Details

Collection Summary
Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 271181
Title: David Wolfer
Date: 12/31/1948-5/17/2025
Inscription/Marks: 12/31/1948
Summary: David Wolfer, 72, Bismarck, ND, passed away May 17, 2021. Memorial services were held May 20, 2021, at Parkway Funeral Service, Bismarck. David was born December 31, 1948, in Oshkosh, WI, the middle son of Louise and Oscar Wolfer. He grew up in Nanakuli, HI, and Hayward, CA. He was a jack-of-all trades and worked as a gemologist, draftsman, engineer, florist, and was a lifelong entrepreneur. Every hobby was a potential business, every interest a possible money-making endeavor. David was truly a renaissance man. After service as military intelligence in the US Army, David met Karen Orluck in 1974 at a church function. After one meal cooked by Karen’s mother, he knew he wanted to marry Karen. They were married June 28, 1975, at Neighborhood Church in Castro Valley, CA. Besides being a loving husband, a dedicated father, and inventive entrepreneur, Dave loved working with teen boys and had a soft spot for those from broken homes. The father of two daughters, he became a father figure to many and was affectionately called Captain Dave by all the young men he mentored. His greatest joy in life was his family. He loved family meals, family trips and family adventures. He taught his girls how to snorkel in Hawaii and loved being with them – especially in the water. Dave loved to swim and float in the ocean, pool, lake, river, and was an avid boater. When his first grandchild was born, he dropped the Captain Dave moniker and became Pops to all who knew him. He had only two biological children and three biological grandchildren, but he was Pops to everyone he knew. Dave leaves behind his wife and best friend, Karen Orluck Wolfer; his daughters, Kristy (Scott) Rose and Karianne (Ryan) Jackson; three grandchildren, Adam, Gracelyn, and Leo; four nieces and one nephew; and many friends and loved ones. His loss is sorely felt but God is still good and in control. He was preceded in death by his parents, Louise and Oscar; in-laws, Ruth and Peter Orluck; younger brother, Pat Wolfer; and many aunts and uncles.
Red ID: FND_I_78668 Image ID: 557608 Image Notes: FND001 271181

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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