Larry Selle, 77, Dickinson, died Tuesday, January 5, 2016 following a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Larry’s funeral service will be at 4:30 p.m., Saturday, January 9, 2016 at St. John Evan. Lutheran Church, Dickinson, with Rev. Lisa Lewton officiating. Inurnment will take place at the Killdeer Cemetery, Killdeer. Visitation will be on Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson, and will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Saturday. There will be a prayer service at 7 p.m., Friday at Ladbury Funeral Service.
Born on September 2, 1938 to Lena (Kind) and Berent Selle, Larry was raised on a small farm outside of Killdeer. He spent his boyhood years learning a love of the land and nature. When he wasn’t plowing fields and picking rocks, or fishing in the creek, he was picking on his siblings. While attending school at Bismarck Junior College, he met his sweetheart, Gayle Reager. They were married in 1959 and moved to Turtle Lake where he began teaching at the age of 19. In 1961, he began a 40 year teaching career with Dickinson Public Schools. Most of these years were spent at Hagen Jr. High teaching 8th grade English. Years later, he still found great joy when meeting former students. While at Hagen, he touched many lives by coaching various sports, overseeing photography club and the school newspaper, and directing drama club.
Larry was a charter member of the Elks Sodbuster band. He enjoyed years of playing the tuba, yodeling and making people smile. He was also involved in the Dickinson Education Association, North Dakota Education Association, Dickinson Public Schools Foundation and the church council.
In his free time, Larry enjoyed golfing, camping, oil painting, fly-tying, fishing, hunting, and hiking in the Killdeer mountains. He was a talented woodworker, carpenter and puzzle-maker, creating wooden puzzles for his grandkids. His favorite pastime though, was playing and reading with his pride and joy, his grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife Gayle and their three children, Loralee (Michael) Amb of Fargo and their three children, Sheridan, Keaton and Bergen; Eric (Sue) of Littleton, Colorado and their two boys, Brayden and Collin; and Jan (Todd) Schmidt of Bismarck and their two children Annalee and Carson. He is also survived by his sisters, Joyce (Bob) Farrell of New Jersey, Carol Beckert and Gary (Beth) Selle of Dickinson; and many treasured nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents and his brother-in-law, Don Beckert.
