Ione Nordaune Barstad, 85, passed away May 4, 2020 from complications of a heart attack. Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Ione was born on February 22, 1935 in Williston, ND to John and Ida Norduane and lived her first four years on a farm in Bonetrail. ND. The family moved to Williston after her father had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. When she moved to Williston, she only spoke Norwegian, but found a way to meet friends.

She went to Webster Elementary school where she met a life-long friend, Marlene French (Carrier Binde) who introduced her to her husband, Arvid Barstad at a dance in Culbertson, MT. Marlene and Ione became telephone operators the end of their senior year in high school. They married within a year of each other and each of them had four children. One each year for eight years. They remained friends until Ione’s death.

Ione married Arvid Barstad September of 1955 and celebrated almost 53 years of marriage. They had four children. They bought their first and only house in 1960 where Ione lived until her death. To be able to afford the house, she went back to work, again, as a telephone operator.

In addition to raising four kids, Ione was the back office for all of Arvid’s business ventures, doing books and keeping the facilities clean and presentable. One additional job was at a shoe store where she met her lifelong friend Ellie Pasternak. They tell a story of friendship being formed around a cup of tea when everyone else was drinking coffee. She enjoyed the phone calls from her family, always asking how everyone was and what was new.

Ione was an only child but ended her life with four children, eight grandchildren and five great-grand children.

Ione is preceded in death by her parents, John and Ida Nordaune, husband, Arvid Barstad; son, Ron Barstad; and son-in-law, Rick Jones.

She is survived by her son, Mark (Linda) Barstad their two children, Ryan (Stephanie) Barstad of Grand Forks, ND and their children, Jordan and Nora, and Courtney (Chris) Logan of Grand Forks, ND and their son, Allister; daughters, Michelle Barstad (Stan Frasier) of Helena, MT, Rhonda (Jeff) Larmer of Gillette, WY and their children, Amanda Larmer of Maui, HI, Nick Larmer and Camdon (Beth) Larmer of Gillette, WY; daughter-in-law, Bev (Ron) Barstad of Fargo, ND and their children, Daniel Barstad of Williston, ND, Megan (Sid) Mann of Jamestown, ND and their children, Leah and Cyrus and Kelsey (Justin) Murray of Port Angeles, WA; sister-in-law, Donna (George) Schwartz.

The Barstad family would like to thank the staff at Bethel Lutheran Home for taking such good care of Ione the last 3 weeks of her life. Just before her death, a Bethel staff member asked Ione how she was feeling. Ione’s last words on this earth were “I have never been so comfortable.”