LaVerne “Vern” Luick, age 84, of Ottertail, MN, and formerly of
Fairmount
,
ND
, died of cancer following a short illness on
Thursday, June 10, 2010
, at
MeritCare
Pallative
Care
Center
,
Fargo
,
ND
.
Vern was born
November 25, 1925
, in
LaMars
Township
,
Richland County
,
ND
, to A.W. Luick and Christine Luick, the 5
th
of 6 children and baptized at
Bethany
Methodist
Church
. He attended LaMars School No. 1, often ran the family farm while in High School, and graduated from Fairmount High School in May 1943, whereupon he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corp where he trained as an amphibious tractor commander in Hawaii as a Sergeant in the 5th Marine Division and fought in the battles of Saipan and Iwo Jima and participated in the occupation of Japan including Nagasaki. After WWII, LaVerne returned home to attend NDSU (NDAC) in
Fargo
as an Agriculture major from 1946-48 where he met his future wife, Gloria Seidel. LaVerne and Gloria were married on
July 31, 1949
at
First
Lutheran
Church
in
Fessenden
,
ND
, and they began farming on the original Luick homestead in
LaMars
Township
where he farmed along with his brother, Art, until 1980.
LaVerne was active in
North Dakota
politics including the young republicans, serving as President in 1960. He was also active in the ND Farm Bureau holding various offices including President of the Richland County Farm Bureau at that time. LaVerne served one term as foreman of the Federal Grand Jury in 1960-61 and as local Republican precinct committeeman from 1961-65. In 1972, LaVerne was elected to the Board of the Federal Land Bank of the 9
th
Federal Reserve District and served until after leaving the farm in 1981.
LaVerne was a long time director and past president of the LaMar’s Cooperative Elevator and initiated the construction of a second elevator complex in the early 1970’s. He was a member of the LaMars Township Board and Manager of the LaMars softball team. He loved music and played trombone in the LaMars band and later in the Tri-State Band. In 1981, LaVerne and Gloria permanently moved to their lake home on
Ottertail
Lake
and opened the Pier 38 restaurant , which was destroyed by fire in the spring of 1984, but was subsequently rebuilt and operated until the fall of 1987.
LaVerne was a long time member of the Fairmount Masonic Lodge, the Wahpeton Elks and a 60 year continuous member of the Fairmount American Legion and VFW and a member of Zion Lutheran Church of Amor. His lifetime hobbies included fishing, carpentry, coin collecting and gardening.
Vern is survived by his wife, Gloria Luick,
Ottertail
,
MN
; three children, David Luick,
Rochester
,
MN
; Barb (Brad) Worner,
Devils Lake
,
ND
; and Debra Luick,
Fargo
,
ND
. He is also survived by four grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
Preceding Vern in death are his parents; siblings, Donald Luick, Dale Luick, Arthur Luick and Helen Patterson; and granddaughter, Crystal Luick.
