The Star
August 30, 2021
More obituaries can be found on Page
“ Susan Wilkie, age 73, of Belcourt,
ND, passed away peacefully on Fri-
day, July 23, 2021, at the Belcourt
Hospital, Belcourt.
Susan Marie (Azure) Wilkie was
born on August 19, 1947, in Bel-
court, to Raymond and Margaret
“Maggie” (Morin) Azure. She was
raised in Belcourt and completed her
education there as well. She furthered
her education at Bottineau College
and Mayville College obtaining her
Bachelor of Education Degree, and
then the University of North Dakota
receiving a Master’s in Education
Leadership Degree.
Susan was united in marriage to
Oscar Wilkie Sr. She was the proud
mother of four children, Oscar Jr.,
Marilyn, Gene, and Jerilyn.
Susan was very active in her com-
munity and contributed time on the
school board and the N .D. Drug
Court, being the first woman to work
within the court. She worked various
jobs including, assistant principal at
Belcourt Schools, a loan officer, and
finally in HR at the Sky Dancer
Casino.
Susan had a passion for working
with children in need as it brought
her much joy to do so. She enjoyed
debating politics whether it was
tribal, state, or national debates.
Susan could often be found sitting
and looking out her window or work-
ing on her catering and baking busi-
ness that she ran. She was an
amazing cook.
Susan also liked going to the
casino, playing bingo, and especially
spending time with her family mem-
bers and friends.
She will be lovingly remembered
and greatly missed.
Susan is, survived by her children,
Marilyn (Mitch) Laducer of Bel-
court, Gene (Jen) Wilkie of Hills-
boro, and Jerilyn Wilkie of Wildo-.
mar, CA; 19 grandchildren; 18 great-
grandchildren; siblings, Jean
Domben, Lenard (Roberta) Azure,
Deborah (Lynn) Goumeau, Larry
Azure, Mary (Terry) Morin, Fred
Azure, Keith (Melinda) Azure, and
Dean (Michelle) Azure; and many
nieces and nephews.
Susan was preceded in death by
her parents, Raymond and Maggie
Azure, husband, Oscar Wilkie Sr.
son, Oscar Wilkie Jr., grandson,
Oscar Wilkie III, great-grandson,
Myles Allen, and brothers, Greg
Azure, Howard Azure and Dwight
Azure.
Honorary Bearers were all family
and friends.
A Memorial Mass was held Fri-
.day, August 27,2021, at at St. Ann’s
Catholic Church, Belcourt. Rosary
Service was held prior to the funeral
Mass. A Celebration of Life followed
services at the KC Hall, Belcourt.
Elick Funeral Home, Rolla, ND,
was in charge of arrangements.
Eric Nerpel '
Eric Nerpel was brought into the
world on April‘ 23rd, 1970 in Rolla,
North Dakota, and raised in Bot-
tineau, North Dakota. He was one of
four siblings alongside Gina
LaCroix, Gabriel LaCroix, and Maria
Gleason-LaCroix. As a kid, Eric was.
always dancing to the beat of his own
drum. 'A self—learner of many talents, ‘
Eric had a passion for breaking down‘
electronics, machinery, automobiles,
and anything that consist of wires,
gasoline & tools.
’As an adult, Eric traveled all over
the United States and spent time liv—
ing in Nevada, Colorado, North
Dakota, and Minnesota. No matter
where Eric lived, he either brought
the party along with him while he
worked on the hundreds of cars/mo-
torcycles that friends, family, and
close associates brought across his
unique aura.
More often than not, if you could
find Eric in a garage working on a
project, you may catch him (...catch
him if you can) riding on several self—
built motorcycles'or sports cars (His
White BMW 5—Series Sedan is con-
sidered one of his Magnum Opus of
projects).
Eric’s exterior of his build was.
made for adventure; his slight frame
held up by well-worn denim jeans,
black leather boots, and any baseball
cap that laid around complemented
and sustained the intelligence and
“can-do-anything” attitude which
surely was attractive whenever a per-
son had a chancevto sit down and
have a conversation with him (prefer-
ably with a cigarette and Mountain
Dew). >
Any conversation with Eric could
begin all morning and carry on way
past midnight...
