Ardell Tharaldson

Ardell Tharaldson, 60, Bismarck, died December 6, 2011, at the St. Gabriel Nursing Home in Bismarck. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 pm Saturday, December 10, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck. Ardell was born June 1, 1951, in Bismarck, the son of Ray and Leone Tharaldson. He was raised and educated in Bismarck, graduating from Bismarck High School. He later received his bachelor's degree from Moorhead State University in Moorhead, MN, and his Juris Doctorate degree from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Upon graduating from law school in 1981, Ardell returned to Bismarck, and that summer began his legal career as an attorney and later partner in the law firm of Lundberg, Conmy, Nodland and Schulz, which later became Nodland, Tharaldson and Dickson. After a number of years in private law practice, Ardell became legal counselor for then North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Earl Pomeroy, advising Pomeroy regarding new state rules to be adopted in compliance with those set forth by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Ardell later became chief law clerk for United States District Judge Patrick Conmy, his former law partner. He remained in that position with the federal court for 10 years until his retirement in 2001. He was the author of "Patronage," a book published in 2002 dealing with histories and biographies of North Dakota's federal judges. After graduating from high school, Ardell began what was to become a lifelong involvement in political matters. Early on, he was engaged in various political activities, including union organizing and environmental issues. He was a founding participant in the Dakota Resource Council, which advocated a conservationist approach to coal development and commercial development of North Dakota as it related to the state's land, air and water. Ardell was the statewide campaign coordinator and worked on the national staff for George McGovern's presidential campaign in 1972, during which he split his time between North Dakota and Washington, D.C. He was the staff director and campaign manager for the late James Jungroth in Jungroth's bid for a United States Senate seat from North Dakota in 1974. He remained actively involved in politics throughout his life, mostly behind the scenes. He once said he would describe himself as a "political consigliere." He considered himself to have been mentored by what he called the "last group of Non-Partisan Leaguers," men such as Quentin Burdick, Scott Anderson and Jungroth. To those who knew him, his political leanings were never in doubt. "I often didn't vote for the Democrat but I never voted for a Republican," he once said. During his second year in law school, Ardell was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. While his illness progressively took his body, it could never touch his intellect, his wit, or his spirit. And, finally, according to Hal Simons, "on rare occasions, Ardell could also be an irritating little SOB, particularly when somebody such as myself took the opposing side in an argument, which at times resulted in me scurrying to a dictionary, only to find I had been dissed, albeit in a civilized manner. Nevertheless, I will miss you greatly my friend, as will we all." Ardell was preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Leone Tharaldson, but leaves behind a great many friends, most notably among them Jay Crawford, who enhanced his life beyond measure, and Shelly Mack and her daughter Deondra, who made each day possible in his later years. Memorials may be given to the North Dakota State Historical Society.

Ardell Tharaldson

June 1, 1951 - December 6, 2011