Lawrence Geiss

Lawrence Geiss, 95 of Fargo, died Friday, January 25, 2008 at Rosewood on Broadway, Fargo. Lawrence Geiss was born on August 13, 1912 in Huff, ND to Adam and Magdelena (Schaff) Geiss. He went to a country grade school in Huff. It was called ?Sister School??a parochial school in St. Anthony, ND. He came from a large family and he and one of his brothers joined the Army on the same day?December 5, 1933. He was discharged on December 4, 1936. He served as a guard when President Roosevelt went through Bismarck, ND on August 27, 1936. He met Clara at a house party when she was 16 years old. When she was introduced to him by his brother, he had his uniform on?she took one look at him and said to herself, ?I am going to marry that man.? (They were married for over 69 very happy years.) Her mother absolutely forbid her to see him. Clara said she was old enough to know what she was doing. Her mother began to soften and he started showing up at the house more frequently and eventually became her favorite son-in-law. Clara and Lawrence Geiss were married July 20, 1938 in St. Anthony by Father Kolbeck. They lived with his parents and all their children for 8 months until moving to a nearby farmhouse and farmed the land from 1939 until 1944. They moved to Moorhead and stayed there for two years. Eventually Lawrence found a home in Fargo and he dug the basement by hand. Then he started building and kept adding on until he had a very nice home for his family. They lived there until 1974. Lawrence first started working for the Kost Brothers in 1944. He found a winter job working for Leo Johnson?s Furniture Store delivering furniture. (This position provided good material for many interesting stories?for example hauling a refrigerator on a child?s sled over the snow banks to get it into a blocked home.) He worked for Powers Construction for 25 years retiring in 1977. Throughout all these years, Clara and Lawrence traveled. His parents lived in Washington and his brothers lived all over the country. They spent many vacation hours driving like crazy to get their trips in visiting family. They were able to visit Germany, Austria, Italy (the Vatican), Switzerland, Hawaii, and took cruises to South America, Mexico and the Caribbean. In 2000, they started wintering in Houston, TX to be close to their granddaughter and their four great grandchildren. Lawrence belonged to the Eagles and he and Clara were charter members of St. Francis Parish in Moorhead, MN. He is survived by his wife, Clara; son, Dr. Dale M. Geiss, Peoria, IL; one granddaughter, Kristin (Michael) Curran, San Diego, CA; four great-grandchildren; one brother, Fred Geiss, Tacoma, WA; one sister, Edith Murray, Tacoma, WA and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by their son, Duane; two infant siblings; his brothers, Nick, Frank, Joe, John and Mike and his sisters, Elizabeth and Veronica. Visitation: Sunday, January 27 from 5-7 pm at Boulger Funeral Home, Fargo and one hour prior to Mass at the church on Monday. Rosary & Prayer Service: Sunday at 7:00 pm at the funeral home. Funeral Mass: Monday, January 28 at 10:00 am at St. Mary?s Cathedral, Fargo. Interment: Holy Cross North Cemetery, Fargo. Arrangements entrusted to Boulger Funeral Home, Fargo.