Bruce Sanford

Bruce Sanford, 79, went to heaven on May 22, 2023.  He was born in St. Paul, MN sharing his childhood with two older sisters and one younger brother.  He lived there until completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota.

He accepted a job teaching junior high school in Beloit, Wisconsin where he coached tennis, lived in a house dubbed the “blue room”, and had fun with lifelong friends.  While teaching he met Colleen, fell in love, married, and was accepted into graduate school at the University of Montana.  Montana remained with him throughout his life.

Bruce moved to Grand Forks, ND where he was given the opportunity to teach Core at Central High School.  The friends he made, the laughs they had, and his gift for teaching made these years wonderful.  In 2001, after 31 years, he retired.  Education was so important to him that he gladly accepted a position at the University of North Dakota to teach North Dakota history.  Although some things changed, many did not.  Hunting, fishing, storytelling, friends, love, commitment, his wife and daughter, his grandchildren and son-in-law, his blue mustang, history, teaching, and North Dakota were a constant in his life.  

He spent his last years in Texas, but left part of his heart in North Dakota.  Although happy to be near Kristin, Mark, and his grandchildren that made him so proud, he always pined for the beauty of North Dakota. Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. with his memorial service at 2:00 p.m. on June 3 at Amundson Funeral Home.  Internment will take place at Mountain View Cemetery, Souris, ND where he will be surrounded by loved ones, blue skies, fields of grain, and wildlife.

He is survived by his wife, Colleen; daughter, Kristin and her husband, Mark Gehringer; grandchildren, Anthony and Audrey Gehringer; brother, Wayne Sanford; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.