Grandon E. Tolstedt, Md

Grandon E. Tolstedt, MD, passed away on Thursday, May 5, 2022, in Rockford. He was born on April 21, 1924, to Glen and Elvina (Litwinenco) Tolstedt at the family farm outside of Herreid, SD. Grandon was the older of two boys. His college time at South Dakota State University was interrupted by WWII. He served in the US Army with the 104th Infantry Division. He was severely injured in Germany. Unable to continue farming, he chose to become a surgeon. He completed his education at SDSU, then worked on a masters at University of Wisconsin - Madison. While in school at University of Wisconsin, he met and married medical student Ardis J. Candy. He then attended Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. Grandon and Ardis had 4 children (Margaret, Betsy, Mark and Ross). After training and initial practice in Seattle, Grandon and Ardis moved to Bismarck, ND, where they practiced at Q&R Clinic until their retirements. He was a supervising surgeon for surgical residents at the University of North Dakota Medical School. Ardis and Grandon retired to Seattle, WA. Ardis died in 1993. In 1995 he married Phyllis Hanson of Little Rock, AR. Phyllis died in 2003. In 2005, he married long-time friend, Katherine Hotchkiss and moved to Rockford, IL. Throughout his life, Grandon pushed the limits of his physical disability and was physically active until his last few years. He especially enjoyed swimming. With the advent of the computer age, Grandon embraced the new technology. He was an inveterate story teller and chose to record his stories in book format as a retirement avocation.

He is predeceased by his only sibling, Vern Tolstedt, MD, his wife, Ardis Candy (Tolstedt) MD, his wife Phyllis Hanson Tolstedt, and his daughter Margaret Ratcliff. He is survived by his wife Katherine Hotchkiss, his son-in-law David Ratcliff, his daughter Betsy Tolstedt (Patrick Walsh), his sons Mark (Michelle) and Ross (Cecilia), 5 grandchildren and one great grandson.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Monday, May 9, 2022, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockford, 4848 Turner Street, Rockford, Illinois. Luncheon to follow.

Inurnment will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, May 13, 2022, at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, 1825 46th St., Mandan, ND. Memorial luncheon to follow at the United Church of Christ, 1200 E Highland Acres Rd., Bismarck, ND. Fitzgerald Funeral Home and Crematory assisted the family. Share online condolences at www.fitzgeraldfh.com.