Funeral Service: Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. at Stevenson and Sons Chapel in Miles City, MT.
Interment: Eastern Montana State Veterans Cemetery with full military honors provided by VFW Post 1579.
Orvald Richard Norgaard, 89, of Miles City, Montana died of pneumonia, April 22, 2009 at the Holy Rosary Healthcare in Miles City, Montana.
Orvald was born to Niels and Lydia (Christensen) Norgaard on January9, 1920 in Sidney, Montana. He grew up on the family homestead in the Brorson Community northwest of Sidney. He entered military service in 1941 and served as a cook in the U.S. Army throughout World War II. In 1943 he married his hometown girl, Hazel Blair, in Burbank, California. After the war the couple returned to Sidney and Orvald took over management of the Blair family farm in the Mt. Pleasant community west of Sidney. During his 17 years of farming he served on the board of the Farmer's Union Transportation Co., Farmer's Union Credit Union, Farmer's Union Oil Co., Mt. Pleasant School and was a trustee of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Sidney. In1961 Orvald established the Norgaard Motors Volkswagen dealership in Sidney. He also built the Kwiki Car Wash there, the first self-service car wash in the region. From 1966 to his first retirement in1980, he managed Farmer's Union Oil Stations in Kinsey, Richey and Miles City, Montana. After a short retirement he began a new career as a crop adjuster for Farmer's Union Insurance and then Rain and Hail Insurance. Besides working as an adjuster himself he trained 29 other adjusters during his 26 years on the job. He finally retired at age 86. He enjoyed the many farmers and ranchers he met throughout his career and could remember them all with his incredible memory. Orvald was also an avid bowler and champion horseshoe player. He was a people person with good looks, a competitive spirit and a great sense of humor. He loved to hear and tell a good story or argue a point of view. He was a stubborn Dane so if your point of view differed from his it was wise to keep it to yourself unless you were open to a change of mind.
From 1964 to1975 he was married to Frances "Emy" Biehl, originally from Fairview, MT. On August 25, 1975, he married Theo K. Mills Grauman of Miles City. The couple have been active members of the Miles City Bowling Association. Orvald was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Miles City.
Orvald is survived by his wife, Theo of Miles City, MT; three daughters, Lola (Arnie) Hansen, Sidney, MT, Rita (Dave) Hoch, Fairview, MT, and Jeanette of Los Angeles, CA;one step-daughter, Kathleen (Jaclynn) Grauman, Edmonds, WA; one step-son, David (Bev) Grauman, Billings, MT; five grandchildren, one step-grandson and six great grandchildren. He always enjoyed the visits from his nieces Beverly Flynn, Fairview, MT, Bonnie Neu and Nina Keller of Sidney, MT and his nephew, Daryl Norgaard of Sidney, MT. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Margaret (Harold) Simonsen of Billings, MT;his brother Ervin Norgaard of Sidney, MT and one great grandson.
Visitation will be held on Friday, April 24, 2009 at Stevenson & Sons Funeral Home in Miles City. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. at Stevenson and Sons Chapel in Miles City, MT. Interment will follow in the Eastern Montana State Veterans Cemetery with full military honors provided by VFW Post 1579.
Should friends desire, memorials may be made to the charity of one's choice.
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