Lois & Del: The Dakota Ramblers

The love story of Lois and Del Lonnquist began on January 25, 1954. The Westernaires, a country band I was traveling with was booked into a club in Fargo, North Dakota. Severe weather made us late and it was 25 degrees below zero when we arrived.

After playing the first 45 minute set I ran to a diner next door to get a hamburger. There coming to take my order was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. The rest of the night, after each set I went to the diner. After midnight when we both finished work, I walked her home in the below zero weather.

Three months later we were married. She was 18 years old and I was 19. She played accordion I played guitar. We performed as The Dakota Ramblers. On our first anniversary we brought our first child home from the hospital. Five more children followed and we then performed as The Lonnquist Family Band.

Even as Alzheimer’s Disease stole from her all the wonderful songs and memories and she no longer knew me, I still knew her as the most beautiful girl in the world, and
my love song for her will never end.

Lois passed away in March of 2014, a few weeks before our 60th anniversary.

(Here we are having a jam session with our great-granddaughter Lily in 2011.)