Ray Nore Bjornestad

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(April 21, 1922 - Feb. 7, 2014)

Ray Nore Bjornestad, 91, died in St. George, Utah, on Feb. 7, 2014, of problems incident to old age.

He was born in Billings, Mont., on April 21, 1922, but raised in Ten Sleep. His parents were Bernt S. and Bertha L. Nore Bjornestad, whose families were from Norway.

Ray served for three years in the Navy in the South Pacific during World War II. After his service in the Navy, he became a rancher and had seven children with his first wife, Vera Jean Jones.

At the time of his death, he was living in St. George, Utah, with his present wife of 23 years, Shirley Zirker Mathews. They were married in the Jordan River LDS Temple in 1991 and served a mission to Jackson, Tenn., in 1994-95.

He was preceded in death by his three daughters, Bernice, Rita Ann and Sonja Rae.

Ray is survived by four sons, Russell Glenn, Lyle Raymond, Howard Lee and Alan Brent; and his three brothers, Orval Warren, Bernard Christian and Arthur “Bill” William. He also had six stepchildren, Michael Reed, Jan, Lisa, Gregory Howard, Karen Mathews and Marquita Stevens. Ray also had many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held in the LDS Stake Center in Cody at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 19. The Stake Center is located at 1407 Heart Mountain St.

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