Lloyd Cerny Ptacek
Lloyd Cerny Ptacek of Cogswell was born to Charles Joseph & Katie Ptacek on April 4, 1927 near Long Prairie in Todd County, MN. Welcoming Lloyd into the family included his siblings Bernice, Bertha, Lynn, Charles & Beverly. Sylvia joined the family after Lloyd was born. The Ptacek family moved from MN to the Glover, ND community where they farmed. Lloyd attended Independence School, LaMoure School & finished his 10th year at the Oakes School. He rode the very first school bus in the state of ND.
On December 19, 1945, Lloyd was hired with his team of horses & wagon at The Glover Ranch (owned/operated by Sever Skjefte) to assist with threshing. It was here where he admired & met the love of his life, LaVerne Delores Lucille Skjefte, who was assisting her mother Martha to help feed the threshing crew. The young couple were married on October 6, 1946 at The American Lutheran Church, later known as Grace Lutheran Church, in Oakes, ND. They made their home in Glover, ND, where their love warmed their hearts, but the weather was so cold the coffee pot froze on the stove. Lloyd worked various jobs including trucking. Their next move took them to Lisbon, ND, where Lloyd worked at Hanson Motors & later for Odin Olson at the Glover Elevator. They then moved to their current farm NW of Cogswell where they resided into their golden years. Lloyd was especially proud of his Czech heritage & was fortunate to visit The Czech Republic with his family.
Born into this love were Lanny Ray on March 28, 1948; Ardell Keith, Jan 23, 1951; Clinton Dennis, Feb 7, 1953; Randolph Wayne, June 21, 1954; Robert Boyd, Dec 15, 1955; Brent Marlo, May 8, 1964 & Marlene Kay, July 15, 1965.
Lloyd was active in the Cogswell United Methodist Church and later became a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Oakes. Lloyd was also active on the Cogswell School Board, the Cogswell Elevator Board & the local irrigation district. He was active in several farm organizations including National Farmer’s Organization, American Grain & Cattle, & American Energy Incorporated. Lloyd farmed/ranched for 61 yrs, initially with his dad & brothers & eventually with his own sons. He retired in 2012 & they continued to live on their farm until March 2020. Because of Covid, he joined mom at the Oakes Good Sam as they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. Lloyd & LaVerne celebrated their 74th wedding anniversary on Oct 6, 2020.
Lloyd is preceded in death by his parents, all siblings including 2 infant bothers, & son Clinton Dennis who died Nov 14, 1962. He passed away from Covid complications at Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, ND on October 31, 2020.
He is survived by his loving devoted wife & best friend LaVerne; sister-in-law Margaret Ptacek, Valley City, ND; Lanny (Cindy) Ptacek, Austin, TX; Ardell (Lavonne) Ptacek, Oakes, ND; Randy (Gaylene) Ptacek, Cogswell, ND; Robert (Bonnie) Ptacek, Cogswell, ND; Brent (Toni) Ptacek, Oakes, ND & Marlene Ptacek, West Fargo, ND. “Bumpa” was very proud & loved his 15 grandkids & spouses, and especially precious his 14 great-grandkids. He is also survived by his foreign exchange son Chris Pabst of Germany & daughter Bente Hannestad of Norway as well as several nieces & nephews.
A private funeral with children and spouses only will be held on Thursday, November 5, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. at Dahlstrom Funeral Home in Oakes. Lloyd’s service will be live streamed for the public on the Dahlstrom Funeral Home website www.dahlstromfuneralhome.com on his obituary page. Burial will be at the Oakes View Cemetery.
Memorials may be given to the Farm Rescue Foundation.