Nancy J. Solum

Nancy Joy Solum passed away peacefully at Lutheran Sunset Home in Grafton, ND, on January 16, 2019, succumbing to Alzheimer’s disease.  She was 84.  Funeral services will not be held, but a small celebration of her life is to occur sometime this summer.

Nancy was born on November 14, 1934, in Argyle, to Lilla (Buckingham) and Laurence Pagnac.  She graduated from Argyle High School in 1952 and married Keith Solum on November 29, 1952.  Nancy and Keith farmed east of Argyle, raising 3 children, alongside good friends starting their own young families who lived nearby and in town.

Possessing a thirst for learning, Nancy became a student at UND when her children were pre-teens.  She earned a B.S. in Education (Social & Library Science) in 1972, with graduate studies in archaeology and history.

In the summer of 1971 Nancy participated in an archaeological “dig” in Tel Gezer, a pre-historic “city” in present day Israel. Articles such as pottery, daggers, fishhooks, jewelry and gold foil were found at the site. Although daytime temps could rise to 120 degrees during the strenuous work and plummet at night as the volunteers lived in tents, it was the experience of a lifetime.

Upon graduating college, Nancy wrote grants for and directed the creation of Settler’s Square (a recreation of a 19^th Century prairie village) and adjacent eclectic museum in Warren, MN, which opened in 1976.  Nancy also edited the Self Portrait of Marshall County, collecting and compiling family histories, another project to commemorate the U.S. Bicentennial, which was published at that time.  She was assisted by the devoted efforts of many wonderful people in both endeavors; Sal Herrick, Phyllis Haynes, Nelder Broten, James Lateer, John Tunheim, Lloyd George Melgard and numerous others, to include her husband and oldest son. She then served as Director of the Marshall County Historical Society.

In 1980, Nancy moved to Mendocino County in northern California.  She substitute taught, once living economically in a 16 foot camper, but which held a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean.  She also lived and taught in the bay area of San Francisco. Continuing her love of history, Nancy published articles on the history of the Alameda Navel Air Station.

In 1990, she moved to El Paso, TX, when she was offered a job as librarian and teacher at an elementary school. Nancy had been simply interviewed and hired over the phone for that position; it turned out the recruiter on the other end of the line happened to be a graduate of UND too!  (As she would joke dryly at the time – the move was a rather slight change in scenery.)  The school was located a half mile from the Mexican border and she enjoyed the diverse culture and students very much.

Nancy retired in 2003 to nearby Las Cruces, NM, and in 2010 she returned to the Red River Valley, moving into assisted living in Moorhead.

Nancy is survived by her 3 children, Scott Solum of Argyle, Cindy Solum of Las Cruces, NM, Brian (Penny) Solum of Fargo, and granddaughter Samantha.

As an educator, mom would be pleased that we suggest you gather up the young and/or old generations to visit Settler’s Square and Museum on a lovely day. Pack a picnic! Ditto for spending a summer afternoon at the Old Mill State Park; a deserving and sentimental place for many of us.  Recruit friends and their families to join you.

Should you wish, memorials can be directed to the Marshall County Historical Society or the Argyle Historical Society. We are proud of our mother’s accomplishments.  She led a full life.