Laurence Scheresky

Laurence Scheresky, 91,

Minot and longtime Des

Lacs area farmer, died Sa-

turday, November 21,

2020 in a Minot nursing

home.

Then the Lord God took

the man and put him in

the garden of Eden to

work the ground and care

for it. Genesis 2:15 New

Life version

And he did. Laurence

was the first generation of

Russian immigrants to be

born in the United States.

He was born Feb. 5, 1929

and was raised east of

Max, North Dakota, over-

coming obstacles such as

having to learn the En-

glish language when he

entered first grade in the

little country school near

the farm, traveling to

school by horse and bug-

gy in “knee deep snow,

uphill both ways”. He gra-

duated high school in

Max and went on to study

agriculture at Minot State

and North Dakota Agricul-

ture College (NDSU). One

of his greatest regrets was

not finishing college as he

was adamant that educa-

tion is the key to freedom

and the one freedom no

one can take away from

you.

Laurence began farming

south of Des Lacs in 1950.

He married Lenore Hines

in 1953 and the pair be-

gan six plus decades of

taking care of the land

and the animals and mak-

ing things better than

when you found it. He

was progressive and inno-

vative but not reckless in

his farming practices, fix-

ing rather than buying

new when he could. He

improved the land, raised

bumper crops and sur-

vived some very tough

years. He and Lenore

raised four children on

that farm and taught them

to work hard, respect the

land, and be self-

sufficient and honorable.

Laurence was a lifelong

member of the Seventh

Day Adventist Church,

serving in many church

offices.

Laurence was extremely

civic minded. His dedica-

tion to education led him

to serve over 17 years on

the Des Lacs Burlington

school board. He was a

long time member of the

North Dakota Farm

Bureau and was also ac-

tive in politics, striving to

keep individual freedoms

secure.

Laurence and Lenore

loved to travel and were

able to join People to Peo-

ple tours to Sweden, Hol-

land, Belgium and the So-

viet Union, exiting that

country through check

point Charley from East to

West Berlin. The next tour

took them to China and

HongKong. He also trav-

eled with Farm Journal to

Brazil.

Laurence is survived by

his wife of 67 years,

Lenore, his children,

Katherine (Ray) Kopp, Des

Lacs, Kari (Ed) Shea, Dic-

kinson, Kim Danner, Ar-

lington, NE, Barry (Ruth)

Scheresky Des Lacs.

Grandchildren Dr. Ann

(Wyatt) Olson, Des Lacs,

Amanda Kopp, Minot,

James Danner, Williston,

Kara, Jacob and David

Scheresky, Des Lacs.

Great grandchildren,

Lane, Westin and Oliver

Olson of Des Lacs. He is

survived by one brother

Dennis, sisters Diane,

Violet, Evelyn, and sister

in law Gertrude. Nieces

and Nephews, Uncle Ivan

Dassenko, Salem, Or.

Laurence was preceded

in death by his parents

Joseph and Dorothy

(Dassenko) Scheresky,

brothers Alvin and Wil-

bur, sister Ruth, son in

law Jim, nephews Jon and

Glen.

Services: Visitation Sa-

turday, November 28,

2020 at Thomas Family

Funeral Home, Minot

from 2 to 5 PM

A celebration of the life

of Laurence Scheresky

will be held at a later date.

Memorials:

Seventh-day Adventist

Church, PO Box 1346

Minot, ND; Dakota Hope

Clinic, Minot or Donor’s

choice.

Memories and con-

dolences can be shared at

www.thomasfamily

funeralhome.com.