Larry Schlafman

Larry Allen Schlafman was born on September 30, 1947, at Bismarck Hospital in Bismarck, North Dakota to Herbert and Irene (Neumiller) Schlafman. He passed into Heaven on March 1, 2019, in the Sanford Intensive Care Unit in Bismarck, North Dakota. A celebration of his life will be held at Faith Lutheran Church, 1402 East Avenue C, Bismarck, on Friday, March 8, 2019, at 11 am. Gravesides services will be on Friday, March 8, at the ND Veteran’s Cemetery in Mandan, ND, at 2:00 pm. Visitation will take place at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, on Thursday, March 7, 2019, from 5 to 7 pm with a prayer service beginning at 7. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Larry’s early years were spent with his grandparents, many aunts, uncles, and cousins in Bismarck and Mercer, ND. It seemed that no matter where Larry went, he was related to somebody. A cousin once stated that Larry had 56 first cousins. It was truly an awesome thing to hear the stories and witness the love shared when Larry was surrounded by his friends and family for a special event. During the Vietnam conflict, Larry chose to enlist in the Navy. Throughout his life, these experiences were some of his most memorable. He made many lifelong friends and was able to see the world during this time. He served from November 1966 to August 1970. He was first stationed in Adak, Alaska and he also served on the USS Duncan 874, a destroyer out of San Diego as a Gunners’ Mate. His naval service took him on two Vietnam tours. During this time, he saw many interesting places to include; Hawaii, Australia, Japan, and the Philippines. Larry was an entertaining storyteller and loved to talk about his adventures as a sailor. Larry had a gift for working with engines and was a phenomenal mechanic. He began working as a small engine mechanic in 1964 at age 17. Through the years, Larry worked for numerous motorcycle shops in the Bismarck area: Bismarck Cycle, John’s Cycle, Sioux Cycle, Capital Sports, Bismarck Total RV, Anderson Cycle, and Open Road Honda. Larry was a hardworking man and took pride in being able to help others. He was never without a repair project and could fix just about any engine he encountered. Larry married Anastasia (Ann/Staci) Norstedt on March 20, 1971. They had 2 children, Kari Ann and David Allen. Larry adored his family and regardless of what they were doing, laughter and fun were at the center of every event. Larry enjoyed cooking and always prepared fabulous meals for his family. He loved to have people around his table at mealtime. If he loved you, he fed you and if you had the privilege of eating one of his specialties, you know his secret ingredient was love. Other interests of Larry’s included playing baseball, building model cars, fishing, and boating. He also served as a judge for Vocational Industrial Clubs of America for several years and enjoyed sharing his knowledge in this area with others. He also had a love of classic cars. His 1968 Aqua Firebird Convertible was a head-turner and he loved to take his family cruising around town in the summer. In addition, Larry found great pleasure in watching Kari and David participate in their various events and activities throughout the years. Larry also found joy in watching his grandsons, Ayden and Alex, play sports and partake in a number of different activities. Larry is survived by his wife of 47 years, Anastasia; his daughter, Kari (Schlafman) Peterson; his son, David and his wife, Tess, and their sons, Ayden and Alex; three sisters, Carol (Rich) Roehrich, Brenda (Dwight) Monger, and Mavis Schlafman; sisters-in-law, Linda Norstedt, Sharon (Allen) Wagner; brothers-in-law, Steven (Ros) Norstedt, and Kenneth Norstedt; and numerous nieces and nephews, as well as great nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; and parents-in-law, Leslie and Phyllis Norstedt.