Thoralf "Tory" NODLAND

NODLAND, BERTILSON, SCHRADER, GIESTAD, CREMENT

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 10/7/2006 at 17:36:13

Thoralf (Tory) Nodland, 81, died Thursday, March 18, 2004 at Lee Memorial Hospital in Ft. Myers, Florida. He was born on Christmas Day, 1922 in Kenyon, Minnesota, one of six children born to Solvie and Josephine Nodland. Tory moved often during his younger years, farming in Minnesota and Iowa. He spent his school years in Eagle Grove, Iowa, graduating in 1940. Tory often said he was "5 feet 18 inches tall" and took advantage of his height by playing center on his high school basketball team. He met his life's partner, Alta Bertilson (4 foot 14 inches) in Dows, Iowa, where his family farmed near hers. They married on June 23, 1945. Tory and Alta farmed near Corwith, Iowa for a short time until settling on a farm near Kanawha, Iowa for many years. He served on the Iowa Farm Bureau Board of Directors during that time. Their four children were born during these years as well. In 1963 Tory left farming, moving to Spirit Lake, Iowa to sell Farm Bureau Insurance. Shortly, he found his true calling--developing land into subdivisions and building homes in the Lakes area over the next 41 years. He was an active and ever optimistic, enthusiastic community member in the Spirit Lake area, belonging to Grace Lutheran Church, Rotary Club, the local coffee shop Round Table and was a charter member of the University of Okoboji Foundation.

Tory was a loving and devoted husband to Alta, his wife of 58 years and a wonderful father and role model for Ann Schrader and her husband Joe of Edina, Minnesota, David Nodland and his wife Julie of Spirit Lake, Iowa, Helen Nodland of Chicago, Illinois, and Jim Nodland and his wife Marti of Spirit Lake, Iowa. Tory loved his nine grandchildren, Andy, Nick, Maureen, Peter, Mary, Nathan, Michael, Katie and Rebecca and two great-grandchildren, Alec and Jackson and was vitally interested in their life's goals. All survive Tory along with his sisters, Bernice Glestad and Segney Crement and brother, Jory Nodland.

A visitation for sharing memories of Tory with the family will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. on Friday, April 9 at Turner Funeral Home in Spirit Lake, Iowa. A Celebration of Life service will be held at Grace Lutheran Church on Saturday, April 10 at 11 a.m. followed by a luncheon in the church community room. Tory supported Oaxaca Street Children Grassroots of Mexico during his life and the family will donate undesignated memorial gifts to this wonderful goal of reducing poverty through learning.

Des Moines Register, The (IA)
April 7, 2004