Month: June 2022

The graveside service for Carol “Cookie” Evenson will be held at 1:00 pm, Monday, June 20, 2022, at the Calvary Cemetery in Crookston. Cookie passed away on Friday, February 18, 2022, and her Mass of Christian Burial was held at the Cathedral on February 25^th.

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Raymond Sidney “Ray” Neil, 86, of Grand Forks, ND, and formerly of Mentor, MN, moved to Wheatland Assisted Living in Grand Forks, in January of this year.  He loved the staff and they loved and cared for him.  He passed away at the age of 86, on Sunday, June 12, 2022, at Wheatland, in his apartment, peacefully in his sleep.

Ray was born at East Grand Forks, MN on April 13, 1936, the son of Elmore and Mabel (Bateman) Neil. He began working for the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1959 and remained there until retiring in 1997.  The Great Northern RR and Northern Pacific RR merged to become Burlington Northern in 1970 and his children and their friends often referred to him as Railroad Ray.  He held many positions with the railroad; as a laborer, machine operator, track inspector, and finally as track foreman, where he enjoyed many a “railroad 5” nap.  He said his favorite part of his job was payday, but we knew how much he loved the railroad and this was evident when, on camping trips, we would pull over on some tracks where he would get out and inspect them!  He joined the Army National Guard when he was 23 and served for 7 years.  He spent time in Fort Leonard Wood, MO, which he lovingly referred to as Fort Lost in the Woods, and followed in his brothers’ footsteps as a cook.

Ray married Carole Neil on May 19, 1962, in Gentilly, MN.  They made their home in Crookston and raised their 3 children on Pleasant Avenue.  In 1987, after Carole’s passing, he moved to Maple Lake, near Mentor, MN, where he and Carole had purchased a lake home.

He later met and married Audrey (Clark) Greenwood of East Grand Forks in 1993.  They continued to live on Maple Lake.  It was his favorite place!

Ray loved cars, guns, hunting geese and ducks, camping, snowmobiling, and spending time with his family and friends.  He had an outgoing personality and many, many friends.  No matter where he went Ray was always talking to someone he knew.

Loving family members include his children, Jeffrey (Lisa) Neil of Fort Smith, AR; Douglas Neil of Lexington, KY and Nancy (Dennis) LaCoursiere of Brainerd, MN.; grandchildren; Caitlin, Emma, Sawyer & Merritt Neil, Sarah Brooke & Madeline Neil and Theodore, Henry & Sydney LaCoursiere; sisters, Elenore Adair of Moorhead, MN; Carol (Ron) Fayette of East Grand Forks, MN; Karyn (Rod) Oian of Erskine, MN; brother, James (Sandy) Neil of East Grand Forks, MN; sister in-law, Sylvia (Patenaude) Evans and brother in-law, Raymond “Bud” Patenaude.

The Memorial Mass of Christian Burial for Ray will be held at 1:00 pm, Saturday, June 18, 2022, at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Gentilly, MN with The Rev. Joe Richards, presiding. Visitation with the family will be for one hour prior to the service. The Mass will be live-streamed by going to Ray’s obituary page at www.stenshoelhouske.com and clicking on the prompt to view. Burial will take place in St. Peter’s Cemetery.

Online messages of condolence may be offered to the family at www.stenshoelhouske.com

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Doyle Robert Nordby,72, beloved father, brother, uncle and grandfather, was called to the skies for his final flight west into the sunset to his eternal resting place on June 4, 2022. He peacefully passed away while under hospice care in his lake home with his son Jason, niece Lori, and brother Roger by his side.

He entered this world with his twin brother Roger on August 25, 1949, in Ada, MN, born to Orlin and Frances Nordby. He graduated from Ada High School in 1968, and in 1969 married Sandra Ilene Hanson and had 2 children, Jeremy and Jason.

Doyle attended Kundert Aviation where he obtained his pilot license and flight instructor certification, and later went on to receive his A&P mechanic’s license. While he was the director of flight operations for Kundert, Doyle was named flight instructor of the year for the state of North Dakota. He also worked for Northern Improvement in Fargo as their chief pilot starting in 1976. He then was manager and director of operations for Northern Airways, an air charter service and flight school in Grand Forks where he also was appointed as an accident prevention counselor in the Great Lakes Region from the FAA. He began his airline career at Republic Airlines on October 28, 1985 which later merged with Northwest Airlines. In 1986 Doyle married Veronica Dobias Mack and they lived in Memphis, TN where he was based with Delta. In 2008 Northwest and Delta merged, and he retired as an Airbus A320 Captain with Delta Airlines in 2014. Doyle flew MD80s, DC-9s, 727s, and the Airbus A319 and A320 among countless other aircrafts throughout his life in aviation.

During retirement he enjoyed videography, making videos for family and friends. Doyle loved his family, and always enjoyed attending family weddings and reunions, fishing trips to Canada, and area fly-in events and cross-country trips in his own personal aircraft. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed water skiing, hiking, flying, fishing, and hunting, riding motorcycles with his brother Roger, restoring airplanes and cars, travel, dancing, bowling, and playing card games.

He is survived by his sons, Jeremy (Diana) Nordby of Bartlett, TN, and Jason Nordby of White Earth Lake near Waubun, MN; four grandchildren, Alex Nordby and Chris Nordby (Jeremy and Diana), and J.R. Nordby and Jacob Nordby (Jason); brother, Roger Nordby of White Earth Lake near Waubun, MN; aunt, Nola Gunderson of Fargo, ND; nieces, Sherry (Pat) Longley of Cambridge, MN; and Lori Kenison of Cambridge, MN; nephews, Jeff (Linda) Petry of North Carolina, Mark (Amber) Petry of Washington DC, and Eric (Krista) Petry of New York; former spouse, Ronni Nordby of Crookston, MN; and numerous cousins.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Orlin and Francis Nordby of Ada; sister, Ester Petry of New York; niece, Nancy Petry of Connecticut; uncle and aunt, Bennie and Doris Schmidt of Ada; and grandfather, Otto Nordby of Ada; He will be greatly missed.

An aircraft fly-by is planned over Ada and the cemetery (weather permitting) in honor of Doyle’s aviation career and a lifelong love of flying. Mike Severson will fly the bright yellow 1947 Vintage J-3 Piper Cub which Doyle had purchased from Bennie and Doris Schmidt, Doyle’s uncle and aunt. Doyle’s early interest in aviation actually began with Bennie and this little yellow bird. A fitting tribute of wings!

Funeral: 11:00 AM, Tuesday, June 21, 2022, at Grace Lutheran Church, Ada, MN.

Visitation: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Monday, June 20, 2022, at Fredrikson-Ganje Funeral Home, Ada, MN, with a prayer service to begin at 6:30 PM.

Interment: Ada Municipal Cemetery, Ada, MN.

Please view our guestbook and share condolences online at www.fredriksonfh.com

Arrangements with Fredrikson-Ganje Funeral Homes
Ada & Halstad, Minnesota

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