Victoria Middendorf

Minot

Victoria Middendorf, 73, Minot, ND passed away on March 26, 2023 after a courageous battle with Stage IV breast cancer. Her funeral service will be held at Dovre Lutheran Church in Newburg on Saturday, April 1 at 11:00 AM, with a time of gathering at the Newburg Senior Citizens Center to follow. Visitation will be Friday from 3:30 pm until 6:30 pm at the Nero Funeral Home in Bottineau.

Vicky was born December 7, 1949 in Bottineau to Jack and Arbell (Kersten) Sund. She joined brother Jim and sisters Cheryl and Kathy at their home in Newburg (baby brother Sam followed) where she was raised and graduated from high school in 1967. After high school, Vicky went on to beauty school and shortly after married Bob Middendorf in Lansford in September of 1969. 1971 was a great year as Bob & Vicky’s first daughter Chela was born. 1973 was unforgettable with the arrival of daughter number two, Amy. Eight years later, in 1981, the baby, better known as Molly, would grace the world and complete the Middendorf sisters.

Vicky loved being a stay-at-home Mom of 3 young girls. As they grew older, she decided she was ready leave the house so went to work part-time at LeNae’s Beauty Shop. If she wasn’t at the beauty shop, you could find her in her own kitchen cutting hair or giving perms to family members. When Lam’s Lanes opened, she went to work at the bowling alley where she fine-tuned her bowling skills, even bowling a 300 (during a 9-pin tournament). Vicky later worked at Tonneson’s Store, whipping up the best of soups and giving all of the locals a daily chance at having one of “Vicky’s buns”, which she was famously known for. She spent a couple of years cooking at the Newburg School, was a caregiver for her parents and then ended her working career at Deva in Westhope.

Vicky enjoyed all life had to offer when she was healthy. From the early days of enjoying all things “Newburg”, to excursions with her three besties (Nola, Renae & Loralan), trips to visit her sisters in WA and of course anything with Bob. She was always a willing participant of anything fun. She treasured time with all of her Grandkids, trying not to miss a sporting event, concert or whatever it was they had going on. Spending time at Lake Metigoshe & in her garden always brought her great joy.

After spending most of her life in Newburg, she moved to Westhope after Bob’s passing in 2019. Living, after almost 50 years, without Bob was hard. Her plans of traveling with her sisters and her girl-gang, came to a temporary halt after taking a fall and shattering her knee. She spent weeks in Minot rehabbing just to finally return to Westhope to discover a lump and then a diagnosis of Stage IV breast cancer. The traveling she was expecting to do had been replaced with trips to Mayo and the Trinity Cancer Center. A move to Minot this past fall was not in her original plans, but with health issues growing, she conceded. Although Vicky didn’t complain and never said “why me”, she would simply say “this is not how it was supposed to be”. You were right Vicky, it was not how it was supposed to be.

Vicky is survived by her three daughters, Molly (Josh) Lee of Westhope and Amy (Todd) Harris and Chela (Rick) Demke, all of Minot. Grandchildren, Bergen, Tiger and Laken Lee, Darian and Dawson (Hailey) Harris and Jack Demke and Emma (Tyler) Ghent. Great grandchildren, Carter Boecker, Abram, Ayson & Aviana Harris, sisters Cheryl Samuelson and Kathy Susag, brother Sam Sund, sister-in-law Helen (Doug) Groves, brother-in-law Steve Sidener and many nieces, nephews and friends.

She is preceded in death by her husband Bob, parents Arbell & Jack Sund, mother and father in-law Gen & Urban Middendorf, brother Jim Sund, brother-in-laws Dick Samuelson and Jim Susag, sister-in-law Audrey Sidener and nephew Wayd Helming.

Funeral arrangements with Nero Funeral Home in Bottineau. Friends may sign the online register book at www.nerfuneralhome.net. Memorials preferred to Newburg United School or Dovre Lutheran Church.

Published by The Minot Daily News, March 30, 2023