Adolph E. Lee

Adolph E. Lee, age 91, was born in rural Aneta, ND to Norwegian immigrant parents, John G. Lee and Ingeborg (Kvale) Lee. He died on August 21, 2014 at the Nelson County Health System Care Center in McVille, ND after a short illness.

Adolph attended country school in Griggs County, and high school in Kloten, ND.

He was preceded in death by his parents, as well as six brothers and sisters, and three half brothers.

He is survived by his sister, Nellie Bjelde of Fargo; and seven nieces and nephews, including Kristine Bjelde (Gary Laber) of Fargo, Nancy (Richard) Stengl of East Grand Forks, Gail Miller and Dennis (Kathleen) Lee of Devils Lake, Rita Potter of Cavalier, Morrie (Marsha) Rugg of Olympia, WA, Michael Rugg of Renton, WA, and numerous great nieces and nephews. He is also survived by a special friend, Lois Lilke of Brea, California.

Adolph farmed until age 82 on the land homesteaded by his father in 1882, and then moved to McVille for several years before entering the Nelson County Health System Care Center. He was a volunteer with the McVille Fire Department, and a member of Norway Lutheran Church in rural McVille.

Adolph's passion included all things flora and fauna. He truly loved farming, which included raising small grains, soybeans, and sunflowers. He experimented with sunflowers as a crop in the early 1960's, when it was a new crop in the region. He raised cattle until the mid 1960's as well.

He delighted in sharing his love of nature with many, including his niece Kris, who spent many summers in her youth on the farm cooking and cleaning for him. It was not uncommon to nearly hit the ditch with the pickup exploring where the wild raspberries, crocuses, or wild hops were in the Sheyenne River Valley, examining a fox den alongside the road, or witnessing the dance of grouse in the field.

Adolph was a true gentleman farmer, who was loved by his friends and neighbors alike. He delighted in a number of pets over the years, including a favorite black lab named Woof, and a huge tiger striped cat he named Tarzan that had been dumped out in the country from Minneapolis. He always knew where to find the chokecherry and juneberry bushes or the wild plums and crabapple trees, which his sister, Nellie, delighted in canning over the years.

He enjoyed traveling, including a number of winter trips to the west coast when he was younger, and toured where his mother and father grew up near Lom, Norway on a trip in 1983 with his niece, Kris. Adolph loved reading and studying history, genealogy, collecting maps, and conversing about local history. He surrounded himself with many books and magazine subscriptions to read over the long winter months on the farm. He enjoyed the great outdoors as an avid downhill skier, hunter, and trapper in his younger years and enjoyed cross country skiing, snowmobiling, and walking in his later years.

Adolph had a strong faith in God, and will be remembered as an honest, gentle, generous, and caring brother, uncle, friend, neighbor, and member of the community.

Adolph's Funeral Service will be held at the McVille Lutheran Church, McVille, ND, on Friday, August 29, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. Interment will be in the Norway Lutheran Cemetery, rural McVille. Visitation will be held at the church on Friday, from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service.

Arrangements with the Stanley-Iverson Funeral Home of McVille, ND