Raymond Hovland
Raymond Hovland, 76, died Friday, Jan. 11, 2013, at the Baptist Home in Bismarck, N.D. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 10:00 a.m. at the Bismarck Funeral Home. Burial was held at Tepee Butte Cemetery, New England, N.D.
Raymond Anton Hovland was born at home on May 23, 1936, to Henry and Alma (Nielson) Hovland. He was raised and worked on the family home southwest of Regent, N.D. Ray went to a country school through the eighth grade and started high school in Regent, N.D. He went to Wyoming to work on his uncle’s ranch.
He served in the United States Army from 1955 to 1957 and also served in Korea.
Ray married Joyce Waddell in 1958. Four children were born to this marriage.
Ray started working when he was very young. He worked mostly in the oilfields in Wyoming and North Dakota. He was a truck driver for a few years and taught his son, Warren, to drive by driving the truck back and forth in the driveway.
Ray was always bringing home stray cats and dogs. For many years when living in Gillette, Wyo., he would bring men from work who had no families home for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.
He enjoyed working, watching football, going to his son’s and his nephew’s sporting events, hunting, and playing with his grandchildren. Dad also loved raising a garden, both potatoes and tomatoes were his specialty. He loved working up the potatoes in the garden with his Ford tractor and loved going to auctions sales and getting the best deal. Boats, tractors, cars, and tools were the best deal, or not?
One of his last trips to Watford City, he was taken to his place to see his shop transformed into a machine shop that he very much approved of. Ray’s favorite places to eat was the Country Cottage in Bismarck, Gramma Sharons in Williston and Coffee at One Stop in Watford City.
Raymond suffered a heart attack in 1983 and a stroke in 1986, and was unable to work. He lived at home until he went into the Baptist Home in Bismarck in 2010.
Survivors include his son, Warren (Laurie) Hovland; daughter-in-law, Deb Hovland; grandchildren, Matthew (Nicole); Allison; Blaine (Jennifer); Christopher (Rebecca); Dustin, Cambree, Aaron and Brandon Hovland; great-grandchildren, Lily, Ben, Beau, Casey and Luke Hovland; and many nieces, nephews, sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law and cousins.
Raymond was preceded in death by his parents; sons, Owen, Orrin, and daughter, Allene Hovland; brothers Larry and David Hovland; sister-in-law, Kathleen Hovland and brother-in-law, Frank Neigum.
Go to www.bismarckfuneralhome.com to sign the online guestbook or to send a message of condolence to the family.