L. Darrell Kreitzberg

To Our "Pops" 84 Years Young….

Born Sept. 28, 1932, in Moorhead, Minnesota, Lenard Darrell Neuman started his years on the family farm in Max, North Dakota. On the farm, the water tasted terrible and the outhouse was too, too far away. He always talked about how rough the pages of the Sears catalogue were. At the age of 4, Darrell knew he wanted to be a real estate man like his idol and mentor Uncle Andy. At the age of 6, he attended first grade at Broadwater School in Billings. However, Darrell was always sleeping and flunked out. He finally passed first grade in Williston, North Dakota.

Meanwhile, back at the Billings Train Depot, Darrell's mom worked as a waitress. It was there that George Kreitzberg walked off the baggage car and swept her off her feet. That is how our family name came to be: at the age of 8, Lenard Darrell became Lenard Darrell Kreitzberg (LDK).

Darrell continued his education on a small acreage in Missoula, where he milked the cow before going to school each day. As he was growing up, he didn't know he was poor until he heard it on the radio. He heard on the radio how much money you had to make not to be considered "dirt poor." He decided to make a change toward success. He pumped gas during high school so he could afford to drive his stripped down low rider white Chevy. His love for cars continued all his 84 years, from Pink Chryslers with big fins to Cadillacs, Mercedes, Acura and Audi. After graduating from Missoula High, Darrell attended the University, but he flunked out. Most likely from working two jobs and chasing girls. He caught the "Hottest" girl in high school. It didn't take long before he really… really wanted to get married, but his mother wouldn't let him till he turned 21. He married Patsy Lee Cooper on Oct. 4, 1953, just six days after his birthday.

LDK's dream of becoming a real estate man became a reality when he and Patsy moved to Billings, where he started working at Andy's Realty. There, Jeff was born in 1955 and LeeAnn was born only 11 months later in 1956. (Remember the record snowfall in April of 1955 with snow up to the rooftops.) What a great dad - loving, caring and … working seven days a week.

Darrell started Kreitzberg Associates, "The Real Estate People," as it was known on the radio, and spent 64 years in his passion … as a real estate man. He had quick wit. If you were not on your game, he could set you back on your heels. He was also a sharp dresser. He could walk down any fashion street of New York City and not be out of place. He earned real estate awards like "Realtor of the Year" and accepted into Omega Tau Rho for his contributions to the real estate industry. He always enjoyed trips with the guys. He would think nothing of chartering a plane to Vegas for a night on the town. Toward the last decade, he looked forward to the guys' golf trip every year with friends, sons and grandsons to the Flathead area. Over the course of his life, he got a helping hand from many people. He paid that helping hand forward in spades to others.

Darrell thought he was too young to be called Grandpa, so he became known as "Pops" to everyone in the family. Lee Ann married Allan Markuson in 1978. Jeff married Gale Barta in 1979. From these two unions came Alana Jackson (Corey), TJ Markuson, Bryan Kreitzberg (Megan), Scott Kreitzberg (Jessica) and Lisa Oppegaard (Cliff) . Then another generation after that with eight great-grandchildren.

In Darrell's last few years, dementia took its toll and he could no longer "be" his dream and he had to exit the real estate business. He made it from "dirt poor" to a success in business, family and friends.

Each of us in the family know just how loving and generous you were - from generation to generation - we all love you!

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Alzheimer's Association.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, at Michelotti-Sawyers Mortuary, 1001 Alderson Ave. A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 1108 N. 24th St. West.