Leland Sturlaugson

Leland S. "Lee" Sturlaugson, age 84 of Park River, ND, passed away on Sunday, June 14, 2015 at the Stanford Bemidji Medical Center. Leland Sturlaugson was born May 20, 1931 in at a farm home near Langdon, ND, the son of the late Victor and Aldis (Johnson) Sturlaugson. He attended a one room Manilla Township School for grades 1-8 and graduated from Langdon High School in 1949 as Co-Salutatorian. He then attended the North Dakota Agricultural College in a pre-veterinary curriculum from 1949-1951. He enrolled at the University of Minnesota in 1951 in the Veterinary Medicine program and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1953 and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1955. He was united in marriage to Bonnie Mae Machart on June 14, 1953 in Langdon, ND. He practiced veterinary medicine in Langdon for a short time, in Lakota, ND for 3 years, and then the couple moved to Park River in June 1959. He continued to practice until his retirement in 1998. He was a member of the Park River Federated Church, a life member of the American, Minnesota and North Dakota Veterinary Medical Associations. He served as President of the NDVMA in 1977 and served two terms on the North Dakota Veterinary Medical Examining Board. He was associated with several agricultural and fraternal organizations during his lifetime. He was elected to serve as director of the First Bank in 1966. He invested in the First Holding Company in 1987 and continued on as a director of First United Bank in 1987 until 2010. He also became a director of the First United Insurance Agency in 1987 through 2014. He was a grateful recovering member of the Lorac Hall Group of AA since 1987. His special joys included his beautiful wife Bonnie. She is also patient, supportive, kind, generous, hardworking, talented, an authentic Christian, intelligent and much more. Other joys involve the children and their mates, grandchildren and great grandchildren, his parents and siblings; educational opportunities; the church; work; the lake cabin; the involvement with the bank and insurance agency; many true friends and many relatives-cousins, nieces and nephews and their families and also good music. He felt richly blessed. He stated that during his lifetime he was seldom hungry, often tired, never bored and always grateful. Lee is survived by his wife Bonnie, Park River, ND, children: Stephen (Wanda) Sturlaugson, Carson, ND, Dr. Eric (Kim) Sturlaugson, Zimmerman, MN, Lea (John) Holm, Park River, ND and Dr. Kristi (Sam) Midgarden, Park River, ND, 13 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren, sister Helen Francis, Minneapolis, MN, brother Sidney Dale (Wilma) Sturlaugson, Green River, WY, sister-in-law Dallas (Vernon) Sturlaugson, Devils Lake, ND, brother-in-law Pete Groff, Sacramento, CA, as well as several cousins and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Vernon, sisters: Lorraine (Fred) Fernandez, Marvel (Pete) Groff, Lillian (Doug) Stoelting, Marian (Jerry) Jonasson, and Judith Sturlaugson. Funeral services will be Thursday, June 18, 2015 at 2:30 P.M. at the Park River Federated Church. Visitation will be Wednesday from 5-7 with a prayer service at 7:00 P.M. at the church. Friends may also call at the church for one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at the Memorial Park Cemetery of Park River. An online guestbook is available at: www.tollefsonfuneralhome.com The Tollefson Funeral Home of Park River is in charge of the arrangements.