Age: 91

Residence: Lisbon

Funeral-

Date: Jan. 27, 2012

Location: Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisbon

Date of Death: Jan. 24, 2012

Birthplace: Hamden Township, County of Becker, MN

Age: 73

Residence: Stirum

Funeral-

Date: Jan. 28, 2012

Location: Zion Lutheran Church, Gwinner

Date of Death: Jan. 24, 2012

Birthplace: near Stirum

Age: 74

Residence: Clovis, CA

Date of Death: Jan. 19, 2012

Birthplace: Lisbon

Elwood Nelson

Elwood R. Nelson, age 99 of Fargo, formerly of Milnor, died peacefully with family by his side on Jan. 21, 2012 at Banner Baywood Hospital in Mesa, AZ. Elwood had been a winter resident of Mesa for many years.

Elwood was born Dec. 30, 1912, in Kidder, SD and was the eldest son of Elmer and Martha (Dahlin) Nelson. Elwood grew up on the family farm near Kidder, attended rural country school and graduated from Kidder High School in 1930 where he was active in sports, debate and choir. He attended the North Dakota Agricultural College in Fargo. While attending college during the Great Depression, his hometown bank failed and he no longer had the money to pay for college. He returned home to work the family farm with his father.  During this time he joined the “Eddie Finch and the Singing Band” and played saxophone. The band toured throughout North and South Dakota.

While playing in the band, he met Eddie’s sister Helen. Elwood and Helen E. Finch were married on Sept. 29, 1933 at Aberdeen, SD. They were married for 72 years when Helen passed away in 2004.  Elwood held many jobs throughout his life including working in a grocery store, gas station, and ammunitions factory.  He was also a school bus driver using the school bus he built on the back of a pickup to take children to and from school in the Gwinner community.

Elwood and Helen first lived in Gwinner, where Elwood was a Traveler for John Deere Company. In 1944, they moved to Breckenridge, MN, where they lived for several years while Elwood worked for Franklin Life Insurance and the local John Deere Implement dealer.  In 1948, Elwood opened Nelson Implement in Milnor and added a Chevrolet franchise in 1949.  In 1966, Elwood expanded the business to include a partnership in the John Deere dealership in Jamestown with his son-in-law Maynard Helgaas. Elwood and Maynard, along with granddaughter Julie Dunwoodie, grew the business to include additional John Deere dealerships in Valley City, Steele, LaMoure and Ellendale.   Elwood operated Nelson Implement and Chevrolet in Milnor until selling the business in 1981. He retained interest in the other dealerships until they were all sold by 2002.  Elwood was recognized many times over for his leadership and sales achievements with John Deere Company.

Elwood was a member of various implement and automobile boards.  In 1970, he was elected President of the North Dakota Implement Dealers Association.  He was a long time member of St. Arnold’s Catholic Church, Milnor Volunteer Fire Department, Milnor City Council, and served on the Sargent County Fair Board for many years.  In 1981, Elwood received the Galaxie Award from the Satellite Club of Milnor for recognition of his community involvement and financial donations.  In 1948, Elwood became a pilot and enjoyed flying for many years, owning several airplanes.  He also enjoyed golfing, hunting and fishing and spent many years fishing with friends and family in northern Canada at the family fishing cabin.   He also collected many classic Chevrolet cars.

In 1980, Elwood and Helen bought their lake cabin on Ottertail Lake, MN where they enjoyed spending the summers and fall.  That same year, they also purchased a winter home in Sunland Village in Mesa, AZ.  Elwood purchased a home in Fargo in 2006.

Elwood touched the lives of many, creating special memories for friends, family, and employees.  He will be greatly missed by all.

Elwood had a deep passion for his family and is survived by his daughter, Joan (Robert) Tuma, of Santa Barbara, CA; eight grandchildren including Elizabeth (Dave) Thomas, Robert Tuma, Jayne (Randy) Yee, Alison Tuma, Julie (Dale) Dunwoodie, Ann (Todd) Kumm, Kathryn Helgaas (Doug Burgum),  John (April) Helgaas; son-in-law Maynard Helgaas (Julie); sister Betty Gail Jones (Harold); sister-in-law Pauline Nelson.  He is also survived by twelve great-grandchildren: Dillan and Kendall Yee, Nathan and Sadie Dunwoodie, Michael, Hannah, Chelsey, and Kater Sitzmann, Victoria Krynski, AJ,  Brekken, and Helaina Helgaas.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Helen, daughter Jean Ann Helgaas and brother Mark Nelson.

