Paul Herbert Nordstrom was born to Alice (Aune) and Nels Nordstrom on October 19, 1934, at Atwater, Minnesota. Paul passed away on December 19, 2024 at the age of 90 at the Ft. Meade Veterans Hospital in Sturgis, South Dakota.
When Paul was 5 years old, the Nordstrom family moved to Claire City, South Dakota, where Paul attended rural grade school and graduated from Sisseton High School in 1952. He then joined the U.S. Marine Corps and was stationed at Camp Pendleton and Korea. While stationed at Pendleton, Paul was selected as an extra in the movie “Battle Cry”.
Following his discharge from the Marine Corps, Paul met and married Marcie Ammann of Wilmot, South Dakota on August 30, 1957.
Paul attended South Dakota State University, graduating in 1960 with a degree in Agricultural Economics. Paul was employed as an insurance adjuster before joining the U.S. Comptroller of the Currency as a National Bank Examiner, serving 15 years in the Federal Service with a brief detail in mortuary affairs after the 1972 Rapid City flood. Paul was also enrolled in the residence School of Banking Master’s Degree Program at Rutgers University.
In 1974, Paul realized his dream of owning his own independent bank, purchasing the Geddes State Bank in Geddes, South Dakota and the Ft. Pierre National Bank in Ft. Pierre, South Dakota in 1984, eventually merging the banks which became Security Bank of South Dakota.
Paul held many banking-related offices including the first President of the South Dakota Community Bankers; Board of Directors of the South Dakota Bankers Association and South Dakota’s representative on the Board of Directors of the Independent Bankers Association of America. He also led the Charles Mix County Republican Party.
Following retirement, Paul purchased Custer Mountain Campground and pursued ranching in Stanley County through his corporations, Northstream Investments and Nordstrom Enterprises.
Paul is survived by his wife of 67 years, four children, Nancy (Dave) Roettger, Kari (Rich) Nordstrom Walk, Rebecca (Randy) Kramer and Eric (Nancy) Nordstrom; two sisters, Jeannie Farley and Carolynne Neumann and one brother, Joe Nordstrom; six grandchildren, Megan Roettger, Ryan (Kelly) Roettger, John Roettger, Brandon (Michaela) Kramer, Austin (Elisha) Kramer and Evan Paul Nordstrom; three great-grandchildren, Avery Kramer, Tucker Kramer and Elliana Roettger, along with several nieces, nephews and their families.
Paul is preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Norma Johnson and Ila Koeppe.
Paul led an interesting life with a positive attitude that, with determination and hard work, anything was possible. He was a proud Scandinavian Lutheran, Conservative Republican and beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend. There will be a celebration of life at a later date.
You may sign his online guestbook at blackhillsfuneralhome.com.
