Duane Tollefson

Duane Scott Tollefson, 63, Bismarck, husband, father, and grandfather, died peacefully in his sleep on February 19, 2010. Services will be held at 1:00 pm Thursday at Trinity Lutheran Church, Bismarck, with Rev. Steve Sathre officiating. Burial will be held in the North Dakota Veteran’s Cemetery, Mandan. Visitation will be held from 2:00 pm until 9:00 pm Wednesday at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, where a prayer service will be held at 8:00 pm. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Duane was born on February 21, 1946, in Bismarck, ND, the son of Ernie and DeLores Seele Tollefson. He was raised and graduated from Regent High School in 1964. Duane attended Dickinson State University. He joined the Navy in 1965 and served as a sonar tech on the USS Bronstein. He was a member of the US Naval Drum and Bugle Corp and Fargo American Legion Gouchos. Following discharge from the Navy in 1969, he attended NDSU in Fargo where he met his future wife of 40 years. Duane and Judith Rose Keepers were married on November 7, 1970, in Fargo. In 1970, Duane and Judi moved to Minneapolis, MN, where he worked for MN Linseed Oil Co. In 1972 they moved to Robinson, ND, where he worked for Whitman Construction Co. As a third generation carpenter, he started Tollefson Construction Co. which operated form 1975 until 1991. Robinson is where Duane and Judi made their home and raised their family. He was a Kidder Co. Deputy Sheriff for many years there. Later, the family moved to Bismarck where Duane worked for Recreational Supply Co, Industrial Enterprise Inc., and Larry’s Electric. Duane was a 30 year hunter safety instructor, served on the board of Robinson Public Schools, a member of the Robinson Lions and Bethany Lutheran Church where he was a Sunday School Teacher. He was also a member of the Tuttle, Regent and Bismarck VFW Clubs, Pheasants Forever, NRA, and Hogs Motorcycle Assoc. Duane had an abundance of hobbies and thoroughly enjoyed each of them, Arrowhead hunting, wild and upland game hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, coin and gun collecting, restoring vintage cars, metal detecting, and his beloved Harley Davidson bike. In Duane and Judi’s union they were blessed with six children; Leah Doug Anderson, Gladstone, ND, Laurie Tom Tollefson, Circle Pines, MN, LaVonne Donavan Hoffer, Bismarck, ND, Loren Andrea Tollefson, Chander, AZ, Lance Lindsay Tollefson, Bismarck, ND, and Larry Katrina Tollefson, Fargo. The greatest joy in his life was his grandchildren, Anthony, Aaron, and Austin Anderson, Cooper Hamm, Tristen and Taylor Hoffer, Graham Tollefson and twin boys due in April, Hannah, Lexi, and Cali Tollefson, and Brooke and Brody Tollefson. He is also survived by his mother, DeLores Tollefson, Mesa, AZ; and his sisters, Diane Wilhelm, Wickenburg, AZ, and Joan Swallow, Mesa, AZ. Duane was preceded in death by his father, Ernie Tollefson in 1991.

Duane Tollefson

February 21, 1946 - February 19, 2010