Irwin "Jug" Brandjord

Irwin "Jug" Brandjord, June 27, 1931 – Jan. 14, 2015

From beginnings on a North Dakota wheat farm on the Canadian border, Jug was the first of five children born to his Norwegian parents; his cultural heritage was a source of pride throughout his life. He was christened Irwin Milton Brandjord, going by Irwin until his Norwegian uncles nicknamed him 'Jug-Head,' inspired by the popular 1940's comic strip and his prodigious appetite.

After graduating from Bottineau High School in 1948, Jug's National Guard unit was called to the Korean War. He served 2 years before taking advantage of the GI Bill...