever they were doing, Matt and Lacey simply loved being together, and through thirteen years of marriage they faced every joy and every hard thing side by side.
Matt remained consistently optimistic as he endured his health challenges. Naturally strong and persistent, he continually talked about the places he and Lacey would travel once he recovered and he was still working hard toward that goal until his final days. On Sunday, July 19, 2026, surrounded by those who loved him dearly, Matt passed away peacefully at Sanford Health in Fargo. He was 41 years old.
Matt is survived by his wife: Lacey, of Fargo, ND, and their dogs, Murphy and Kirby; his brothers: Nic (Tabatha) Lesmeister of Grapevine, TX, and Adam (Kendra) Lesmeister of Buffalo, MN; his nieces and nephews: Naomi, Avi, and Ruth Anne Lesmeister, and Hadley and Ella Lesmeister; his stepmother: Jane Lesmeister of Morris, MN; his stepsister: Kristin Tordoff and her daughter, Arielle, of Las Vegas, NV; lifetime friend Rachel Banta, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends; he is also survived by his mother-in-law: Joyce (Jerry) Carter of Hazen, ND; his father-in-law: Bruce Hanson of Garrison, ND; his sister-in-law: Sarah (Sarah Pedersen) Skedsvold of Fargo, ND; his brothers-in-law: Jason (Denise) Carter of Hazen, ND, Bobby (Tressa) Carter of Beulah, ND, Jared (Jane) Carter of Tucson, AZ, and Ryan (Danni) Carter of West Fargo, ND; and his nieces and nephews, Ashton Carter; Talia, Jael, Skylar, and Piper Carter; Cameron and Caleb Carter; and Quinn and Mason Carter.
He was preceded in death by his mother: Jeanne; his father: Jerry; and his grandparents.
In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials to The Gift of Life House in Rochester, MN. To donate click on the link. https://gift-of-life.org/make-a-donation/
Arrangements are with Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris, MN.
