Orville Roy Radi, age 83, of Fisher, MN, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday morning, July 6, 2024, in the Altru Rehabilitation Hospital, Grand Forks, where he had been recovering from recent hip replacement surgery.
Orville was born on February 23, 1941, in Fanny Township, rural Fisher, MN, to Herman and Virginia (Wagner) Radi. He attended Fisher School and graduated as Salutatorian in 1959. Orville also attended Bemidji State for two weeks and claimed he learned everything he needed to know. On November 14, 1969, Orville eloped in marriage to Beverly Johnson of Crookston, MN, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Crookston. They made their family home in Fisher, MN.
He was a current member of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Fisher and held many offices throughout his membership. Orville also served on the Fisher Fuel and Hardware Board and on the Truck Haul Committee for American Crystal Sugar.
After high school, Orv traveled around the U.S., ending up in California, where he worked for Shasta RV, attaching their trademark wings. Back home, he worked for Norman “Bud” Wagner as his farmhand before he started farming on his own in 1964. Along with his brother Ivan, they developed a partnership and grew sugar beets, wheat, barley, and soybeans. He also worked for REA (Rural Electric Association) during the off-season of farming. Orville created Radi Farms after Ivan retired in 1992, where his sons, Dave and Todd, worked alongside him before they created their own partnership. Orville retired in 2006, as his sons continued to operate the farm as Radi Brothers. In his retirement, he still worked on the farm doing the spring and fall tillage along with mowing the roadsides until 2023.
Orville kept busy throughout his life by participating for 40 years in the Curling Bonspiels in Bemidji, MN, the Friday Farmers bowling league in Crookston, MN, and the Crookston softball league where he was proudly called “the Gazelle” for his speed. He enjoyed yearly adventures fishing at Waskish on Upper Red Lake, camping at Stony Point on Cass Lake, and Fourth of July picnics with family and friends on Union Lake. Orville also followed his kids’ activities and sporting events all around the state. One of his favorite fall pastimes was hunting with his sons, brother, and family friends. He graduated to the position of post with his brother Wally in their later years where they could catch a quick nap in the pickup waiting for the drive; lucky moments for the deer that ran by them.
Orville and Bev enjoyed their quick trips to the casino and a few winter trips south to warmer weather to visit his family members. Mainly, Orville enjoyed staying close to home with his C-store coffee buddies. He joked there was so much more they needed to learn from him. Orv’s favorite leisure activity was driving around the countryside, checking out the fields. Even though he retired from farming in 2006, he made it to the farm every day to be included in the day-to-day activities and playing Solitaire on the shop computer, which he called his therapy.
Orville is survived by his son, David Radi (Sherry Boe) of Fisher, MN; daughter, Melanie (Jeff) Holbeck of East Grand Forks, MN; daughter-in-law, Nichelle Radi of Grand Forks, ND; and seven grandchildren: Reese and Brenna Radi; Jayson and Mikey Holbeck; and Madison, McKenzi, and Maci Radi; sister, Marie Gisler of Klamath Falls, OR; brother, Keith (Paula) Radi of Spain & Florida; and brother, Wally (Dorothy) Radi of East Grand Forks, MN.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Virgina Radi; his wife, Beverly Radi; son, Todd Radi; brothers: Ivan Radi, Gordon Radi, and Victor Radi; sisters: Ruby Hester, Wilma Wheatley, and Viola Bergeron; and brother-in-law Steve “BZ” Johnson.
The funeral service honoring Orville’s life will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, July 11, 2024, in the Trinity Lutheran Church, Fisher, with Pastor Douglas Thompson, officiating. Visitation will be for one hour prior to the funeral. There will also be a time of visitation at the Stenshoel-Houske Funeral Home on Wednesday the 10th from 5-7:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service and sharing of memories. Burial will take place in the Greenwood Cemetery, Fisher. All services will be livestreamed by going to Orville’s obituary page at www.stenshoelshouske.com and clicking on the prompt to view. Messages of condolence maybe offered to Orville’s family on the funeral home website as well.
