LaVern Michalenko • 1931 - 2008

LaVern Michalenko, 77, Minot, ND, died Thursday, January 1, 2009, in a Minot hospital.

LaVern R. Michalenko was born September 5, 1931, a son of Jack A. and Tillie (Hahn) Michalenko, in Drake, ND. He was raised in Kief and educated at Kief School until the eighth grade. At the age of eighteen, he attended diesel mechanic school in Wahpeton. He later farmed with his dad near Kief, ND.

LaVern married Delphine Blumhagen, the daughter of Dan and Helen Blumhagen, June 6, 1954, in Drake, ND. They made their home on a farm near Bergen until 1962, when they moved to Oregon. They lived in Oregon for a short time before moving back to North Dakota. They then made their home in Balfour, where they farmed small grains and raised livestock. He retired from farming in 1990, and he and Delphine moved to Minot.

He was a former member of Balfour Lutheran Church, and the Drake Lutheran Church, where he served as a board member. He was currently a member of Christ Lutheran Church, Minot.

He enjoyed collecting tractor memorabilia and antique cars and pickups. He also enjoyed playing cards, especially Skip-bo with his wife, Delphine, in the afternoon.

His loving family includes:
wife of 54 years, Delphine, Minot; sons, Keith (Rhonda) Michalenko, Westhope, Randy Michalenko (Alice Giese), Minot, and Lee (Karline) Michalenko, Amarillo, Texas; daughters, Patsy Haire, Minot, and Sandra Hanes, Amarillo, TX; grandchildren, Chad (Donna) Haire, Dawn (Blaine) Fecho, Jason (Kari) Peterson, Misty Michalenko, Katie Michalenko, Ariel Michalenko, Kody Dell, Elizabeth Hanes, Step granddaughters, Marisa (Joel) Haman, Megan Stead; ten great-grandsons; brothers-in-law, Lavern Schott, Williston, Lloyd Fiedler, Maryland; nieces, Laureen Schott and Randie Jay Blumhagen; nephew, Lonnie Schott; many cousins, and Special friends, Brian and Kirsti Vollmer and their son, Nathaniel, Watford City.

LaVern was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Elizabeth Fiedler; and grandson, Randy Michalenko, Jr.

Funeral: Wednesday, January 7, 2009, at 11:00 a.m. at Christ Lutheran Church, Minot.

Interment: Kief Cemetery, Kief, ND, in the spring of 2009.

Visitation: Tuesday from Noon to 7 p.m. at Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, Minot.

Prayer Service: Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, Minot.

Memorials: LaVern's family suggests memorial contributions be made to Christ Lutheran Church or to the Kief Cemetery.

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