Details

Collection Summary
Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 02059
Title: Elmer M. Agnew
Date: 1917 - 2006
Creator:
Inscription/Marks: 4/17/1917
Summary: Elmer Agnew, 89, Bismarck, died September 3, 2006, at his home. Funeral services were held on Wednesday, September 6 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bismarck with Rev. Nathan Keith officiating. Burial was in Menoken Cemetery. Elmer Melvin Agnew was born on April 17, 1917, at Menoken, ND, the son of Melvin Frederick and Emma Carrie (Klipstein) Agnew. He was raised and educated in Menoken. Elmer married Ella Noria Pokall in Bismarck, ND, on October 30, 1940. After residing two years in Menoken, they moved north of McKenzie until 1947, at which time they moved to a farm/ranch home west of Moffit, ND. In the fall of 1999, they sold the farm and moved to Bismarck. Never a man to let grass grow under his feet, Elmer busied himself with his ranch work and devoted himself to community services. He was Weighmaster for the Cattlemen’s Weighing Association and Brand Inspector for 35 years, trucked livestock, and sold livestock equipment and seed corn for 30 years. He was a council member for Bethal Lutheran Church in Moffit, ND, and Driscoll Lutheran Church in Driscoll, ND. Currently, he was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Bismarck. Elmer was a Burleigh County Commissioner for 12 years, Township Supervisor of 20 years, and 4-H leader for four years. Elmer was a trustee for the ND Cowboy Hall of Fame, a school board member for 18 years, Social Service Board member, Zoning Board member, Agricultural Stabilization Committee Services for six years, and the Farmers Home Administration Board for three years. He was on the Rural Firemen’s Board at Sterling, a member of Sterling Lions Club, Bismarck Eagles, Bismarck Elks, and was one of the founders of the End of the Trail Saddle Club. Elmer lived his life with a firmly set, common sense set of values that fully extended into all friendships and business ventures. His sincerity was represented in his firm handshake that is well known by all. He not only believed in honesty as a philosophy, he lived it! Elmer loved music, and played by ear the clarinet, piano, drums, bass guitar, alto and tenor saxophone, fiddle, and accordion. He and Ella provided good dance music for numerous occasions. He was a horse buyer who loved roping and riding. He traded four tomcats for his first colt at the age of seven. Elmer broke it himself in 1924 and this began a history of horse-trading. He was an avid rodeo cowboy competitor, perfecting the art of roping both in and out of the arena. This kind, gentle, devoted, hard-working man will be deeply missed by his family and many, many good friends. He is survived by his special friend, Lois Seelye; his son and daughter-in-law, Elvin and Wanda Agnew of Bismarck, ND; his daughter and son-in-law, Lonnie and Frank Privratsky of Braddock, ND; five dearly loved grandchildren, Kristen (Andrew) Vetter of Linton, ND, Dennis Agnew of Moffit, ND, Stephanie Privratsky of Fargo, ND, Nadine Privratsky of Bismarck, ND, and Rebeka (Dan) Roth of Worden, MT; five great-grandchildren, Tantila and Frankie Sue Sailer, and Hunter, Hannah, and Heather Roth; four nephews; and four nieces. His wife of 61 years, Ella, in 2001; his mother in 1945; his father in 1956; one brother, Lambert Agnew; and four sisters, Orpha Sherman, Helen Malard, Norma Couch, and Lillian “Siss” Foell preceded Elmer in death.
Red ID: FND_I_61917 Image ID: 513412 Image Notes: FND001 02059

Collection: FND001 Digitized Images from Collection
Title: SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Date: -

Summary: The North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program is sponsored by the North Dakota Funeral Directors Association. The life stories of deceased North Dakotans are featured in an archvied collection. Current partners in the project are Eastgate Funeral & Cremation Services, Bismarck Evans Funeral Homes, Carrington and New Rockford Everson-Coughlin Funeral Home, Williston Fulkerson Funeral Home, Tioga Fulkerson Funeral Home, Watford City Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home, Williston Nero Funeral Home, Bottineau Parkway Funeral Service, Bismarck Springan Stevenson Funeral Home, Stanley Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson These funeral homes provide recent obituaries to the Foundation, where staff and volunteers format, edit and archive each memorial. The memorials are posted, and copies are sent to the family for their input and approval. The listing currently features more than 13,000 memorials, and is constantly updated as new memorials and histories are received.

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