Eric is preceded in death by Maria
Gleason-LaCroix (Sister), his Grand-
parents Eleanor & Clifford Nerpel.
More importantly, Eric is survived by
his Mother, Katherin; Step dad Gre-
gory LaCroix; Brother Gabriel
LaCroix; his Sister Gina LaCroix and
kin-in-spirit Chuck Pedersen; Son
Zach Nerpel and Daughter Morgan
Nerpel... One of his proudest mo-
ments in life was twitnessing his
daughter’s wedding in 2021. .
He will be remembered dearly by
a vast list of friends, comrades that
he rode motorcycles with, andpeo—
ple who wereblessed to get assis-
tance On any and all projects that Eric
took a task working on.
Ride-On...
Rolette County Soil '
Conservation District has a
12’ Truax Drill available
to rent $12/acre
For other info and rental agreement
Call 701-477-3167, ext. 104
Ride Free...
~Ride in Peace~
Amazing how your tools,
your toys and your messes
transform any garage into a throne
You never aim to be
head of the household
yet, riders, customers, visitors &
onlookers ‘ _
knew when & when not-to come
on thru. .. V
If any rules you chose to follow
—it was to come through for family
& friends- ' _‘
‘No matter awake before Sunrise
or
set on sleeping, ‘til midnight
yourspirit drove all of us wild
in a world full of Road Warriors
...And scars you earned Eric
were stripes to showcase your
world
of a Rick (comedy) & Morty (ge-
nius) TV Series of '
Laughs and fighting fears
throughoutyour years here...
We could see your small eyes vi-
sualize
no job too large
For we all knew your job was to
be in charge of your heart
Any task complete was your pay-
day
-So much so that
we can see you adding a 5-speed
transmission
along your last ride towards tran-
sition
onto the other side... .
So just know the Compound
down here
will be cleaned up by all of us
we ask you this favor as a must:
Rest easy is your First ,_& Final
work order for a»
Brother in, Spirit U 1
Forever 3 Sbn at Heart& Father
in Training "
Lover of machines...
Robert Courtland Gailfus was
born, on November 12, 1934, in
Rolla, North Dakota, one hour before
his tWin brother Richard.
He passed from this world on Au-
gust 'l7, 2021, at 1:20 am. at Good
Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup,
Washington, with his wife of 65
years at his side.
Bob attended Rolla Elementary,
School and High School in Rolla,
North Dakota, where he lived with
his parents, Alfred'and Mary Gailfus,
and 10 siblings. He sang in the quar-
tet and graduated from high school in
1953. He volunteered for the draft
and served in Texas, Michigan and
Korea.
Robert Gailfus and Janice Ko—
Robert Courtland Gailfus
varik were married in 1956. He at- '
tended what is now Dakota College
in Bottineau,
North Dakota, ma—
joring in pre-engi-
neering courses.
At the end of the
two ' year course
the family moved
to Fargo, where he had transferred
his credits to North Dakota State
University.
Bob also worked for the North
Dakota State Highway Department
until an attractive job came to his at-
tention in Flagstaff, Arizona. He left
schoolfor the job in Flagstaff. After
a year and a half of experiencing
sn0w on the Fourth of July, the cou-
ple headed to Washington state,
where he had a job waiting for him
with the Washington State Depart-t
ment of Transportation (DOT).
While working with the DOT, he
earned his Professional Civil Engi-
neer’s License by taking an exam at
the University of Washington. Bob
worked 28 years for the DOT as“a “
highway engineer.
‘He was a caring and entertaining
father. When December came around
the family would go to the Red Barn "2
Tree Farm to find a Christmas tree. \
They would walk through the rows, ‘
commenting, evaluating, deciding,
then Bob would cut the chosen tree,
we would load it onto the cart and
after paying for it, he would load it
unto the top of the car to bring homefi,
sefiup, and decorate. Because Santa
brought candy and forever after be-;
came the one who delivered candy to
his children and grandchildren on
1‘ Valentine’s Day. A co-worker,‘
amused by the Valentine Creep, drew
a sketch which was quite a likeness
to Robert.
