Vivian Rensby
Vivian Rensby, age 102, of Valley City, ND, died Sunday, November 14, 2021 at SMPSt. Raphael (Sheyenne Care Center) in Valley City. A funeral service will be held at 2:00 PM Saturday, November 20th at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Valley City. Visitation will be held on Friday from 5:30 PM until 7:00 PM at the Lerud Mathias Funeral Home Chapel and one hour before the service on Saturday afternoon at the church. A prayer service will be held at 7:00 PM Friday evening at the Funeral Home. Interment will be in Memory Gardens Cemetery near Valley City.
Vivian was born on a farmstead near Kathryn, ND on October 16, 1919, to Halvor and Julia (Hovde) Lee. Vivian attended school in rural Kathryn and church at Waldheim Lutheran church in Kathryn where she was baptized and confirmed. On September 26, 1941, Vivian married the love of her life, Orville Rensby from Fingal, ND. They moved to Long Beach, California for a short time and moved back to North Dakota when Orville was drafted into the service during World War II. After Orville’s time in the Army, they made Valley City home.
Vivian was a pioneer working woman. She was employed by the F.W. Woolworth Company for 33 years in Valley City. During that time, new Woolworth stores in the tristate area requested that Vivian help stage and assist in the opening of their stores. She loved a neat and tidy store and especially enjoyed mentoring women entering the workforce.
In retirement, Vivian and Orville enjoyed traveling and spent many winters in Ft. Myer’s, Florida. Vivian will be remembered for her devotion to family and friends, her immense faith, cheering on her grandchildren in their sports activities, and never letting a visitor leave hungry. She also was a big fan of the Minnesota Twins, the Sioux Hockey team, and a very competitive card player.
Vivian is survived by daughters, Sandra (Lawrence) Durand, St. Paul, MN, Tamara (Jerald) Rostad, Fargo, ND; grandchildren, James Anderson, Lea Anderson, St. Paul, MN, Braden (Fiona) Rostad, San Pedro, CA, Taylor (Shelby) Rostad, Norfolk, VA, great grandsons, Edison and Roman Rostad, San Pedro, CA.; sister-inlaw, Bernice (Rensby) Hallquist Dick, Lisbon,
ND.; and many dearly loved nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and siblings, Arnold, Thomas, Harris, Rangvold, Vernon, Thelma Rosenberg and Arlene Skonseng, mother and father-inLaw, Palma and Jens Rensby
Funeral arrangments by the Lerud Mathias Funeral Home of Valley City. An online guestbook and livestream of Vivians service is available at www.lerudschuldt.com.