Janice Torgerson

Jan Torgerson, 87, Bismarck, ND, formerly of Pettibone, ND died Sunday, February 17, 2013 at St. Gabriel's Community Nursing Home in Bismarck.

Janice Elaine Kaczmarski was born July 20, 1925 in Postville, Iowa, the eldest child of Zana (Gordon) and Joseph Kaczmarski. In 1926 the family moved back to Pettibone, ND where Jan lived most of her life, graduating high school in 1943. Her high school years were consumed with World War II events, but even those depressing events didn't stop her from falling in love with Irvin "Tuffy" Torgerson. They knew each other from about the age of four and went together throughout high school. The summer after graduation Jan worked for Kohler Store in Pettibone and in the fall for JC Penney in Bismarck. In the spring of 1944 she returned to Pettibone and worked at R & K Chevrolet until the fall when she and her sister, Carol, enrolled in Jamestown College. When they found out about telegraphy school for the Northern Pacific Railroad they ditched college and went to telegraphy school. In January 1945 Jan was sent to Eddy, Montana as a depot agent. By the fall of 1945 she was back in Pettibone and ready to marry Tuffy, which they did on October 15, 1945 at Valley City, ND. They made their home on Tuffy's step-father's farm one mile north of Pettibone. Jan and Tuffy continued to farm until 1987. During the mid 1980's they began spending a part of each winter in southern Texas.

Jan was known as being very enthusiastic about a variety of projects. She was into gardening, astronomy, rock building, bird watching, painting and sleeping. She was an avid reader her whole life and the invention of the computer allowed her to expand her reading across the world.

Jan is survived by three daughters: Joni (Roger) Britton, Underwood, ND, Nancy (Dennis) Morlock and Robin (Ronald) Rewald, both of Pettibone; grandchildren: Rachel (Greg) Mason, Joe (Jennifer) Rewald, Brian Morlock, Lisa Morlock and Patrick Britton; six great-grandchildren; one sister, Carol Thorstenson, Yukon, OK; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; and brother, Charles "Pete" Kaczmarski.