Idar Handegard

Idar Lars Handegard, 67, Almont, passed away March 1, 2009, at his home following a long struggle with pulmonary fibrosis. Services will be held at 1:00 pm CDT Friday, March 6, 2009, at Almont United Lutheran Church, Almont, ND, with Rev. Vanvechten Crane officiating. Burial will be held in the spring in Almont Cemetery. There will be no visitation as cremation has taken place. Idar was born May 8, 1941, to Lars and Louise Anstad Handegard at his grandparents, Thorvald and Ragna Barstad, rural Morton County farm. He grew up on the family farm on the Heart River in Grant County, attending rural school through the eighth grade. His high school education was divided between the first two years in Almont and the remainder with graduation from Carson High School in 1959. On September 28, 1962, he married Judith Lee Gustafson in Almont. They continued to live and work on the family farm until 1970 when they moved to Carson. Idar and Judy were blessed with five children during their 46 years of marriage. Idar led a varied life filled with many careers along the way. Included in this were farming and ranching, owner and operator of Idar’s Bar in Almont, constructing wing jigs for the first 747 jumbo jet aircraft, a licensed electrician and plumber, carpenter, mechanic, and welder. His keen interest in meteorology led him to become an official weather observer for the National Weather Service, a position he proudly held for 15 years. He also reveled in his duties of trapping mosquitoes for the state health department’s surveillance program. Idar loved boating and the water and held the long time dream of someday navigating the Pacific Northwest waterways from Alaska south. He is survived by his wife, Judith, Almont; daughters, Jamie Curt Feland, Almont, Cindy Rollie Paulson, Wolf Point, MT, and Heather Handegard, Gainesville, FL; sons, Jesse Handegard, Bismarck, and Cory Handegard, Leadville, CO; nine grandchildren, Cade, Paige, Seth, Celise, and Brett Feland, Almont, Kyle, Kirk, Garrett, and Pryce Paulson, Wolf Point, MT; one sister, Mary Jim Bonogofsky, Pueblo, CO; brother, Royal Ellen Handegard, Carson, ND; and brother, Larry SharonHandegard, Laurel, MT. Idar was preceded in death by his parents.

Idar Handegard

May 8, 1941 - March 1, 2009