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Octavia Melsted Bailey, Valley City, ND, formerly of Wishek and Bismarck, ND, was born on October 7, 1917, in Pembina, ND.  Of Icelandic descent, she was the tenth child born to Sigurdur M. and Rosa (Torfason) Melsted and the only one not born on the family farm near Mountain, ND, where she grew up.   She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith.  Laura passed away on January 16, 2015 at Mercy Hospital in Valley City.

After graduating from Mountain High School in 1935, she completed a secretarial and bookkeeping course at Chillicothe Business College in Chillicothe, MO.  Later she was employed by the Cross and Blackwell Company in Chicago, IL.  In 1940, Laura moved to Wishek, ND and began working at the FDIC office.

She married William G. Bailey on September 18, 1943.  Bill was a partner in the Wishek Livestock Market before he and Laura became the sole owners.  Laura was the bookkeeper there as well as at several other livestock sales rings in the state while Bill was buying and selling cattle.  Bill passed away in 1978.

In 1980 Laura moved to Bismarck and lived there until moving to Valley City in 2012.

Laura was preceded in death by her husband, parents, three brothers, Magnus (Inga), Hannes and Kristjan; six sisters, Mathilda (Joe) Kristjanson, Helga (Louis) Temme, Elin (Thorlakur) Bjornson, Thorey (Arthur) Zimmerman, Freda Griffiths and Esther Melsted.  Her many nieces and nephews, those currently living and those who preceded her in death, always held a very special place in her heart and life.

A local survivor includes a niece, Rosalyn Bruhschwein of Valley City.

The funeral for Laura will be 2 pm Tuesday, January, 20, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Valley City with Rev. Emmy Swedlund officiating.  Visitation will be one hour before the service in the church.  Burial will be Wednesday, 2 pm at the Wishek City Cemetery.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Oliver-Nathan Funeral Chapel, Valley City.  An online guestbook for Laura is available at www.olivernathanchapel.com.