Details

Collection Summary
Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 271151
Title: Ralph Wetzstein
Date: 5/21/1940-7/20/2022
Inscription/Marks: 5/21/1940
Summary: Ralph Wetzstein, 82, passed away July 20, 2022, in Bismarck, ND. A funeral service was held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Bismarck, with burial at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Bismarck. Ralph was born May 21, 1940, to Christ and Elizabeth (Barth) Wetzstein. He was the youngest of 16 children. He grew up on the family farm near St. Anthony, ND. Ralph graduated from Mandan High School in 1958 and then enlisted in the US Air Force. He was honorably discharged in 1962. Ralph graduated from Capital Commercial business college in 1970. In 1971 he began his career with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Department of Agriculture. He retired in 1995 due to his health. Ralph married Rita Pool on May 29, 1971, in Bismarck. They had one daughter, Rachelle Wetzstein. He was a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and a life member of AMVETS in Bismarck. In his earlier years, Ralph enjoyed fishing, camping, vacationing, and spending time with family and friends. Ralph is survived by his wife, Rita; daughter, Rachelle; two sisters, Rose Braun and Kathleen Nickolson; and his in-laws, Karen Wetzstein, Myrna Weber, Jane Vander Wal and Jerome (Linda) Pool; as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; stepmother, Margaret Wetzstein; six brothers, Mike, Vincent, George, John, Peter, and Paul; seven sisters, Eugenia Leder, Amelia Ferderer, Scholastica Mildenberger, Minnie Schmidt, Margaret Leingang, Mary Ann Polensky, and Maggie Hermanson; brothers-in-law, Henry Weber and Willis Vander Wal; and nephew, Daniel Vander Wal.
Red ID: FND_I_78639 Image ID: 557331 Image Notes: FND001 271151

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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