DuWayne "Dukes" Pochant Sr., age 77, of rural Coleharbor, N.D., died Dec. 5, 2009, at St. Alexius Medical Center in Bismarck, N.D., due to complications following surgery.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009, at Augustana Lutheran Church in Underwood, N.D., with Pastor Joel Sherer officiating. Cremains will be interred at Coleharbor Cemetery.
DuWayne was born Nov. 4, 1932, in Underwood, N.D., to Harry L. and Esther (Kalk) Pochant. He was educated in the Coleharbor schools. DuWayne entered the Army in 1953 during the Korean conflict and was stationed in Japan. He was honorably discharged from active duty in 1955.
DuWayne married Joan E.R. Robinson in 1959. They made Coleharbor their home in 1962. They had three children, Kurth, Tanya, and Shannon. Joan passed away in 1985.
His adventures as a young man included: working on the construction of the Garrison Dam, digging potatoes in Florida, harvesting crops in Canada, working at missile sites in North Dakota and at power plants in Minnesota and N.D. DuWayne also spent time in Fairbanks, Alaska. These are the edited versions of his adventures. He had welded for many years as a pipefitter and as a dragline maintenance welder at Falkirk Mining Co., south of Underwood.
DuWayne married Sallie A. Moore in 1986. They lived in Coleharbor until 1994, when they bought a farm near Riverdale. Together they loved polishing an old farm to make it new and their own. They had two children, Mandee and DuWayne.
After his retirement from Falkirk Mine, he continued to farm until his death.
He loved farming, hunting deer and pheasants (with his loyal dog Ruby), fishing (if the lines weren't tangled), playing pinochle, and most of all spending time with family.
He is survived by: his wife, Sallie Pochant, of Coleharbor; three daughters, Tanya (Mike) Stebbins of Coleharbor, Shannon Pochant of Belcourt, and Mandee Pochant of Coleharbor; one son, DuWayne Pochant Jr. of Bottineau; three brothers, Harry "Jr." (Virginia) Pochant of Coleharbor, Robert "Skinny" (Pat) Pochant of Pick City, Alden (Florence) Pochant of Bismarck; two sisters, Marlene (Ron) Molzahn of Minot, and Lois Hummel of Lewiston, Idaho; brothers-in-law, Joseph (Jan) Moore of Hastings, Minn., and Clarence Hummel of Clarkston, Wash.; sisters-in-law, Susan Moore of Underwood, Ruth Pochant of Bismarck, Melba Moore of Mandan; eight grandchildren, Kelly, Lisa, Spring, Tricia, Eric, Megan, Shaina and Carlee; eight great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild; aunts and uncles, Eldora Brothen, Alice Seney, Myron Seney and Roy Seney.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Joan (Robinson) Pochant; his son, Kurth Pochant; his father, Harry L. Pochant Sr.; mothers, Esther (Kalk) Pochant, Ilora (Seney) Pochant; and one brother, Henry "Hank" Pochant.
Provide condolences and sign the guestbook at (www.goetzfuneralhomes.com).
(Goetz Funeral Home, Washburn)