The family thanks Elwood’s very special caregivers, Karen Bodvig, Tammy Melberg, Jeanne Miller, Donna Schoening, and all other caregivers that made his life comfortable and enjoyable.

Visitation will be on Sunday, Jan. 29th.   from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. with remembrance/sharing from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Hanson-Runsvold Funeral Home located at 215 7th Street South, Fargo. Online condolences may be sent to www.dahlstromfuneralservice.com.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, Jan. 30th with visitation from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. and Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. at St. Arnold’s Catholic Church, 107 Third Street Milnor, ND.

A private family burial will be in the Britton Cemetery at Britton, SD following the funeral.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to the NDSU Development Foundation at www.ndsufoundation.com, the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org, the Satellite Club of Milnor, www.milnornd.com/social_clubs_22, or your favorite charity.

Dahlstrom Funeral Home of Wishek is in charge of arrangements.

This obituary is printed in full because it is a paid obituary.

LaJune Gibbon

LaJune B. Gibbon, 79, of Milnor, passed away Jan. 18, 2012, at Villa Maria Nursing Home, Fargo.

LaJune Barbara was born at home in Rosemeade Township near DeLamere on March 3, 1932, to George and Dora (Schumacher) Gregor. She attended country school before going to St. Aloysius boarding school in Lisbon, and then graduating from Wild Rice High School in 1950.

LaJune worked at St. Francis Hospital, Breckenridge, MN and also Bell Telephone as an operator.

She was united in marriage to Kenneth Gibbon on June 17, 1953 at St. Arnold’s Catholic Church in Milnor. They made their home and farmed near Milnor, where they raised their seven children.  LaJune and Kenneth retired from farming, raising cattle and running the feedlots in 1986.  Kenneth passed away March 26, 2008.  LaJune continued to live in Milnor until September of 2010, when she became a resident of the Villa Maria Nursing Home, Fargo.

LaJune was a member of St. Arnold’s Catholic Church, where she was active in St. Arnold’s Christian Mothers, and principal of the C.C.D. program.  She was also a member of the Legion Auxiliary and PTA.  LaJune enjoyed coffee with friends and family.  She especially looked forward to her annual “Girls Day Out” with her daughters and daughers-in-law.  LaJune loved roses, auction sales, antique glassware, gardening, canning, and collecting angels and nativity sets.  Her favorite moments were spent with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She is survived by their seven children: Karen (Dan) Williams, Alexandria, MN, Roger (Brenda) Gibbon and Deborah (Warren) Sundquist, both of Milnor, Gayle (Lyle) Planteen, Prairie Rose, Cynthia (Curt) Iwen, Enderlin, Donna (Curtis) Stubstad, Sabin, MN, and Randy (Mary) Gibbon, Milnor; a brother, Eugene (Rosemarie) Gregor, Milnor; twenty-seven grandchildren and twenty-two great-grandchildren.

LaJune was preceded in death by her parents and husband, Kenneth.

A funeral mass was held on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012 at St. Arnold’s Catholic Church, Milnor, with burial to follow at Calvary Cemetery.

An on-line guestbook may be signed at www.dahlstromfuneralhome.com.

Donna Hopkins

Donna Barbara Hopkins, age 79, passed away Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012.

Donna was born in Elliott on Feb. 26, 1932 to Erwin and Nora (McDaniel) Hunemuller. She graduated from Lisbon High School and attended Valley City State Teachers college. Caring for her family was Donna’s main hobby. She devoted most of her life to all her family members.

She is survived by three daughters, Patty Wright and husband Lonnie, Diana Silva and husband Art, Deborah McComb and husband Scott; two sons Wade Hopkins and wife Lisa, Kyle Hopkins and Shanmarie; 19 grandchildren, Leona Segura and husband Kyle, Tona Andrade and husband Justin, Koell Rios and husband Jason, Jana Wright and husband Travis Currie, John Silva and wife Vicky, Barbara Silva and husband Tom Cordova, Chris Silva and wife Alicia, Melanie Fuqua and husband Scott, Jason Silva, Greg and wife Elizabeth Blakley, Brandon, Blakley, Brittany McComb, Kimberly Anderson, Wade Hopkins, Jr., Luke Hopkins, Nicole, Krystal, Kayla and Kaytlin; 23 great-grandchildren, Evanne, Macen, Chase, Sienna, Shae, Tayler, Bryan, Lisa, Nicholas, Ethan, Amber, Braedyn, Aaron, Marissa, Vincent, Vanessa, Jacob, Jaedyn, Taeya, Jocelyn, Kaelin, Mariah, Cody; sister Vonna Hopkins, sister Norinne Laughlin, brother Richard Hunemuller and wife Evalynn.

