Mavis Tronstad died Feb. 11, 2014, of natural causes at the Immanuel Lutheran Home in Kalispell.
She was born to Andreas and Julia Lein Thompson in Hettinger, N.D., on April 3, 1922. She was the fifth child of seven children. She grew up on a farm near Hettinger and graduated from Hettinger High School. She attended Dickinson Teachers College and then taught school in Baker for several years. It was in Baker that she met her future husband, Alvin Tronstad, and they were married July 24, 1943.
Mavis and Al moved to Reeder, N.D., where they rented a farm for one season. They later moved to Billings where Alvin drove a gasoline transport truck. Their first son Robert was born in 1946. In 1948, they moved to their farm north of Kalispell. Their son Mike was born in 1951. They stayed on the farm until Al's death in August 2012.
Mavis lived at Buffalo Hill Terrace for the last year, except for the last several weeks when she had been at Immanuel Lutheran Home, as she needed more care.
Mavis was a substitute teacher for the Kalispell School District for several years, and had a kindergarten at Bethlehem Lutheran Church for a number of years. She and Al enjoyed traveling and, after retiring, they spent a number of winter months in Arizona. Mavis was close to her family and enjoyed entertaining and cooking for them.
Mavis is survived by one sister, Donna Bower, of Port Angeles, Wash.; two sons, Robert and wife Shelley, and Mike and wife Vicky; four grandchildren and their families, Lindsey and Klayton Hartley and their children, Kasen, Kole and Kadence, of Hudson Oaks, Texas, Bryan and Lusha Tronstad and children, Tresize and Everett, of Laramie, Wyo., Hans and Vicky Tronstad and children, Kylee, Shelby and Ethan, of Kalispell, and Michelle and Dan Hodge and children, Spencer and Riley, of Kalispell.
Mavis was predeceased by her husband Alvin; two brothers; and three sisters.
Mavis will be missed by her immediate family, as well as many members of the extended Thompson family.
A memorial service for Mavis will be held at 11 a.m. on March 15 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church.
In lieu of flowers, please make any donations to the Flathead Food Bank or a charity of the donor's choice.
Mavis' ashes will be interred next to Alvin's in the C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery by family members later this summer.
To send condolences to the family please go to www.buffalohillfh.com. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Mavis Tronstad, please visit our flower store.
She was born to Andreas and Julia Lein Thompson in Hettinger, N.D., on April 3, 1922. She was the fifth child of seven children. She grew up on a farm near Hettinger and graduated from Hettinger High School. She attended Dickinson Teachers College and then taught school in Baker for several years. It was in Baker that she met her future husband, Alvin Tronstad, and they were married July 24, 1943.
Mavis and Al moved to Reeder, N.D., where they rented a farm for one season. They later moved to Billings where Alvin drove a gasoline transport truck. Their first son Robert was born in 1946. In 1948, they moved to their farm north of Kalispell. Their son Mike was born in 1951. They stayed on the farm until Al's death in August 2012.
Mavis lived at Buffalo Hill Terrace for the last year, except for the last several weeks when she had been at Immanuel Lutheran Home, as she needed more care.
Mavis was a substitute teacher for the Kalispell School District for several years, and had a kindergarten at Bethlehem Lutheran Church for a number of years. She and Al enjoyed traveling and, after retiring, they spent a number of winter months in Arizona. Mavis was close to her family and enjoyed entertaining and cooking for them.
Mavis is survived by one sister, Donna Bower, of Port Angeles, Wash.; two sons, Robert and wife Shelley, and Mike and wife Vicky; four grandchildren and their families, Lindsey and Klayton Hartley and their children, Kasen, Kole and Kadence, of Hudson Oaks, Texas, Bryan and Lusha Tronstad and children, Tresize and Everett, of Laramie, Wyo., Hans and Vicky Tronstad and children, Kylee, Shelby and Ethan, of Kalispell, and Michelle and Dan Hodge and children, Spencer and Riley, of Kalispell.
Mavis was predeceased by her husband Alvin; two brothers; and three sisters.
Mavis will be missed by her immediate family, as well as many members of the extended Thompson family.
A memorial service for Mavis will be held at 11 a.m. on March 15 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church.
In lieu of flowers, please make any donations to the Flathead Food Bank or a charity of the donor's choice.
Mavis' ashes will be interred next to Alvin's in the C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery by family members later this summer.
To send condolences to the family please go to www.buffalohillfh.com. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home is caring for the family.