Obituary of Roland LaPlante

Roland Duane LaPlante, 66, of Cambridge died unexpectedly on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at Fairview Lakes Regional Medical Center in Wyoming. He was born January 17, 1945 in Crookston, Minnesota to George and Lorraine (Amiot) LaPlante, In 1947 the family moved to California where they lived until 1948 when they moved to Fergus Falls and later Gentilly, MN in 1956. The family would return to Ontario, California in 1959 and Roland graduated from Chaffey High School in 1963. After high school, Roland spent three years with the Army National Guard and four years with the Air National Guard in CA. On June 18, 1966 he married Pamela Warren in California and they had two sons, George and Ronald. On August 24, 1974 he married Bonnie Hellquist, she had a son Ryan and the couple had three daughters Cherie, Shelley, and Shirlee. They made their home in California until 1984 when they moved to Blaine, Minnesota. Roland worked several jobs including running a chicken ranch, building houses, working construction, grocery produce, Bituminous Asphalt, and for MN DOT in 1990, retiring from there in September 2009 after nearly 20 years. While working with the State of MN he met Amanda Gilliam and they were married on July 13, 2009 and the couple made their home on a 24 acre hobby farm near Bradford. Roland enjoyed his hobby farming - growing fruits and vegetables. They had a vegetable stand at EC's Corner for the past two years. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, playing cards, traveling, musicals, concerts and going on a house boat trip. Roland was a wonderful husband, dad, grandpa and co-worker with a big heart and could always make you laugh. He was preceded in death by his parents, infant son George Warren LaPlante, and brother Doyle LaPlante. Roland is survived by his wife Mandy of Cambridge, children Ronald and wife Valerie LaPlante of San Diego, CA, Cherie and husband Scott Lundeen of Forest Lake, Shelley and husband David Haas of St. Francis, Shirlee and husband David Davis of Los Angeles, CA, Ryan and wife Melissa Carson of Zimmerman, step children Corey and wife Kim Gilliam of Portland, OR, Jodi and husband Elmer Perry of North Carolina, several grandchildren and great grandchildren, sisters Janice Hicks, Katheryn and husband Jim Edgar, Pam Gilpatrick, and Bonnie Horner, as well as many nieces, nephews other relatives and friends.