Richard S. ’Dick’ Kvamme

Richard S. "Dick" Kvamme, 92, Moorhead, MN, died on Friday, May 27, 2011, in Sanford Health, Fargo, ND.Richard was born on March 12, 1919, in Gary, MN, to Adolph and Bessie Noss Kvamme. He grew up and attended school there. At the age of seventeen he began his career in construction working with his father. During WWII he went to Oregon to work for the Army Corps of Engineers as a construction superintendent. Richard married Evelyn Wolff on January 17, 1942, in Portland, OR, where they made their home for three years. They returned to Minnesota and he worked for Roel Construction of Fargo, ND, as a construction superintendent. In 1951 he formed his own company, Kvamme Construction Co. in Moorhead. Under the name R.S. Kvamme Construction, he developed projects in Minnesota, North Dakota and Colorado. A member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead, he was a well known philanthropist and community leader; serving on the boards of The Neuropsychiatric Institute, St. Luke's Hospital, Concordia College, Operation Bootstrap, Metropolitan Savings and Loan, Camp Fire Girls, and was a founder of the Concordia Language Villages. He was a pilot, who loved flying. He was interested and active in politics throughout his life. Richard always said that his family and church were his priority.Richard is survived by his wife, Evelyn, Moorhead, MN; daughters, Debra Tom Tharaldson, Moorhead, MN, and Yvonne Randy Waters, Sunnyvale, CA; sisters, Beatrice Wilkinson, Fargo, ND, and Ione Sanford Jacobson, Gary, MN; three grandchildren, Eric Holly Tharaldson, Eagle, CO, Aimee Jason Semeling, Moorpark, CA, and Sarah Todd Bratlien, Moorhead, MN; and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, one sister, and a granddaughter.