Roger Lehne, 93, died Thursday, March 26, on the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Fargo attributable to problems from the sickness, based on a demise discover printed Saturday. Anderson Household Funeral House in Mahnomen, Minn., is dealing with the preparations for funeral companies, that are anticipated to be held at a later date.
The North Dakota Department of Health announced Saturday there are 94 confirmed instances of the coronavirus within the state. Lehne is the one one that has died in North Dakota after contracting the sickness.
His niece, Julie LaVoy, stated her uncle refused to be placed on a ventilator, making his household marvel if he needed to put it aside for another person who would possibly want it.
“He confirmed us all learn how to stay, and he completely confirmed us dignity at demise, too,” she stated, including Lehne was in command of his personal life and wasn’t afraid to die.
Lehne’s 84-year-old spouse, Teresa, has been hospitalized at Sanford Well being with coronavirus, LaVoy stated. Teresa Lehne and different relations weren’t allowed to be at Roger Lehne’s aspect when he died, LaVoy stated.
“I needed to Facetime together with her (Teresa Lehne) and inform her that her beloved husband of 60-plus years had handed away,” LaVoy stated. “You hear about coronavirus on the market, and you’re feeling dangerous for everyone. However I had not even thought of how households had been going to be separated and left alone, not with the ability to be with their family members on the finish of life. It’s heartbreaking.”
Roger Lehne was not alone. Hospice nurses had been with him and saved household knowledgeable till the tip, LaVoy stated.
“He left a gorgeous message for his spouse,” she stated. “He stated how very, very a lot he liked her and that he’s going to overlook her.”
‘He was a jokester’
Born March 26, 1927, Roger Lehne grew up in Audubon, Minn. He enlisted within the Navy at age 17 towards the tip of World Warfare II. Although he wasn’t deployed, he nonetheless served as a medic, LaVoy stated.
“One in all his tales was, he used to tease that he would tape (his sufferers’) ears right down to hold them from shifting,” she stated. “He was a jokester.”
He attended what’s now Minnesota State College Moorhead and earned his grasp’s diploma on the College of North Dakota. He grew to become a instructor in 1954, instructing in Waubun, Minn., earlier than taking a instructing place in Mahnomen. He went on to turn into vice principal at Mahnomen Excessive College.
“He was very agency,” LaVoy stated, recalling how he would sit at a desk throughout lunch and ensure college students behaved. “He at all times had a toothpick hanging out of his mouth. He was world-famous for his toothpick.”
Lehne was 6 ft 2 inches tall, lean and had a presence about him that was superb, LaVoy stated. Regardless of being agency, he was everybody’s buddy and everybody revered him, she added.
“They may joke with him slightly bit, however they knew they couldn’t go too far,” she stated.
In 1958, he married Teresa, an elementary college instructor in Mahnomen. They might keep there till shifting to Fargo’s Riverview Place, a Catholic Well being Initiatives retirement neighborhood.
Taking the Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., with different veterans was “one of many highlights of his life,” LaVoy stated.
‘Above and past’
The state well being division introduced North Dakota’s first coronavirus demise Friday, March 27. It didn’t identify Roger Lehne, citing federal legal guidelines stopping the discharge of affected person data. The company famous he was from Cass County and had underlying well being situations.
LaVoy stated her uncle didn’t have any underlying well being points aside from his age. His voice and thoughts had been clear, similar to when he was a instructor and vice principal, she stated.
“Roger was in fabulous well being,” she stated. “He was wholesome as might be.”
The well being division additionally stated he contracted the illness by neighborhood unfold, that means the supply of the virus that made him in poor health is unknown. His description matches that of a person recognized as having a optimistic check of coronavirus within the March 24 batch.
The Fargo VA, which confirmed the demise was at its hospital but additionally didn’t determine Lehne, carried out restrictions on March 18 that prohibited guests from seeing inpatient veterans.
“The one exceptions will probably be in compassionate instances, when veterans are of their final phases of life on hospice items,” the coverage says, although some exceptions could possibly be made on a case-by-case base for sufferers in crucial care.
A customer or companion is allowed in services for veterans who require help for outpatient visits, however that’s restricted to at least one per veteran, the hospital stated. These going out and in of the power are also being screened.
“We’re very delicate to the separation this restriction causes our sufferers and their family members, however this measure of safety is crucial right now to maintain folks protected,” the VA stated in a Fb submit.
A VA particular person declined to say whether or not Lehne’s household was denied the chance to be with him earlier than he died, citing federal privateness legal guidelines relating to medical data.
Riverview Place additionally declined to remark for this story, deferring inquiries to the state division.
Individuals could not notice the separation the coronavirus has brought on, LaVoy stated. She by no means imagined she wouldn’t be capable of hug and luxury her aunt in particular person if Roger Lehne died, or that the couple couldn’t say their closing goodbyes to one another.
Teresa Lehne has a fever, however she’s not on oxygen but, LaVoy stated.
Medical employees on the VA and Sanford have executed their greatest to assist the Lehnes and their household, she added.
“We must always admire the medical employees,” LaVoy stated. “They’re going above and past. … We have to thank them a lot.”
As a public service, we’ve opened this text to everybody no matter subscription standing.