Larry Spanjer

Larry Alan Spanjer, age 69, died Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at Sanford Hospital Bismarck, North Dakota. He was born November 5, 1955, to Alan and Norma at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, MN. He joined his sister and lifelong friend Kathy as the family’s second child. Following his dad’s graduation from the University of Minnesota, the family moved to Wahpeton, ND.

Memories of Wahpeton were Larry’s favorite. One of the dearest was catching carp in the Bois de Sioux with his friend Kenny. Since they weren’t supposed to go near the river, they hid their catch by throwing the fish over the fence to the bears at Chahinkapa Park. He would tell this story with a grin, saying the bears would wiggle like puppies when they saw Larry and Kenny with their fish. He also loved to tell the story about donning a snowman suit to escort Snow Queen pageant contestants when he was just six years old.

The Spanjers moved often due to Al’s work. They lived for a time in Bowman, ND; Gregory, SD; Bordulac, ND; Carrington, ND; and finally, Jamestown, ND, where he graduated from Jamestown High School in 1974.

As a young adult, Larry bought his first home in 1978. He enjoyed his work at Kentucky Fried Chicken, crowing that bringing leftovers always made him the most popular dude at weekend keggers. That the last batch on a Friday night was a bit bigger to accommodate his party plans was always implied.

Larry was a jack of all trades. He was a self-professed Wood Butcher, house painter, a Federal Grain Inspector, Grain Elevator “everyman (technically first man),” grain bin assembler, roof shingler, and a brakeman, switchman, and later conductor for Burlington Northern for 36 years.

He met the love of his life, Denise Podenski, at a “disco dance” in 1980. Their first real date was a row out on Kropp’s Dam to fish for crappies. They married March 27, 1982 after a particularly powerful blizzard. The Spanjers began their life together in Larry’s little house near Klaus Park. In 1986, they purchased a small cabin on Spiritwood Lake and enjoyed many happy days fishing, boating, cooking, hosting parties, and making improvements to their little summer home. Denise and Larry loved to downhill and cross-country ski and ice fish in the winter, and enjoyed music, gardening, fishing, grilling, entertaining, and golf in the summer. They spent many winter vacations skiing in Colorado, alongside an annual week in Arizona to escape the Northern winters. After retirement, the two spent every March down south in Arizona, visiting family and marveling at the grandeur of the American Southwest until the COVID-19 pandemic. After that it was much easier to stay home.

Larry was particularly proud of his heritage as a Frieslander, the region of the Netherlands from where both his grandfathers immigrated. The Friesian flag always flew next to the Stars and Stripes on his cabin’s deck railing.

A voracious reader, Larry spent hours studying cookbooks, devouring novels and non-fiction, and reading newspapers (only the worthy ones). He was a fabulous cook and would often “coach” Denise with his “chef-y techniques”. Of his many other interests, you could often find Larry learning about motors and cars, practicing his golf swing, drinking nice wines and wheated bourbons, and keeping up with current affairs. An avid outdoorsman, he was a member of the Dakota Anglers, a charter member of the Spiritwood Lake Zander Club, and Stutsman County Wildlife Club.

In 1994 BNSF discontinued Larry’s crew change point in Jamestown, and the couple needed to find a new home base. They moved to Bismarck so Larry could continue with BNSF, working the main line from Mandan to Glendive, MT. Delighted with their new Bismarck home, the couple worked to make it their own – with FIRST the detached garage. Joining a lovely, yet quirky, neighborhood they thrived. He retired from BNSF in 2015.

After retirement, Denise and Larry enjoyed their Spiritwood Lake cabin (a refuge on the prairie for 40 years), listening to music, gardening, golf, and reading.

To mourn him, Larry leaves Denise, his wife of 43 years; his brothers Mike (Marie) of Phillips, WI; and Scott (partner Babs Coler) of Fargo, ND; brother-in-law Duane Lillehaug; nephews Kevin Lillehaug (fiancé Valentina Gulbis); Isaac (Trae Larson) of Minneapolis and Arnie of Phillips, WI; niece Erika of Berkeley, CA; and great niece Alisa Gulbis; cousins Jim (Dixie) Peterson; Barbara (Dennis) Vieau; Lowell, whom Larry affectionally called “Lobo” (Diane) Peterson; Randy (Cindy) Peterson; and Kevin (Angie) Peterson; and mother-in-law Violet Podenski of Edgeley, ND. He is sorely missed by his precious furry friends Ginger Snap (an amber torti), Buttermilk Skye (a dilute torti), and Bob (the feline Cary Grant).

He was preceded in death by his grandparents Gerben and Nellie (Hoekstra) Tjepkema and Dirk and Thelma (Vangen) Spanjer, parents Norma and Al Spanjer, and sisters Kathy Spanjer (Duane Lillehaug), Michelle Spanjer; and sister-in-law Pam McGee.

The family encourages a memorial donation to Prairie Public Broadcasting, Central Dakota Humane Society, or Seeds of Hope, an Abused Adult Resource Advocacy group.

The family wishes to thank the medical doctors and specialists, nurses, and supporting cast of professionals at Sanford Hospital, Bismarck for the kind and thorough care provided during Larry’s 29-day hospitalization.

A Celebration of Life will be held the second week of October with details to follow.