James F. Christl, former owner of the Mellen Weekly-Record, died on Monday, Nov. 6, at his daughter’s home in Phillips. He was 78.
Born on Feb. 2, 1945, in Alice, North Dakota, he was the son of Julius William and Ella Katherine (Blosl) Christl. Christl graduated from Fargo North Dakota High School in 1963 and went on to earn a degree in printing curriculum in 1966 from the North Dakota State School of Science.
Christl began his printing career in Park Falls, where he worked at the Park Falls Herald and MacGregor Litho. On April 1, 1978, he and his wife Sandy took over the Weekly-Record and XL Publishing. His daughter, Kim, continues his legacy, publishing the newspaper today.