He coached little league baseball,
went to his kids’ bandconcerts, and
nevermissed one school activity or.
any of his son’s fodtball games. He
and his son went salmon fishing in
the Pacific. He even helped deliver
HPaul DeCoteau
' Paul DeCoteau, age 67, of Bel-
court, ND, passed away on Wednes-
day, August 25, 2021 at Altruh,
1 Hospital, Grand Forks, ND. r
A visitation will begin at 5 pm. on ‘
. Tuesday, August 31, 2021, at Fid-
dler’s Hall, Belcourt. Filneral Serv-
ices will begin at 10 am. on
Wednesday, September 1, 2021, at
Fiddler’s Hall.
Elick Funeral Home, Rolla, ND;
{is in charge of arrangements.
A» public notice is information
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citizens’ everyday lives. .
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« POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to
Turtle Mountain Star,
Box 849, Bolla, North Dakota 58367
Ph: 701-471-6495 - Fax: 701-477-3182
E-mail: tmstar@ utma.com
our pet Lady Shamrock’s Irish Setter
puppies. He enjoyed the memories of
it all when the children were grown
and _on their own. When visiting one
could always hear...”Remember
when...”
He liked the game of golf and
played many weekends at High
Cedars near Orting, Washington,
often. He enjoyed the camaraderie
and the quips the game inspired. He
played Pebble Beach and Spyglass,
as well as courses in Arizona. ‘
Bob enjoyed softball with the
team at his work. He had to hit a
home run in order to even get on first
base, and he often did. His favorite
karaoke song to sing was “What a
Wonderful World.” He wrote poetry
and had a one poem, The Man With
the Gun, published 'in the book
Peaceful Journeys.
.‘ He left us filled with a‘trove of
memories that will brighten our days
and stay in our hearts forever.
He is survived by his wife, Janice;
his four Children Bobbi Lynn, Terri
v. Janine, Kell Dawn, and Kenneth
James; his four grandchildren, Kelsi
Maree, Rian Ely'ssa, Adelaide Win—
ter, and Robert Alexander; his great-
granddaughter, Laurel; his twin
brother, RiChard; and his younger
{twin sisters, Debbie and Diane, as
‘ well as many nephews and nieces.
If you wish to donate in his name,
his three favorite charities are Dakota
College at Bottineau;:.Fred.Hutchin-
~. cathetzahfigtmas‘g‘. the kids twofitlsison Cancer Research Centet,
Seattle,
: dd'jed who wouldrbringwcandy on ,r,..W§Slungton,and University of
Wash“
V entine’s Day. Tlfekvalentine Creep. ‘ihgton Medical Center' Fund
for .
Greatest Need, Seattle, Washington.
No services will be held.
compassion, kindness,
patience.
V
""Therefore, as God’s chosen
people, holy and dearly loved,
clothe yourselves with
humility, gentleness and
——Colossians 3:12 NIV
Dacotah Bank Member FDIC
477-3175
W. Larry Belgarde
W. Larry Belgarde, age 75, of Bel-
court, ND, passed away on Sunday,
August 8,2021, at the Belcourt Hos-
pital, Belcourt.
W. Larry Belgarde was-born on
December 13, 1945, in Belcourt, to
Martin and Elizabeth (Martin) Bel-
garde. He was raised in Belcourt and
completed his education there as well.
Larry furthered his education at
UND in Grand Forks, in Duluth
where he finished his Master’s de-’
gree and then obtained a PHD at
Stanford. Larry worked for Belcourt
schools as a teacher and also in ad-
ministration for many years before
retiring. He was one of the proud
founders of Turtle Mountain Com-
munity College in Belcourt.
Larry was united in marriage to
Anita Hamley and together they had
two children, Amy and Tim. They
later divorced. He then married Mary
Jiron and together they had three
children, Martin, Reycita,'and Jovita.
They later divorced.
