Orva Steffarud

Orva Adeline Steffarud, 91, passed away

March 9, 2011, at the Brendan House in Kalispell.

She was born July 20, 1919, to Paul and

Bertina (Brovick) Steffarud in Galesburg, N.D. She attended the

Galesburg schools, where she was known as a scholar and athlete.

After graduation, she attended Morehead State Teachers College in

Morehead, Minn. Her introduction to teaching was in a one-room

school house where she taught grades 1-8.

After the untimely death of her father,

Orva and her mother moved to Whitefish to be near an aunt and

uncle. This would be their first and last move. She first taught

junior high math and girls physical education and went on to teach

fifth and sixth grades and later became the principle of the

department.

Orva left Central School in Whitefish

in 1981 to take the position of principle, where she remained until

her retirement in 1985.

With all the honors and recognition

Orva has received, she always said the most important thing she

ever did was taking in two young boys and she raising them as her

own. These young boys did not disappoint Orva or her mother. They

went on to have distinguished careers in the Army and Navy. They

married and raised wonderful families of their own. She always has

and always will be known as “Grandma Orva” to her grandchildren and

great grandchildren.

In 1959, Orva was given the honor of

First Lady of Whitefish. She was chosen for her dedication to the

field of education and her tireless efforts to promote organized

activities for the youth outside the classroom.

She was a dedicated volunteer and

leader in the community. Over the years, she held many offices on

both the local and state level. She was a member of Sons of Norway,

Delta Kappa Gamma, Community Concert and Retired Teachers and was

an active member of Christ Lutheran Church.

Orva served as superintendent and

senior league advisor of the senior youth department at the church.

One of the great highlights of her life was when she chaperoned 17

leaguers to the youth convention in San Francisco in 1955.

She is survived by her two sons and

their wives, Robert and Keiko Brovick, of Chula Vista, Calif., and

Dennis and Frankie Johnson, of San Antonio, Texas; grandchildren

Peter and Shelley Johnson, of Fort Carson, Colo., Patrick and

Kellie Johnson, of San Antonio, Texas, Eugene Brovick, Gloria and

Dennis Davies, all of Chula Vista, Calif., and Ed Brovick, of

Seattle, Wash.; 13 great grandchildren; and cousins Mardel Sievers,

of Fargo, N.D., and Myron Bejelverud, of Galesburg, N.D.

A memorial service will be held to

honor Orva’s Life at Christ Lutheran Church in Whitefish on March

24, 2011, at 11 a.m.

Arrangements entrusted to Austin

Funeral Home.