Albert Lawrence

Albert Brooke “Bert” “Al” Lawrence, age 89, of Jamestown, ND, died Thursday, May 19, 2011, at Ave Maria Village.

Bert was born January 15, 1922, on a farm near Eldridge, ND, the son of Albert B. Lawrence, Sr. and Lucella Leola (Wright) Lawrence. He grew up on a farm in the Eldridge area, attended school and graduated from Eldridge High School in 1940. He was a member of the 1940 Eldridge High School basketball team that won the County, District and State Championships. He attended Jamestown College for 2 ½ years at which time he joined the US Army in 1943 to serve in World War II.

After basic training he had radio school in Florida, radar training in New Jersey, and was stationed at Wendover Field in Utah where they were working on a secret project that later turned out to be the atomic bomb. He was then stationed on Tinian Island in the Pacific and was part of the crew that loaded the atomic bombs. He was very proud of his military service.

Bert married June Marie Miska on November 15, 1944, in Jamestown, ND. After the service he returned to Jamestown and began working at Mellands, Inc. which was the International Harvester dealer, and later became part owner of the dealership. In 1971 he sold his interest in the dealership and began working for the Melroe Company of Bismarck, ND, eventually becoming the National Sales Manager for the Ag Division. He retired from Melroe in 1987. In 1990 he was hired to start Westward Products, Inc., Jamestown, a company originally formed to distribute the former Melroe pickup, and he retired again in 2000.

He was a member of the First Congregational Church United Church of Christ. He was a member of the Highland Home Cemetery Board, the Elks, and the All Vets Club. He was an avid Twins fan and attended many games at the Metropolitan Stadium and later rarely missed a game on TV.

Bert is survived by two daughters, Carol (Curt) Glasoe, Dickinson, ND, Janet (Mark) Wiese, Jamestown, ND, and a sister-in-law, Elsie Lawrence, Jamestown, ND. There are five grandchildren: Jo Marie (Ryan) Kadrmas, Dickinson, ND, Matt (Kim) Glasoe, Elk River, MN, Jennifer (Jason) Stiefel, Minnetonka, MN, Russ (Deana) Wiese, Bismarck, ND, and Luke (Alonna) Wiese, Jamestown, ND. There are six great-grandchildren: Julianne, Madelynn, Carter, Chase, Morgan, and Bridger.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife June, an infant daughter Barbara Jean, three brothers Charles, Don and Dana, and three sisters-in-law Dorothy, Bernice, and Opal.