Larry enjoyed many things
throughout his lifetime including
sports. plaving basketball in his
younger years and loving being out on
the golf course well in to his later years.
He also enjoyed poetry and theatre as
well as being a wonderful singer.
Larry was often times found bet—
ting on his ponies when he had the
chance. He will be lovingly remem—
bered and greatly missed.
Larry is survived by his children,
Matt Harriman, Tim Belgarde, Mar-
tin (Erika Rojas) Belgarde, Reycita
(Erik) Eskew,,and Jovita (Mahalia
Aponte) Belgarde; four grandchil-
‘dren, Madelyn Eskew, Gavin Eskew,
Adrienne “Allie” Eskew and Lucia
Rojas; siblings,.Lorraine (Melvin)
Reed, Verlin (Mary) Belgarde, Do-
lores (Lloyd) Bell, Raymond
“Budgie” (Patti) Belgarde, Harry
(Bev) Belgarde, Yvonne “Shakie”
(Bill) Blackburn, Sandy (Gary)
Thomas; ; and many nieces and
nephews, Marilyn Brown, Barbara
Valdez, Cheryl Williams, Keith
Reed, Vicki Watson, Kenny Reed,
Julie Greeley, Laurie Wearmouth,
Raylene Parisien, Jackie Mundy, Lisa
McCloud, Dallas Belgarde, Janie
Keplin, David Belgarde, Craig Bel-
garde, Doug Belgarde, Scott Bel-
garde, Dean (Lori) Belgarde, Wendy I
Belgarde, Brian Blackburn, Darin
Blackburn, Brenda Blackburn, Cathy
Williams, Shelly Thomas, Lea Bel-
garde, Kellie Hall, Michelle Thomas—
Langan, Gary “Guy” Thomas Jr.
Larry was preceded in death by
his parents, Martin and Elizabeth
Belgarde, daughter, Amy Belgarde,
brothers, Jerry and Donald “Duck-
sie” Belgarde, and nephew, Verlin
Belgarde Jr.
Elick Funeral Home, Rolla, ND,
was in charge of arrangements.
Marvin Blue
Marvin Blue, age 62, of Belcourt,
ND passed away on Friday, August
20, 2021 at Sanford Hospital, Fargo,
ND.
Funeral arrangements are pend—
ing at this time.
Elick Funeral Home, Rolla, ND,
is in charge of arrangements.
Donna Martin
Donna Martin, age 71, of Belcourt, ND passed away on Friday, August
27, 2021 at her home.
_A Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, August 31,2021 at1~200 PM .
at her home, 502 Martinville Loop, Belcourt, ND.
Elick Funeral Home, Rolla, ND, is in charge of arrangements.
BeKind to
g Everyone
R I t’s easy to be nice to those who are
The businesses listed below sponsor this message and
urge you to regularly attend the church of your choice.
,' Turtle Mountain Star
477-6495
nice to us. We are designed to respond
to a smile with a smile, and only the
hardest heart is unmoved by the tears of
someone who is genuinely suffering. The
real challenge for most of us is to be kind
to someone who is attacking us, or
belittling us, or treating us with contempt.
Then we have to fight against our “animal
nature” and resist the urge to hit back
physically or verbally, and nothing is more
natural than to hit back when we are
being attacked. But nothing is more
Christian than to turn the other cheek and
to counter harsh words and abuse with
kindness and love. Contrary to the
wisdom of the world, turning the other
cheek is not weakness but in reality
requires great strength of character and
long—suffering patience. Our duty as
Christians is to be kind to everyone, not
just those who are kind to us. There is no
great merit in being kind to those who are
kind to us. The real test is whether you
can be kind to those who mistreat you.
One way to do this is to realize that
everyone is struggling. There is a popular
quote these days, often misattributed to
Plato, which says it very nicely: ,“Be kind,
for everyone you meet is fighting a hard
battle." Indeed, everyone struggles, and
we should look upon everyone as needing
our help, even if they may not know it. ——
Christopher Simon
Rolla Drug
477-3174...
Munro Motor Company
477-3124 '
'1
