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LeoraBelle “Larry” Torgerson

Aug. 26, 1929 – Dec. 13, 2019

Memorial Service for

LeoraBelle “Larry” Torger-

son, 90, of Dickinson, will

be 10:00 a.m., Saturday,

January 4, 2020 at Steven-

son Funeral Home in Dic-

kinson, with Pastor Joe

Natwick officiating. Buri-

al will take place in Zion

Lutheran Cemetery in Tio-

ga, ND.

Larry passed away De-

cember 13, 2019 at her

home in Dickinson.

Leora Belle (Larry)

Torgerson was united

with her Heavenly Father

on December 13th, 2019

after more than a yearlong

battle with cancer, which

she fought with courage

and dignity. Larry was

born on August 26th,

1929 (also known as the

“Day of the Pinnacle

Queen”) to Eric and Leta

Gudvangen, on the family

farm in McGregor, ND.

She attended McGregor

School where she met her

soulmate, Duane (Torgy).

With the little motion of

Duane’s pointer finger one

evening, Larry fell

head-over-heels in love

and they were married in

Williston on May 3rd,

1951. Together they

raised four rambunctious

children on the family

farm outside of Tioga, ND.

Duane and Larry took

over the family farm

where she worked

shoulder-to-shoulder with

Duane tending the fields

and baling hay. In 1967

they bought Tioga’s Tex-

aco Station, which then

was affectionately called

“Torgy’s Texaco” by lo-

cals. Larry also worked

steadfast at the Texaco

station doing everything

from filling fuel and

checking oil to washing

vehicles. Because of their

natural connection, they

turned out to be the best

partners, both in life and

business, which allowed

them to succeed in all of

their many adventures.

Larry was a gentle and

kind mother- permitting

her children to “adopt”

many stray, and wild an-

imals, including a skunk,

crow, and baby rabbits

among others. She was

the most caring, energetic

and entertaining Grand-

ma, always making spe-

cial sewn gifts, going on

picnics, and playing

games with her grandchil-dren. She was a “Mom”

and “Grandma” to many

people she befriended

during her life.

She enjoyed entertain-

ing and was very good at

it, juggling homemade

hors d’ oeuvres in the

kitchen with creative

games and activities for

guests- and always a ful-

ly stocked bar for toddies.

Her friends were a huge

part of her lively life; al-

most always accompany-

ing them on their many

camping trips and week-

end activities.

Larry had many in-

terests- She was addict-

ed to crossword puzzles

and loved pinnacle. She

shared most every morn-

ing at her kitchen table

with her late son, Greg in

a hand or two of pinnacle.

She continued to play

pinnacle faithfully, right

up until the end. Larry

also loved sewing, starting

with special clothes for

her daughter, Lee when

she was small, then mov-

ing to teddy bears, and

then finally quilts. She

soon became a

one-woman quilting facto-

ry, making heart-felt gifts

for family and friends.

She also loved stuffed an-

imals, displaying them in

her homes and finding

comfort from one bear

whom she affectionately

named “Melfie” near the

end of her life.

Larry and Duane were

not only life-partners, but

dance partners; they had a

well-known reputation in

Tioga to be able to really

‘cut a rug’. There were

many times when certain

music came on, Larry and

Lee at the spur of the mo-

ment, would get up and

dance the jitterbug.

Larry is survived by

her sons, Miles (Ann)

Torgerson of Whitewood,

SD, Larry (Nancy) Torger-

son of Tioga; daughter,

LeEtta (Ken) Steier of Dic-

kinson; grandchildren,

Eric (Cindy) Torgerson of

Commerce City, CO, Chad

(Natalie) Torgerson of Dic-

kinson, Jordan

(Stephanie) Torgerson of

Bismarck, Holly (Steve)

Grubb of Tioga, Ashley

(Dan) Asensio of Dickin-

son, and Colton (Saman-

tha) Steier of Dickinson;

and twelve

great-grandchildren and

five

great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in

death by her husband of

56 years, Duane; son,

Greg; grandson, Lance;

parents, Eric and Leta;

and brothers, Ernest and

Melford.

Remembrances and

condolences may be

shared with the family at

www.stevensonfuneralho

me.com.

Stevenson Funeral

Home & Crematory, Dic-

kinson