Ferde R. Penfield

Ferde Roland Penfield passed away on June 5, 2015 at Bethany on 42nd in Fargo.

Ferde was born on July 12, 1919 in Clarissa, MN. He moved to Granville, ND with his family at an early age where he attended school, graduating in 1937. He went to Minot State College for one year.

In 1939, he married Amy Westrom and moved to Sherwood, ND. They later moved to Los Angeles, CA, where he worked for Lockheed Aircraft until he was drafted in the US Army in 1944. He served overseas in Italy and Austria and was discharged in 1946.

Ferde and Amy moved to Towner, ND in 1947 and Ferde was appointed Manager of the McHenry County ASCS office. In 1955 he transferred to the ASCS State office in Fargo, ND, and in 1965 was the Branch Chief. He later became the Assistant to the Administration of the USDA in Washington, DC. He returned to the Minneapolis Commodity office in 1970 and retired in 1974.

After retirement, they lived at Lake Alexander in central Minnesota and spent their winters in Texas, moving back to Fargo in 1983. Amy died in 1986 and Ferde married Winnifred Strandberg Murphy in 1987.

Throughout his life, Ferde was active and interested in sports and played Legion and Amateur baseball with numerous towns, especially the Towner Cowboys. He would also officiate football and basketball games for some 20 years. He was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church and a charter member of Hope Lutheran in Fargo. Ferde was also a member of the American Legion.

He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Winnifred; his sons, Allen (Sandy) of Hudson, WI, Roland (Carol) of Staples, MN, and Mark (Marcia) of Fargo, ND; eight grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren.

Funeral Services will be held at 1:00pm on Tuesday, June 9, 2015 at St. John Lutheran Church in Fargo. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Fargo.