Judy Sell was born in Moorhead, MN, on September 1, 1940. She grew up in Moorhead as the seventh of nine children of Bennie & Tina Thorson. She graduated from Moorhead High School in 1958. Judy married Leon Harlan Sell on June 20, 1958. She had a variety of jobs. She had worked as a cashier at a grocery store, sold Avon products, worked as a jewelry saleslady, and had managed a kiosk for Hickory Farms during two Christmas seasons. She began working for the Minnesota Office of Tourism in 1982 and remained there for 24 years until retiring in 2006. She truly enjoyed her position as a travel counselor at the I-94 rest area. She loved meeting with the traveling public and promoting Minnesota sights, activities, accommodations & directions. She had also been able to visit many different areas of the state during her state meetings, travels and training. Leon & Judy traveled the US by car. Of their many trips, their most exciting was the trip to Italy in 1991 to welcome their first born grandson. Other trips included Jamaica, Mexico, Hawaii, Caribbean cruises and their annual trips to Las Vegas. While her husband was a busy realtor & owner of Wagner Realty, they enjoyed entertaining friends, clients & sales associates. They also owned Ju-Lee Apts & Investment properties. Judy managed the bookkeeping and rental of these properties. One of their rental properties was located in Las Vegas where they were hoping to spend the winter months during retirement and their lake cabin on Middle Cormorant for the summer months. When her husband became a paraplegic due to a tragic misfortune in 2003, it became impossible for them to travel any longer. Their dancing days ended too. She then became a caregiver for Leon for a very difficult five years. Her husband, Leon, died April 10, 2008. Judy loved music, fun times with her family, bonfires at the lake, reading, puzzles, games and doing scrapbooks for each family member as well as going to the casinos. She was a charter member of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd. She was also a member of the Eagles, American Legion & VFW auxiliaries and Retired Minnesota Employee.

Among her survivors, Judy was a proud mother of one daughter and two sons, Kimberlee Toll of Moorhead, Marty Sell of Minneapolis, Mickey (Andrea) Sell of Moorhead; and three beloved grandsons, Alex Toll and Taylor & Tory Sell. She also leaves her four sisters and one brother, Arlene Josal of Fargo, LaVonne Evans of Moorhead, Ione Gebeke of Fargo, Diane Ochoa of Fargo, Lydell (Karen) Thorson of Moorhead; sisters-in-law, Pat Thorson of Topeka, KS, Donna Schultz of Fargo; and many very special nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Leon (in 2008); parents, Bennie (in 1967) and Tina Thorson (in 2004); brother, Orman, and two infant siblings, Duane and Lorraine. Also preceding her in death were three brothers-in-law, Lance Josal, Joe Ochoa and Ronnie Gebeke; and special nephews, Steve Evans and Robbie Rasmussen.

Sunset Memorial Gardens