Orville Sundby

Orville Sundby, 88, of Bismarck and Turtle Lake died October 28, 2012, at the Turtle Lake Community Hospital of natural causes. Funeral services will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Turtle Lake on Thursday, November 1, 2012, at 10:30 AM. Interment will follow at the Turtle Lake Cemetery. The family requests no fragrances at the services and memorials be made to the National MS Society or a charity of choice benefitting the Turtle Lake community. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 31, at Parkway Funeral Service from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM, visitation will continue the day of the service beginning at 10:00 am. Orville Johan Sundby was born October 3, 1924 at rural Ruso on the Sundby homestead by the shores of Crooked Lake to Ole and Hannah Dahlstrom Sundby and was the youngest of ten children. He attended rural elementary school and then graduated from Turtle Lake High School. Upon graduation, Orville farmed with his brother Herman, worked at the Garrison Dam and also for the county highway department. In 1951, he started at the Farmers Union Oil Company in Turtle Lake as the bulk truck driver, a job that gave him the opportunity to drive through the beautiful McLean County countryside and to give the ever affable Orville the chance to visit with his farm customer friends, often in broken Norwegian or German. He appreciated the many farm families who treated him to snacks and coffee during the daily route. In 1973, he advanced to General Manager of the Farmers Union and held that position for 14 years until his retirement in February 1987. Orville was on the Turtle Lake City Commission for several years serving as the Water Commissioner. Orville was a long-time member of the Trinity Lutheran Church. Orville married Mary Braun of Mercer on November 25, 1948, and they made their home in Turtle Lake where they raised four children: Doug, David, Dwight, and Mary Beth. In 1991, they moved to Bismarck where, with the expertise of their son Dwight, they built a handicapped accessible home to accommodate and care for Mary Beth, who had developed multiple sclerosis. Orville and Mary dedicated their retirement years to full-time caretaking of Mary Beth and developing their beautiful tree-lined home in Bismarck. In May 2011, Orville returned to Turtle Lake in the care of the Turtle Lake Community Hospital swingbed unit until his passing. Activities that Orville enjoyed throughout his life included visiting with family, especially if a good game of whist, pinochle or gin was involved, dancing, relaxing at his cabin at Brush Lake, playing with his grandsons, and working in his shop and yard. He is survived by his sons, Doug, David and Dwight; daughter-in-law Martha; grandsons, Jonathan Crystal and James; great grandchildren, Madison, Jalen, and Jackson; brother, Edward; sisters-in-law, Carol Sundby and Marian Braun; brother and sister-in-law, Walt and Lucille Braun; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Orville was preceded in death by his wife Mary in November 2010; daughter Mary Beth in October 2010; three brothers, Herman, Leroy Buster, and Arthur; five sisters, Clara, Mary, Eleanor, Olga, and Esther; and his parents.

Orville Sundby

October 3, 1924 - October 28, 2012