Erik Kjelland passed away suddenly on October 13, 2023 in his home in Woodland Park, CO. Erik Christopher Kjelland was born on May 28, 1964 in Valley City, ND to his parents, Harry and Doris Kjelland. Erik’s dad passed away shortly after his birth. His family moved to Bismarck, ND, where Erik grew up and attended school. He graduated from Century High School in 1983. Erik attended and graduated from the University of North Dakota, studying journalism and photography, working at the college newspaper, (a highlight was covering the 1987 UND Fighting Sioux National Hockey Championship in Detroit) and after graduation at the Grand Forks Herald.
Erik moved to Colorado where he held several jobs, most recently as a CNA in Woodland Park. He was a talented photographer and truly enjoyed sharing the beauty of his beloved Colorado and nature through his amazing photos. He enjoyed spending his time outdoors there, hiking and camping. Erik was proud of his Norwegian heritage and loved all things Viking, history and lore and of course the Minnesota Vikings.
Erik was a kind, creative, thoughtful person with a quirky sense of humor and a brilliant smile. He will be dearly missed by his family and his many friends. Erik loved animals and used to enjoy walking shelter dogs, so if you wish, a memorial could be given in Erik’s honor to your local animal shelter or humane society or to any worthy cause you hold dear.
Nick Hay, 74, died on September 17, 2023. After a hard-fought battle with cancer, he passed on to his next great adventure in the comfort of his home, surrounded by his loving children and partner. Nick was born on June 21, 1949 in Bismarck, ND to Oscar and Carmen Hay. Nick Lived in Bismarck until he was 18 years old. Following his graduation, he sat for the CPA exam and passed on his first try, making him the youngest person to ever pass the exam in the state of North Dakota, at the time. Nick attended law school at the University of Minnesota from 1970 to 1973. Nick began his distinguished career as an attorney-at-law, specializing in tax law.
He found a second calling in life working as a CPA for Myslajek, Spencer and Kemp. Nick loved the outdoors, a passion he shared with his children, allowing for many ‘colorful’ memories to be made on their many family road trips. He had a passion for traveling and was able to witness so much of this world’s beauty. He loved hunting with his family, sailing, riding motorcycles, cabin-life, reading mythology and Harry Potter to his children, all things food, Canadian Club and a cold beer. His retirement, although short lived, was spent traveling the country with his partner in his ‘moving home’ and taking his family adventuring around the world.
William L. Harwood, 77, of South Burlington VT passed away peacefully on August 23, 2023 at the McClure Miller Respite House after a 16-month battle with cancer. Bill was born in Burlington, VT on May 18, 1946 to Theodore Harwood and Laura Jean Lathrop. The family moved to Grand Forks, ND when he was a young boy.
Bill completed his BA with honors in American history at the University of North Dakota in 1968. In 1970, the Journal of South Dakota History published his thesis on the Ku Klux Klan in Grand Forks. He then served three years in the US Army as a Military Intelligence NCO and completed a year of Polish language training at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA. He applied his knowledge of Polish to earn a doctorate in Polish and East European history at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, conducting research at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. He passed the Foreign Service exam at the American Embassy in Warsaw, and worked with the US Information Agency as a Foreign Service Information Officer doing press and cultural work in US embassies in Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, and Somalia.
While serving overseas, Bill was married to Marjorie Tomoe Yamamoto, a Family Nurse Practitioner with the State Department, and they welcomed daughter Laura. The family returned to Washington when Marjorie fell ill and she died in 1998. In 2001, Bill married Elaine Hubert, who had worked at the World Bank, and in 2007 they moved to Vermont, living first in Burlington and then in South Burlington. Throughout his life Bill was devoted to music, both singing and playing the French horn. Starting in high school, continuing at overseas postings and in Washington and Vermont, he loved to perform in musicals, operas and Gilbert and Sullivan. He sang with the Burlington Choral Society, the Oriana/Aurora Chamber Singers, and the choir of the College Street Congregational Church, which he attended as a boy. He has served on the boards of his church and music groups and was President of the Burlington Rotary Club. He studied creative writing and wrote his life story, particularly his life in the Foreign Service.