Elizabeth Kertz

Elizabeth C. (Dempster) Kertz, 72, Fargo, died Monday, November 23, in a Las Vegas hospital, following complications from heart surgery. She had been hospitalized for three weeks. Funeral services will be held Monday at 1:30 p.m. in Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Fargo, with interment in Holy Cross Cemetery (north). Visitation will be Sunday at Holy Spirit from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., followed by a Prayer Vigil at 7:30 in the church and visitation one hour before the funeral in the church. Elizabeth was born December 8, 1936 at Minot, N.D., to Wallace and Lauretta (Nilles) Dempster. The family moved to Langdon, N.D., in 1943 from Veblen, S.D., and purchased the Rexall Corner Drug, which they operated until 1956. After graduating from St. Alphonsus High School in Langdon in 1954, Elizabeth attended the College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, Minn. Following college graduation she taught home economics at Glencoe, Minn., for a year and the following year taught at Argyle, Minn. She married James D. Kertz of Langdon at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Grand Forks on August 4, 1959. They resided in Grand Forks for a year before moving to Wahpeton, N.D. Their four daughters were born at St. Francis Hospital in Breckenridge, Minn. They later resided in Fargo, Lisbon, N.D., and Brussels, Belgium, returning to Fargo in 1982. Their son James was born in Fargo in 1976, prior to their move to Europe in 1978. Elizabeth enjoyed cooking for her family and guests, humbly refusing to be called a gourmet cook. She spent her summers at the lake, gardening and entertaining, and playing with her grandchildren. She was a voracious reader, a love she passed on to her children, and her Arizona winters were devoted to literary pursuits and classic movies. She also enjoyed the theater and saw many productions in New York, London, and other cities. Liz had many favorite musicals and could sing a number or two from most of them. She is survived by her husband, Jim; daughters Barbara (Brad) Richards, Detroit Lakes, Minn.; Jane (Doug) Kading, DePere, Wisc.; Nancy (Dean) Bangsund, Jill (Thomas) Moraghan, and son James (Lori) Kertz, all of Fargo. She is also survived by sisters Mary (Don) Kind, Fond du Lac, Wisc., Margaret (Gary) Koeder, Albert Lea, Minn., and Ruth (Bill) Waltrip, Salinas, Calif. She also leaves ten grandchildren: Jon and Rob Richards; Kelly and Chris Kading; Joseph, Patrick, Catherine, Matthew and Nicholas Moraghan; and Jack Kertz. She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, John. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be designated for the Fargo YWCA Shelter, Village Family Services, or the charitable organization of choice . Arrangements entrusted to the care of Boulger Funeral Home Online guestbook at: www.boulgerfuneralhome.com