LEONARD OPPERUD obituary

Leonard “Red” Opperud, 85, a retired city of Havre Waste Plant operator, died Monday, Oct. 9, 2006, at his home of natural causes.

Cremation will take place. His memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday at First Presbyterian Church in Havre with Pastor John Chapman officiating. Burial will follow at the Highland Cemetery. A fellowship luncheon will be held at the church immediately following the graveside services. Leonard was born Oct. 23, 1920, in Ambrose Divide County, N. D. He was raised on the family farm by his mother, Agnes Opperud Bakke. He attended school in North Dakota, graduating from Mandan High School. After completing high school, Leonard traveled out West and worked in a cannery in Salem, Ore., for a time and also as a woodworking machine operator in Myrtle Creek, Ore. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941 in Portland, Ore., serving in World War II. During the war, Leonard served in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. He was honorably discharged in November of 1945 at Fort Lewis Wash. He then re-enlisted with the Air Force in April of 1948 and was stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls. On Nov. 12, 1949, Leonard married Mona Belle Welte at First Presbyterian Church in Havre. Shortly after the couple married, Leonard was transferred to Honolulu, where two of their daughters were born and then to Paxton, Ill., and back to Malmstrom Air Force Base. Their third daughter was born in Havre. Leonard continued his work at Malmstrom until he retired from the Air Force in 1954. Leonard and Mona Belle along with their children moved to Havre, where Leonard worked for the City of Havre. Leonard worked for the city and became one of the first licensed waste plant operators in the state of Montana. Leonard enjoyed the outdoors, especially hunting, fishing and camping. He and Mona Belle traveled extensively throughout the western states after his retirement. He especially enjoyed taking his grandchildren on trips. Leonard was preceded in death by his mother, Agnes Bakke; stepfather, John Bakke; sister, Adeline Lozensky; and brothers, Edward, Elmer and Alton Bakke. Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Mona Belle Opperud, of Havre; daughters, Virginia (Duane) Naber of Havre, Bonnie (DeWayne) Haas of Havre and Carol (Pat) Graham of Havre; sister, Martha (Arthur) Anderson of Minot, N.D; brothers, John (Thelma) Bakke of Burlington, N.D., Andrew (Georgetta) Bakke of Minot, N. D., Edwin Bakke of Crosby, N. D., and George (Loy) Bakke of Williston, N.D.; 10 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions in Leonard's honor may be made to Bear Paw Hospice, to The Gift Of Life or to a memorial of one's choice. Services and arrangements have been entrusted to Holland & Bonine Funeral Home.