Ardis Marion (Lavanger) Asp passed away peacefully at the age of 102 on Friday, March 24, 2023. A Time of Gathering will be held on Monday, April 3, 2023 from 5-7:00 PM at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation in Prior Lake (4565 Pleasant St SE). A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 at Emmaus Free Lutheran Church in Bloomington (8443 Second Ave S) starting at 2:00 PM with one hour of visitation prior. Family and friends who can’t attend in-person are invited to livestream the service at the following link: https://youtube.com/live/RsKeL-AVsck .
Ardis will be laid to rest at Fort Snelling National Cemetery on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. In lieu of flowers, please give memorials to Mount Carmel Ministries, P. O. Box 579, Alexandria MN 56308.
Ardis was born in her grandparents’ farmhouse outside of Aneta, N.D., on Feb. 19, 1921, to Julia (Solberg) and Ludvig Lavanger. She grew up on a farm outside of Sharon, N.D., where she loved being outdoors in the fields with her dad and her younger brother Allen. Even though she was not as interested in being indoors, she became a wonderful hostess to family and friends for her whole life. Both of her parents were so important to her that she talked about her love for them right up to the end.
In 1939 Ardis graduated from Sharon High School, where she had been a track star and a member of “Quill and Scroll” for her journalistic interests. After going to Pasadena, Calif., to live with some of her aunts for the winter of 1939-1940, she lived the rest of her life in Minnesota and North Dakota.
In 1945-1947 Ardis attended Lutheran Bible Institute (LBI) in Minneapolis. During the summer of 1946 she met the love of her life, David Asp, due to some friends’ matchmaking. He followed her to LBI, marrying her in the summer of ’47. Both David and Ardis loved the Lord Jesus with their whole hearts and served Him together wherever they lived and in whatever they did. One thing that they loved doing together was traveling all over the country with their camper, and later their Airstream trailer and visiting relatives and friends.
They had three children: Stephen, Jean, and Paul. Ardis was a dedicated stay-at-home mom, juggling motherhood, marriage, and secretarial work for Dave in his career with Lutheran Brotherhood Life Insurance. That career prompted their living in Moorhead Minn., Fargo, N.D., Minot, N.D., and Austin, Minn. Later in retirement, they moved to Faribault, Minn., and eventually, in 2010, to McKenna Crossing in Prior Lake, Minn., to be closer to Jean. David passed away in June of 2011.
Ardis lived her life to share Jesus with people, by her loving, grateful heart of kindness and generosity. She also led Bible studies and witnessed to people as to how they could repent and receive Jesus’ free gift of forgiveness and eternal life. David and Ardis also raised their family to know and love Jesus. Her instructions for her funeral were that people shouldn’t brag about her, but instead that they should share the Gospel, so that everyone will know how to have eternal life, and so that we can all be together in Heaven with her someday. That was always her prayer.
Ardis was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, David; and her brother Allen (Shirley) Lavanger.
She is survived by her children, Stephen (Sue) Asp, Jean (Dale) Torgerson, and Paul (Joy) Asp; 9 grandchildren, David (Jennifer) Asp, Sarah (Mike) Olson, Rebecca (Tyler) Vastag, Leah Torgerson, John Torgerson, and Anna Torgerson, Timothy (Maggie) Asp, Kristen (Mitchell) Moe, and Mark (Jhenyffer) Asp; 7 great-grandchildren (and 1 more on the way), Caroline, Joshua, Cora, Colin, Susan, Nathaniel, and Lukas; Dave’s brother-in-law Theodore Galambos, cousins, nephews, and nieces.
Ardis will be greatly missed by all who knew her! She brought joy to everyone in her life. The world is a lovelier place because of her.
