Dr. Norval Oakland Morse

Norval Oakland Morse, 95, of Preston, died Thursday afternoon, April 12, 2018, at the Chosen Valley Care Center surrounded by loved ones.

Norval Oakland Morse, son of Dr. Morton P. Morse and Lydia (Oakland) Morse, was born on December 15, 1922 in Le Roy, Minn.  He grew up alongside his three brothers and sister, graduating from high school in 1940.  He attended college while in the US Navy at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, transferring credits back to St. Olaf College where he had started. He graduated from St. Olaf in 1944. He served in the United States Navy from July 1943 to May 1946 in the U.S., Pacific, and Sasebo, Japan during the Occupation of Japan. He went on to marry his St. Olaf College sweetheart, Margaret Marie Johnson, on December 21, 1946, whom he lovingly teased to be “the first pretty girl he saw when he got off the boat.” They were married for 63 years and raised four children. Norval worked for one year at Wholesale Builders Hardware, and then taught high school math and science in Madison, SD, and South St. Paul after earning a B.S. in Education from the Univ. of Minnesota in 1948. He earned his degree from the Univ. of Minnesota School of Dentistry in 1955, and practiced dentistry in Worthington (1955-1962) and Preston (1962-1992). He was a long-time member of Christ Lutheran Church.

Norval helped design his house and office in Preston and enjoyed taking road trips across the country and traveling to Alaska, Hawaii, and Cuba. He was an avid reader, hunter, fisher, and gold and silversmith. Most of all, he loved spending time with his family.

He is survived by his brother Roger Morse, his sister Lois (Charles) Wold, his four children, Stephen (Mary) of Duluth, Pamela (Peter) Lundholm of St. Cloud, Timothy (Lori) of Rosemount, Paul (Patricia) of Chatfield; grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his loving wife Margaret, and brothers Elwin and Keith.

The Memorial Service will be Monday, April 16th at 11am at Riley Funeral Home in Chatfield.  Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service.  His ashes will be interred at the Le Roy Cemetery in a private family service.

Version 2 April 19, 2018 4:00 PM