Lawrence "Larry" Kessel

Lawrence Larry Kessel “Smooch” passed away on August 11, 2023, at St. Catherine North in Fargo.

Lawrence was born February 23, 1946, the 13th child of 16 to Phil and Mildred Kessel. Larry was raised by his aunt Bata and Fred Bettger of Belfield. Larry was raised and attended school in Belfield where he made lifelong friends, Jim O’Brien, Doug Decker. After school Larry would try his hand at a lot of different professions, from going to Job Corps in KY for his Culinary Arts degree.

Larry returned to Belfield where he would settle down for a while, then it was off to try a new profession, working at the Homestake Gold Mine in Lead, SD. He did not last long as it was too claustrophobic for him. Larry would eventually return to Belfield working in road construction helping build Interstate 94 in North Dakota.

In December of 1966 Larry joined the US Navy, he was the first Kessel to join the Navy. He did boot camp in San Diego, CA. After boot camp he was stationed on the USS Constellation (CV-64) where he got to see the world and three tours to Vietnam. After the Navy he attended Moler Barber College. Well, at Moler the boys would take their breaks at the Dutchmaid Café across the street. One lucky or unlucky day Larry would leave behind his zippo lighter. A waitress named Jeanne would happen to find it and when Larry came back the next day, Jeanne would return his lighter to him, in his thankfulness he would offer to take her to dinner. They hit it off well, soon Larry was welcomed into the Gast family. After a year, Larry got the guts to ask Ernest if he could have Jeanne’s hand in marriage, lucky for me lol, Jeanne said yes. So, after Larry was done with school, they were off to the big city of Bowman, ND, until Jeanne would get homesick, so they moved back to Fargo where yet again Larry would try a new job. This time working for Rochester Armed Car Servies, where he would gain a lifetime friend and fishing and hunting partner, Al Rusch. Larry worked with them for a couple of years. Larry and Jeanne found out they were expecting. The needed something with better pay and benefits. I would become their big leprechaun. I came into the world on March 17, I don’t know who was more excited, dad since I have his dimple and blue eyes or mom so she wouldn’t have to go fishing with dad anymore.

It was time for Larry to try a new job again so he joined the Navy reserves and started working at the Fargo VA where he would gain more lifetime friends as Dennis Frye.

He would give the Navy 16 years of service but would finish his military career with the North Dakota Army National Guard. Larry went on to work at the Fargo VA for 28 years before he had to take an early medical retirement but along the way he gained more lifetime friends as Jerry Lubenow, he’s a great guy even though he’s a Viking fan, “Go Pack Go” lol. Larry, in his retirement would enjoy fishing and hunting with his son Ben and taking road trips. Larry and Ben made few a hunting trips to Devils Lake and one fishing trip of a dream, thanks to Al, we got to go to Canada with cousin, Roger Kessel family. One of the highlights of the road trips, mom and Ben did planning and plotting for a month-long trip to the east coast for us. One other highlight for the family was going to Hawaii for her 40th wedding anniversary for 10 days, and saw Don Ho.

Jeanne got cancer, he stayed pretty close to home. Dad and Ben started doing lapidary where they would gain more lifetime friends like Mike Kolesar. Dad lost his soulmate and gained an angel in July 2017 after 44 years of marriage. Those last six years were tough on dad, he never really got over the loss.

Larry is survived by his son, Ben (BJ), brother’s Leroy, Raymond, Allen, Tom. Larry is preceded in death by his wife, Jeanne Marie (Gast) Kessel, mother and father, brother’s Bunny, Skeeter, Ralph, Chucky, sister’s, Phillis, JoAnn, Shirley, Darcey, Joyce, Patsy, and Cookie. Thank you to all family, friends and fellow Veterans who were there for dad over the years.

In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred.

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