Virgil Mervall Togstad Sr. 1926-2004

TOGSTAD, COOKINGHAM, MILLER, ESTESON, SIROVY, ASKVIG, COON, JUSTICE, JOLLIFFE, ODDSON

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 5/9/2014 at 00:05:49

Virgil Togstad, Sr.
Dolliver – Funeral services for Virgil [Mervall] Togstad, Sr., 7, of Rosevile, Minn. will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12 at the United Methodist Church in Dolliver with the Rev. Lynn Roesler officiating. Interment will be held at Lincoln Township Cemetery in Dolliver with military graveside rites by VFW Post 3388 and American Legion Post 91, both of Estherville. He died on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2004 at Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. this evening at the Henry-Olson-Fuhrman Funeral Home in Estherville.

Virgil was born on Sept. 4, 1926 in Brandt, S.D., the son of Christ and Carrie (Esteson) Togstad. Virgil moved to the Armstrong area as a young boy and attended school in Armstrong. He joined the U.S. Navy when he was 17, during World War II.

After the war, Virgil returned to Estherville and in 1949, he was united in marriage to Rita Cookingham. They had two children, Virgil, Jr. and Vicky. He worked at Sheltrons Master Service from 1950-1968. In 1968, he went to Vietnam and worked as a civilian contractor for the Army.

On Aug. 6, 1971, he married Beverly Miller in Vermillion, S.D. Following their marriage, the couple lived in Fort Dodge for 12 years where Virgil worked for the Firestone Tire Store as the head mechanic. For the past 18 years, Vigil has been a maintenance worker and caretaker of a 160 unit apartment comples in Roseville, Minn. Beverly passed away Dec. 5, 1991.

When he was younger, he liked to hunt and fish and go camping. He enjoyed travelling to see his family and puttering around the house. People always knew that Virgil would go out of his way to help them.

Virgil is survived by his children, Virgil Togstad, Jr. and his wife, Luisa of Whitman, Ariz.; Vicky Sirovy and her husband, Pat of Prior Lake, Minn.; step-children, Cathy Askvig and her husband, Charles of Eagle Grove; Jim Coon of Tucson, Ariz.; Bob Coon of Billings, Mont.; Rick Justice and his wife, Carol of Billings; Mike Justice and his wife, Janet of Boisie, Idaho; and Sandy Jolliffe and her husband, Jerry of Enumclaw, Wash.; 20 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.

He has been preceded in death by both wives, his parents and one sister, Bernice Oddson. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, February 11, 2004)