She was preceded in death by her husband,Merlyn in 1989.

Funeral services were held on Jan. 19, 2012 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Albuquerque.

Interment to follow at Fairview Memorial Park, Albuquerque.

Rebecca L. Lyons

Funeral services for Rebecca L. Lyons, 53, Englewood, CO, were held Jan. 9, 2012 at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Lisbon. Father Jerald Finnestad officiated. Miss Lyons passed away on Jan. 3, 2012 in her home.

Rebecca L. Lyons, daughter of William and Doris (Froemke) Lyons, was born March 4, 1958 in Lisbon. She attended St. Aloysius Catholic Grade school and graduated from Lisbon High School. She attended Wadena, MN Technical School and Moorhead, MN Tech School. After schooling, she moved to Omaha where she worked for Northwestern Bell. She moved to Denver where she worked for Mountain Bell which later  became Quest. She retired in 2009 and recently completed  schooling for Landscape Design.

Nobody loved their nieces and nephews more than Aunt Becky!

She is survived by five brothers: Warren (Carmen) Lyons, Lisbon, James (JoAnne) Lyons, Lisbon, Frank (Connie) Lyons, Lisbon, Dennis (Holly) Lyons, Langdon, Lewis (Donna) Lyons, Lisbon; two sisters: Laura (John) Suter, Killdeer, LuJean (Warren) Nohr, Vergas, MN; sister-in-law, Barb Lyons, Lisbon; many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Leo.

Pallbearers for the funeral were Bill Suter, Bob Suter, Bill Lyons, Mike Lyons, Darrin Lyons, Matthew Lyons, Jeffrey Lyons, Andrew Lyons, Jordan Lyons, Jared Nohr, Trevor Lyons, Ryan Lyons and Nathan Lyons.

Music was provided by organist Sara Lyons and Cantors Chuck and Kris Long.

Interment at St. Aloysius Catholic Cemetery, Lisbon.

Armstrong Funeral Home, Lisbon was in charge of arrangements.

Age: 85

Residence: Salem, OR

Funeral-

Date: Nov. 25, 2011

Location: Huston-Jost Funeral Home, Salem, OR

Date of Death: Nov. 20, 2011

Birthplace: Lisbon

James Devitt

Funeral services for Rebecca L. Lyons, 53, Englewood, CO, were held Jan. 9, 2012 at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Lisbon. Father Jerald Finnestad officiated. Miss Lyons passed away on Jan. 3, 2012 in her home.

Rebecca L. Lyons, daughter of William and Doris (Froemke) Lyons, was born March 4, 1958 in Lisbon. She attended St. Aloysius Catholic Grade school and graduated from Lisbon High School. She attended Wadena, MN Technical School and Moorhead, MN Tech School. After schooling, she moved to Omaha where she worked for Northwestern Bell. She moved to Denver where she worked for Mountain Bell which later  became Quest. She retired in 2009 and recently completed  schooling for Landscape Design.

Nobody loved their nieces and nephews more than Aunt Becky!

She is survived by five brothers: Warren (Carmen) Lyons, Lisbon, James (JoAnne) Lyons, Lisbon, Frank (Connie) Lyons, Lisbon, Dennis (Holly) Lyons, Langdon, Lewis (Donna) Lyons, Lisbon; two sisters: Laura (John) Suter, Killdeer, LuJean (Warren) Nohr, Vergas, MN; sister-in-law, Barb Lyons, Lisbon; many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Leo.

Pallbearers for the funeral were Bill Suter, Bob Suter, Bill Lyons, Mike Lyons, Darrin Lyons, Matthew Lyons, Jeffrey Lyons, Andrew Lyons, Jordan Lyons, Jared Nohr, Trevor Lyons, Ryan Lyons and Nathan Lyons.

Music was provided by organist Sara Lyons and Cantors Chuck and Kris Long.

Interment at St. Aloysius Catholic Cemetery, Lisbon.

Armstrong Funeral Home, Lisbon was in charge of arrangements.

This obituary is printed in full because it is a paid obituary.

Age: 90

Residence: Lisbon

Funeral-

Date: Jan. 9, 2012

Location: Trinity Lutheran Church, Forman

Date of Death: Jan. 4, 2012

Birthplace: Forman