George L. Marchand

George's service will be livestreamed and can be viewed by going to the following link and clicking the live tab, closer to the start of the service. https://www.youtube.com/@st.josephscatholicchurchmo9542/featured

George L Marchand, 93, longtime Moorhead resident, passed away peacefully on February 22, 2024 after a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease. Our Dad George Louis Marchand was born on March 5, 1930, in Fargo, ND, to Joseph and Inez (Urich) Marchand. Dad’s early years were spent in Fargo, and he began his education at St Anthony’s School. After the family moved to Moorhead, he attended St Joseph’s School and graduated from Moorhead High, class of 1948. Dad was a lifelong member of St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Moorhead where he participated in the Knights of Columbus and Adoration. 

Our Dad was a US Army veteran and served in the National Guard during the Korean conflict. On June 19, 1951, he married his high school sweetheart, our mother, Audrey (Adamy) Marchand. They began their life together at Camp Rucker, Alabama, where Dad had leadership training in the Army. After Dad’s honorable discharge, Mom and Dad made their home in Moorhead. Soon that home began to fill up with little girls, all with names beginning with B, as we, their five daughters, arrived one by one. For nearly 60 years, Mom and Dad lived in the same house in the 12th St neighborhood that still has a fond place in the hearts of lots of the kids who grew up there. 

Dad’s career was in sales, first heavy road construction equipment and later, custom furniture. He began his work life at Northwestern Equipment Co as a parts runner. When the company opened an advertising department, Dad    became an ad assistant, then the ad manager. The first time he ever had an office was when he became a territorial sales rep, then assistant sales manager. After a few years, Dad accepted a job offer at General Diesel and Equipment Co (later ND Terex) and worked there as a territorial sales rep, then sales manager, then president of the company. Some years later, Dad made another career move, into the furniture business as sales manager at Solid Comfort Furniture, where he worked until he retired in his 80s. 

Dad was an avid golfer and introduced his grandchildren to the sport. He was a member of the Moorhead Country Club and served a term as president. One of his proud accomplishments was scoring a hole-in-one five times. One for each of his daughters, who he was also very proud of. 

Dad was creative, clever, and social and made many friends over his lifetime, including in Sun City West, where he and Mom wintered for several years after retirement. He was engaged in the Fargo/Moorhead business community and served on the board of American Bank and Trust. He had a beautiful singing voice, which you know if you ever stood next to him in church, and he sang until the end of his life. We’ll remember his quirky food preferences: maple syrup on cottage cheese, ice cubes in his milk, and Dad was semi-famous for his George Sundae at Touchmark where he lived for a couple of years after Mom died. Dad taught us that anything worth doing is worth doing well, and you know this was a true conviction if you ever saw him make a bed, wrap a gift, or sign his name. 

 We are the daughters who are proud to call George Dad: Barbara (Scott) Nelson, Tempe, Arizona, Beverly (Doug) Harbrecht, Plymouth, MN, Beth (Warren) Hilde, Moorhead, Betty (Doug) Hanson, Moorhead, and Bonnie Kerr, Dilworth.  Fourteen grandchildren loved their Grandpa George: Jill (Scott) Bagshaw, Becky (Harry Colas) Nelson, Brian (Lindsay Taylor) Nelson, Michael Wedel, Lauren (Andy Lauber) Wedel, Emma Wedel, Tom (Cara Gaffney) Hilde, Laura (Wes) Bickler, Chase (Amber) Hanson, Lucas (Linneah) Hanson, Grant Hanson, Nicholas Kerr, Jamison Kerr, and Mason Kerr. Six great-grandchildren will miss their Great-Grandpa: Payton, Faith, and Ella Bagshaw, Brandt and Lena Bickler; and Eva Colas. Another, expected in July, will miss knowing him at all. Dad was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Audrey, as well as all of his siblings, brothers Gordon and Vinson, sisters Donna Sorenson, LaVonne Van Amburgh, and Sharon Wemstrom. Three in-laws survive, including one who is local, Beverly Fay of Moorhead. Many nieces and nephews survive him and four preceded him in death. 

 As he lived well, so Dad died well, with his sense of humor, gentle heart, and faith intact. Even as his Parkinson’s robbed him of so much, it revealed his remarkable resilience and will to live. We are grateful to all who helped us care for our Dad, most recently those at St Catherine North, Essentia Hospital, and Hospice of the Red River Valley. Thank you for giving your compassion and skill when we most needed it. And to everyone else who knew our Dad, thank you for the love, good times, and fun you undoubtedly brought into his life.

In lieu of flowers, we suggest memorial donations to St Joseph’s Church, Hospice of the Red River Valley, or the Parkinson’s Foundation.

A Visitation for George will begin at 10:00 AM, Monday, February 26, 2024, followed by his Mass of Christian Burial beginning at 11:00 AM, in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Moorhead. George's service will be livestreamed and can be viewed by going to the following link and clicking the live tab, closer to the start of the service. https://www.youtube.com/@st.josephscatholicchurchmo9542/featured

Burial will take place in St. Joseph’s Cemetery Columbarium, Moorhead. MN. 

(Korsmo Funeral and Cremation Service, Moorhead, MN)