Today we lost a friend, husband, father and grandfather, Ted Lefor, 66 Gladstone, died Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at his home. Ted’s Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m., Saturday, December 15, 2012 at St. Thomas Catholic Church, Gladstone with Fr. Boniface Muggli, OSB as the celebrant. Interment will follow at St. Elizabeth’s Cemetery, Lefor. Visitation will be on Friday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Ladbury Funeral Service, with a rosary & vigil at 7 p.m.
Theodore G. Lefor was born in Dickinson on March 13, 1946, the son of George and Theresa (Bambusch) Lefor. He was raised in Lefor and attended school there, and as he said, he graduated from the University of Lefor in 1964. He joined the North Dakota National Guard in 1965 and served until 1971.
Ted was married in 1968 to Donna Kuhn and they had three children, Tad Jason, Trina June, and Tara Terese. He was very proud of his children and all their accomplishments. In 2007, Ted married Gwen Jung, and to this union he became a stepdad to nine children, three of which lived with them, but he enjoyed them all.
Ted had many jobs, but in 1971 he started driving the rural mail route that his father had been driving, taking him many miles each day. He did the Lefor route and his father did the Gladstone route, now it’s one route, this was Ted’s love, he would get up every morning and look out the window and comment on the weather and end up saying, “I love my job”. In 2006, Gwen took over the route, but Ted loved subbing and being on the route, you would have never known he retired. In January of 2012 he slowed down driving because of failing health. His goal was to get better and be able to ride along on the route. No matter what, he will still be doing the route.
He was an active member of the Knights of Columbus in Lefor, and the St. Anthony Club. He loved playing cards and bingo. Drinking coffee at the Side Track in Gladstone was something he hardly missed in the morning before the route. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping and metal detecting as hobbies. A lot of wonderful memories were made and we will always have them to look back at and remember.
Ted is survived by his wife, Gwen; three children, Tad (Lori) Lefor, Trina (Steve) Schobinger, and Tara (fiance Nate) Bauer; grandchildren, Katie (Adam) Rutchik, Carlee Lefor, Emily Lefor, April Schobinger, Brooke Schobinger, Bree Schobinger, and Hunter Schobinger; nine step-children, Eric (Carrie) Crook, Christina (Chris) Lowe, Thomas Crookson, Lisa Cassarly, Joshua (Jennifer) Jung, Michaela (Ben) Knight, Michael (close friend Andrea) Jung, Shiloh (close friend Deidra) Jung, and Cheyanna Jung; step-grandchildren, Dominic Crook, Logan Crook, Jude Lowe, Chance Lowe, Alyssa Lowe, Kaitlyn Lowe, Colten Cassarly, Landon Jung, Keegan Knight, Julie Knight, and Ellie Jung; two sisters, Gerie Johnson and Yvonne Boespflug who will miss him dearly. Last but certainly not least, his best friend and pet Mocha. My love, dad, brother, grandpa and papa, we will miss you and love you dearly, you are blessed as we were to have shared your life with you.
He was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, and brothers-in-law, Al Johnson and Donald Boespflug.
