Who is Father from Legends of the Fall and what is their importance?

Nordstrom's father is a builder in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. While visiting Nordstrom in California, he fishes, eats too much, and talks about the Depression. He is a competent builder, but he feels satisfied with the consistent profits from building three cottages a year and does not expand his business. He dies soon after his friend Henry takes him to the hospital for heart problems.