Everett Tande

— Pastor Everett Tande died Sunday, June 5, 2016 in Missoula. He was 95. Everett Tande was part of what Tom Brokaw called "the Greatest Generation." Everett served his country during World War II and then returned and served congregations in North Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, and South Dakota. Throughout his career, he was a disciple of the Lord and provided spiritual guidance to parishioners.
Everett was born April 12, 1921 in Kanawha, Iowa, the son of Simen Tande, a carpenter and farm implement dealer, and Petra (Sletta) Tande, a teacher. He was the third of four children. The family made it through the depression because “the soil was three feet thick in Iowa,” Everett recounts.
In the spring of 1943, Everett graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota with a degree in music and shortly thereafter enlisted in the US Navy. He was assigned to the USS San Pablo, a Barnegat-class seaplane tender, as a sonar man because “I could tell the difference in pitch and tone between whales and Japanese submarines.”
As a private first class sonar man, Everett participated in the New Guinea and Philippines campaigns, conducting antisubmarine patrols and supporting bombing squadrons mainly in the South China Sea.
Everett returned from the South Pacific in 1946 and attended Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was here he met and married Grace Smestad, a social worker who had just graduated from Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa. After graduating from the seminary in 1950, the couple moved to Van Hook, North Dakota, where he served as pastor. The town was inundated when Lake Sakakawea was formed with the building of Garrison Dam on the Missouri River in 1951 so all residents had to move to higher ground. The town relocated to New Town, North Dakota and Bethal Lutheran Church was built which combined the congregations of Van Hook and Sanish.
Everett also served at Trinity Lutheran in Culbertson, MT, Ascension Lutheran in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Calvary Lutheran in Irene, South Dakota, Our Savior’s Lutheran in Timber Lake, South Dakota, Christ Lutheran in Libby, Montana and as visitation pastor at St. Paul Lutheran in Missoula where he retired at the age of 91. Besides being the pastor, he was usually the church music director unless he was singing in the tenor section of the church choir.
Everett and Grace enjoyed spending time with their grandchildren, travelling, and visiting friends and family. They spent their winters in Mesa, Arizona away from the Montana cold. Everett enjoyed tennis, golf, swimming, and seeing old friends and making new ones. He was a Minnesota Vikings fan and Minnesota Twins fan, eventually becoming a Montana Grizzly fan.
His wife Grace died in 2010. His parents and both of his brothers, Oran and Cyrus, are deceased.
Survivors include his sister Arlene Stolen of Greeley, Colorado and all four of his children, David (and his wife, Cheryl Tande, daughter, Kalin, and grandson, Dane) of Missoula; Arlene (and her children Peter and Erik Sherman) of Missoula; Steven of Missoula; and daughter Sonja (and her husband John Hoeglund) of Helena and many nieces and nephews.
Special thanks and love go to all of his caregivers at The BeeHive where he spent the last year of his life. Also to the staff and volunteers at Partners Hospice who spent many hours visiting with and caring for Everett.
A service will be held at noon on Monday, June 20, at St. Paul Lutheran Church with a reception to follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the St. Paul Lutheran Church Endowment Fund or Building Fund.
Garden City Funeral Home is assisting the family/