Avis Marie Halleland Goddard Fagerlund danced her way into heaven on January 26, 2026, at the age of 99. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m., on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at the Johnson Funeral Home in Thief River Falls, MN. Visitation will take place one hour before the service and burial will follow at Greenwood Cemetery.

Avis will be remembered for her unmatched elegance and grace, volunteering in the many communities she called home, enjoying her many hobbies including dancing, as well as a good game of bridge or golf, painting a variety of flowers and nature, and reading all types of books. In many ways, her own life that began in Joliet, IL, on October 12, 1926, as the first-born daughter to Scandinavian immigrants Thomas and Kristine (Wetland) Halleland, contained all the profound elements of a truly great novel in which the heroine experiences love and loss, heartbreak and tragedy, and in the end is a guide for readers in their own journey.

She grew up alongside her younger sister, Adrienne, in the midst of the Great Depression, where her parents opened their home to extended family to share whatever they had, and their neighborhood eventually was relocated for development for a portion of the newly created Interstate highway system. She graduated high school in Joliet and following her mother’s footsteps, attended the Silver Cross School of Nursing. When she graduated in 1947, she and Kristine were the only mother/daughter graduates from the school.

Avis’ work life began as a Registered Nurse at the University of Iowa on the pediatrics floor, and it was there that she met her first husband, Morris Goddard. They were married on September 5, 1948, and eventually welcomed three children: Linda, Thomas and Sue Anne. The family moved several times as Morris was in the management program for the J.C.Penney Co, living in Des Moines, IA; Freeport, IL; Minneapolis and eventually Thief River Falls where Morrie managed the store until his unexpected death in 1970.

Avis will also be remembered for the hundreds (thousands, perhaps?) of thoughtful and handwritten letters to friends and family that always seemed to arrive just at the right time with careful and thoughtful words of congratulations or condolences, and always with a care, thoughtfulness, wisdom and understanding. In one such letter, many years after Morrie’s passing, in which she reached out to another woman who had recently experienced such a profound loss, Avis wrote: “The passing of time allows the numbness to subside, but the pain still lingers as we seek to re-focus and struggle on. It is true, time does heal, but time it takes. I also know you will be blessed in ways which are sometimes unbelievable. And that strength comes through our faith, our family, our friends.”

Avis was able to write this and many other letters of encouragement based on her own lived experiences after Morrie’s death. She continued to be involved in the community, serving on several committees at Trinity Lutheran Church, successfully established and managed the Candy Stripers organization at the local hospital, assisting with the TRFinettes Drum & Bugle Corp (SueAnne was a member), working at Mr. Duane’s clothing store, and cheering Tom as he played hockey in high school and eventually at the University of North Dakota. She relocated to Grand Forks, ND, in 1975, and worked as a receptionist for Dr. Dan Kelly, a local dentist. It was there that she met fellow dentist, Dr. Robert Fagerlund, and they were married in 1978. When Bob retired, they moved to Glenwood, MN, where they loved to attend the Sunday afternoon Big Band dances held at the Lakeside Ballroom in Glenwood. She said it reminded her of going to prom, and her many dancing shoes live on in the dress up closets of her great- grandchildren. They traveled together often, spending winters at Venture Out in Mesa, AZ, until Bob passed in 1991.

She continued to be active in her community and in 1995, Avis was fortunate to find a third chance of love and companionship with Gordon Safstrom. They enjoyed traveling, cooking, dancing, and spending time at Venture Out until his death in 2005. Eventually, Avis sold her place in Glenwood and in Mesa and moved to Alexandria, MN, spending the last few years of her life at the Galeon in Osakis, MN.

In that same letter, Avis wrote, “Grieving is hard, but so necessary for the healing process. From the wings, I will keep abreast of you, and silently applaud as you emerge, like the butterfly delicately balancing on the wind to rise to the challenges ahead.” These words, along with the many others penned over the years will be cherished by her survivors, which include her three children: Linda (Ron) Droppo, Thomas (Wendy) Goddard, and Sue Anne (Brad) Gador; her eight grandchildren including their children: Josh (Jillian) Droppo (Heidi, Hayden, Harper), Andrea (Kevin) Hagen (Frank, Anna, John, Rose, Thomas, Peter, Joseph, Marie, James, Andrew), Julie Droppo (Calli, Brynn), Justin (Alyssa) Droppo (Owen, Aria Avis, Wesley, Zoey) , Kristine (Nathan) Goddard-Anderson (Ingrid, Paul), Elizabeth (John) Petersen (Noah, Christian), Brandon (Caroline) Gador (Owen, Leila), and Jordan (Abby) Gador (Hayes, Archie, Beau Morris);her sister Adrienne Chestnut, sister-in-law Karen Fowser, and many nieces and nephews. May her memory be blessed.