Details

Collection Summary
Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 272179
Title: Gary M. Jepson
Date: 1/3/1941-4/24/2026
Inscription/Marks: 1/3/1941
Summary: Gary Jepson, 85, of Killdeer, ND, passed away April 24, 2026, at his home. A funeral service was held May 18, 2026, at the Dunn County Rodeo Grounds. Burial was at Haven of Rest Cemetery, Whetstone, ND. Gary Myron Jepson was born on January 3, 1941, to Agnes Sloan. He spent the majority of his growing up years with Ole, Helge, Oscar and Dagmar Sloan. He received his early education in a country school and later attended Killdeer High School, graduating in 1958. During high school, Gary played football and rode bareback horses. After high school, he continued riding bareback horses and earned his RCA permit. He said Fettigs would bring on as many horses as they wanted to get on. In 1963, Gary was united in marriage to Mavis Reems. He got a lot of ribbing about having his wedding on the first day of deer season. After getting married, Gary and Mavis moved to Sturgis, SD, where Gary attended horseshoeing school. He went on to shoe horses for the next 40 years, taking great pride in corrective work and watching these horses perform. Gary began trapping at the age of 11 with the help of his Uncle Helge, starting with skunks. He went on to become a long-line trapper and worked across Louisiana, California, Colorado, Mississippi, Nebraska, and Nevada. He worked alongside Leo Olson, Brent Woodworth, and Rich Ackerman. Gary was an active member of the Fur Takers of America, serving as vice president multiple times. He also wrote monthly articles for the Fur Takers Magazine, authored a book about his life as a trapper, and made several instructional videos on trapping. He taught at Trappers College in Indiana for 31 years, averaging around 50 students each year. Gary loved horses. He broke many over the years and had a deep appreciation for the outdoors. In 1976, Gary and others in the community helped start the North Dakota Gelbvieh Association. He raised Gelbvieh cattle and did his own AI work. In the 1980's, Gary started his own lure-making business selling nationwide. Mavis spent many hours in the basement helping him bottle lure and baits. In later years, Gary developed an interest in draft horse driving. Gary and his granddaughter, Shantell, took in several driving schools and participated in several seeding and harvesting seasons at the horse fest. Gary was a proud member of AA, receiving his 50-year chip. He died sober. Gary is survived by his wife of 62 years, Mavis; his children, Lisa (Jeff) Hoots, Myron (Teresa) Jepson, and Chad (April) Jepson; grandchildren, Kale (Nikki) Dorner, Kadee (Chance) Fowler, Andrew (Shruthi) Jepson, Shantell (Phil) Dukart, Allison (Brady) Klein, Jade (Jesse) Knutson, Colt (Magda) Mavity, Rhet (Mariah) Mavity; great-grandchildren, Sage, Darci, Colton, Carson, Adalyn, Amelia, Rorie, Wyatt and Gary; former daughter-in-law, Shannon; siblings, Loren, Arden, Joni, Aaron, and Connie. He was preceded in death by his uncles, Ole, Helge and Oscar Sloan; aunt, Dagmar Sloan; mother, Agnes Sloan Jepson; sister, Diane Allmendinger; and his father- and mother-in-law, Harold and Thelma Reems.
Red ID: FND_I_79671 Image ID: 576002 Image Notes: FND001272179

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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