Details

Collection Summary
Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 272237
Title: Eugene S. Fedorenko
Date: 10/12/1931-11/26/2025
Inscription/Marks: 10/12/1931
Summary: Eugene S. “Gene” Fedorenko, 94, of Watford City, ND, passed away on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, at the Lund Hospice Home in Gilbert, AZ. Memorial services were held July 25, 2026, at the First Lutheran Church in Watford City, with Minister Matthew Rolfson officiating. He was laid to rest at Schafer Cemetery in Watford City. Military honors were presented by representatives of the United States Navy Funeral Honors Team and the Carl E Rogen Post 29 of Watford City. Eugene Fedorenko was born in Harvey, ND, to Sam and Anne Fedorenko of Kief, ND, on October 12, 1931. He came home to an older sister, LaVern (Bobbie). He attended grade school in Kief, and attended high school there and at Minot High School, where he also attended Minot State University at the same time. He attended the University of North Dakota and graduated with a degree in marketing and management in 1957. While he was there, he also worked for Griffiths in Grand Forks. Gene saw a sign at UND which said, “Step up and join the Navy,” so he did and spent the next four years serving his country in the US Navy, attached to the Marines as a Hospital Corpsman. He was awarded two Purple Hearts while in Korea. After retiring from the military, he met his future wife, Elaine Olson from Watford City, and they were married in 1954 at First Lutheran Church in Watford City. They had three children, Teri (Tim) Taylor, Julie Fedorenko, and Jim (Lori-deceased) Fedorenko; Lori's children, Nicole (Ryan) Brathwaite, Shane, and Luke McLaren; two granddaughters, Lisa (Brian) Felty and Sarah (Sean) Hesler; two great-grandsons, Carter and Maison Felty; and special family Bob and Kathy Olson. Gene served as a rural mail carrier at Keene and farmed with his father-in-law and brother-in-law. They moved to Watford City in 1972. Here, he obtained his private pilot license, and he was very proud of this and later had his own plane. He was transferred to Dickinson and worked part time at Parkway Ford and sold real estate. They also had a lake home at McKenzie Bay, where he loved to water ski (still did at 89), jet ski, boat, and spend family time. He taught many kids to water ski and spent many hours pulling and teaching water skiers. When he retired, he bought a ranch north of Medora and ranched with his son. After selling the ranch, Gene and Elaine moved back to Watford City and spent the winters in Mesa, AZ, where he was active playing pickle ball, golf, pinochle, and cribbage. During his lifetime, he was a member of the ND Rural Carriers, served on the Independent Oil Board at Kenne, served two terms on the McKenzie County School Board, served on the church boards in Clear Creek in Keene, St. John’s Lutheran, Dickinson, ND, and First Lutheran in Watford City, and the McKenzie Marine Club Board. He was also a member of the Elks Lodge and The SVE Veterans Club, and 50 years in the Saddle Club. He loved to sing and sang in the Dickinson Barbershop choir and quartette, and church choirs wherever he lived, and often sang solos for church services, weddings, and funerals. He sang his last solo to his wife on their 70th wedding celebration at the First Lutheran Church.
Red ID: FND_I_79729 Image ID: 596181 Image Notes: FND001 272237

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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