Details

Collection Summary
Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 26427
Title: Carl H. Oksol
Date: 2/6/1922-5/20/2018
Creator:
Inscription/Marks: 2/6/1922
Summary: Carl Oksol, 96, Williston, ND, passed away May 20, 2018, at CHI St. Alexius Medical Center in Williston. His funeral service was held May 25, 2018, at First Lutheran Church in Williston with  Rev. Brian Knutson officiating. Interment with military rites was in Riverview Cemetery. Carl Harold Oksol was born February 6, 1922 to Paul and Christine (Tangvald) Oksol.  The fifth of five children, he was raised on the family sheep farm near Newell, SD.  Paul and Christine emigrated from Norway to America so Norwegian was spoken at home and English taught at school.   Carl, being the youngest, needed a way to get to school. A Hispanic family living down the road gave Carl a horse which had not been well cared for.   No one at the Oksols knew the horse’s name, so Carl’s mom Christine just took to calling him “X” and the appellation stuck. Carl took to “X” immediately.  He made sure his stall was cleaned every day; he carried hay to the bin, and when he could afford it, even treated “X” to some oats. During the course of several weeks, “X” improved remarkably.  Carl’s mother had not been paying much attention to Carl and “X” and so was quite surprised when she looked out the window one day and saw Carl on a beautiful chestnut quarter horse. She hurried out the door and asked Carl where he had gotten the new horse.  Carl explained that “This is “X”. He’s gotten all better!” Carl turned six years old in 1928 and started school later that year.  Carl remembers the walk to grade school being uphill both ways and often covered with snow, several feet deep. By third grade, the older siblings were no longer available to walk Carl to school so he was on his own.  His folks had him ride “X” to school. Carl continued to attend school until he graduated from Newell High School in 1940. He graduated 39th in his class of 40.  Carl attended college in 1940 and earned a degree in industrial engineering, which is impressive for someone who graduated second from the bottom of his class.   In 1942, someone was thinking about Carl, Uncle Sam. Carl received a letter in the mail with a return address from the US Selective Service.  Carl did not open the envelope; he did not want to go into the army. Instead he visited the Belle Fourche Navy recruiting station. Carl was sworn into the United States Coast Guard, November 6, 1942. Carl served in the Coast Guard for four years on the USS Wakefield transporting American troops to the theaters of war, and returning to the United States with American troops for reassignment or foreign troops as prisoners of war.  In all, he completed 44 trips across the Atlantic, six across the Mediterranean, and four across the Pacific. Carl married Ruth Flessner, whom he loved at first sight on November 4, 1950.  Bismarck, ND, was their first home and where children Bruce and Yvonne were born. Carl moved his family from Bismarck to Williston in August 1953, where Karla, Craig, Kathleen, and Jan were welcomed to the family.   While Carl was adjusting insurance claims in Williston, he learned to know Erling Manger of  Manger Insurance. In December 1955, Carl bought one-half interest in the business and started working for Erling on January 1, 1956.   Carl and Erling operated as a partnership for two years, 1956 and 1957. Then in January 1958 Jim Leinen joined the agency. Carl was very active in the community, being involved in Williston Rotary Club, the Bethel Foundation, Elks Club, Moose Club, First Lutheran Church (where he was especially involved in Lutefisk ticket sales), and his work as a Williams County Commissioner. In 2015 Carl moved to a room at Bethel Lutheran Home, which he loved.  He had a captive audience to whom he could tell all his stories over and over again.   Carl is survived by his children, Bruce A. Oksol (May,) of Texas, Yvonne R. Braun (Terry), of Minnesota, Karla Osborn (Bob), of Williston, Kathleen Oksol (Jorge Ochoa-Lions), of Arizona, Jan Marie Greenwald (Dave), of Oregon; daughter-in-law, Kathryn Oksol; grandchildren, Eric Braun (Alicia), Kiri Nevin (Josh), Rob Osborn (Toby), Laura Oksol (Tim Moberg), Victoria Knox (Kyle) of Williston, Jennifer Poziembo (Greg), Anna Bernstein (Kevin), Sofia Ochoa,  Cameron Greenwald, Connor Greenwald; great-grandchildren, Arianna, Olivia, Sophia, Oliver, Emelia, Jillian, Bennett, Caleb, Kaitlyn, Gemma. Ruth Oksol, living in Portland OR, was heartbroken to hear of Carl’s death. Carl was preceded in death by his parents; siblings; beloved son, Craig Oksol; and infant granddaughter, Kallie Ann Braun.
Red ID: FND_I_76940 Image ID: 555299 Image Notes: FND001 26427

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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