Wallace N. Nordhagen

WESTBY - Wallace W. Nordhagen, 79, of Westby, died May 28, 2006, after a long and brave fight with cancer. When learning that the cancer had spread, he remarked "he had finally come to the end of the trail."
But for Wallace, this trail throughout life was an active and full journey.
He was born to Ted and Anne Nordhagen on Oct. 18, 1926, on the family farm near Westby and had a twin brother, John, who did not survive birth. He was the youngest of five children: Clayton, Orville, Ruth and Gladys. Growing up in Westby, Wallace was put to work in many of Ted's businesses, including not only the farm, but later the Nordhagen Chevrolet dealership. This led to his fascination with the American automobile, of which he never owned anything but American-made. A child of the Great Depression, he never shied away from the farm work that took him from sunrise to sunset. This work ethic carried with him throughout life and made him the fighter he was in his battle with cancer.
In 1945, Wallace served in the Army during World War II and was proud of his status as a veteran. In telling stories about this time, he always mentioned the rough ride he endured on the ship that took him from the U.S. to Japan. As he put it, "it was tough on a farm boy that had his feet firmly planted in prairie ground to have them set on the sea for a month"! Wallace was stationed in Japan for two years during the war and was honorably discharged in 1947.
Upon returning from the war, Wallace continued working on the family farm in Westby. Trips to Canada with his friends would lead to Regina, Saskatchewan, where he would meet his future wife, Vicki. He convinced his soon-to-be bride that Montana was the place she should be. They were married in June of 1956 and had two sons, Curtis and Ted.
After a brief move to Spokane, Wash., to try big city life, the pull of the prairie proved too strong and they returned to the Westby area where Wallace would farm and live the rest of his life.
In addition to farming, Wallace also ran a successful Custom Combining business. Along with his brother Orville and cousins in the early 1960s, and on his own well into the 1980s, Wallace would venture with crew and machines to Texas and work his way north, following the harvest as he made his way back to his own wheat fields in Westby. Combining throughout the years provided the opportunity for Wallace to make many long-lasting friends in the small towns he called home while away from Westby during the harvest season. It would also become a source of summer work and income for many local youth that he hired, along with providing them the opportunity to see the world outside of Westby.
Upon retirement, Wallace enjoyed the simple things that life provided in the big sky of eastern Montana. Wallace and Vicki also enjoyed traveling to see family and friends, from Washington to California, and all points in between. Not ones for flying, they accumulated frequent-driving miles and even in failing health, Wallace was planning more visits out of town.
He was proud of his sons and their accomplishments, and especially enjoyed the quality time he had with his grandchildren and the special bond he had with each one. Although not one for many words, he was quick with a dry sense of humor that will always be remembered.
Wallace is survived by a loving family: his wife, Vicki of Westby, who he would have celebrated 50 years of marriage with this year; his son, Ted and wife Tina of Westby; son Curtis and wife Angela, who live in Tujunga, Calif.; sister Gladys Moore and husband Bill of Coeur D'Alene, Idaho; three grandchildren, Kris Nordhagen and Matthew Nordhagen of Missoula, and Taylor Nordhagen of Tujunga.
Our family wishes to thank all of those who kept Wallace in their prayers, and took the time to visit him in the hospital while in Billings, as well as Plentywood and Williston, N.D. It was a comfort to see the smile it brought to his face in seeing friends and family, and sharing in memories and laughter from years gone by.
In a life that has come full circle, a sense of comfort is found in Wallace's passing. With his final days, Wallace accepted Christ into his heart, and we look forward to beginning a new trail with him in eternity.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 3, at Fulkerson Memorial Chapel in Plentywood. Rev. Brandon Smithson will officiate, with interment in McElroy Cemetery.
Friends may call at Fulkerson's in Plentywood.