Egil Edgar Tangsrud
Egil Edgar (Ed)
Tangsrud of Minot, North
Dakota, formerly of
Williston, died October 6,
2016,in Minot, North
Dakota. His arrangements
are with Fulkerson
Stevenson Funeral Home
of Williston. Friends may
sign the on-line register
and give their con-
dolences at
Ed was born September
10, 1923, near McGregor,
Divide County, North
Dakota. He was the sixth
of seven children born to
Nicolai and Charlotte
Tangsrud, Norwegian im-
migrants. The family
homesteaded in
Stoneview Township.
Ed attended Merrifield
Consolidated School
through eighth grade,
where he learned English
as a second language, and
then worked with the
Civilian Conservation
Corp at the National
Wildlife Refuge in Medi-
cine Lake, Montana, dur-
ing the Great Depression
as a teenager. After the
death of his father when
Ed was seventeen, he
worked on the family
farm. He also bought a
farm of his own near
McGregor in 1949, which
was one of his proudest
achievements.
He graduated from
Moler Barber College in
Fargo in 1951, and began
his career as a barber
throughout western North
Dakota and eastern Mon-
tana, eventually settling
in Williston. Ed walked to
and from work every day,
regardless of the weather.
He loved telling stories,
meeting people, working
hard, and being his own
boss. The profession was
a perfect fit for him, and
he wanted everyone to
know that he would do it
all over again.
On June 8, 1963, Ed
married Eula Vaughn
Forthun in Williston,
where they made their
home until 1997, before
retiring to Minot. Eula
Vaughn preceded him in
death on December 26,
2010.
Ed was a barber, a farm-
er, a gifted amateur photo-
grapher, a family histori-
an, a true autodidact, a
raconteur extraordinaire,
and a passionate out-
doorsman. He loved to
fish and hunt, and was a
contributing writer to Var-
mint Hunter magazine.
He was a lifelong member
of the Sons of Norway,
and enjoyed traveling to
Norway. But above all
else, he was a devoted
husband and father.
Edgar is survived by
his daughters, Sonya (Jim)
Dwyer of Garner, North
Carolina, and Rebecca
(Darren) Brown of Bur-
lington, North Dakota,
and a very special cousin,
John (Renee) Tangsrud of
McGregor, North Dakota.
He is also survived by his
grandchildren, Caitlin
(Josh) Rutherford, Kersten
Brown (Trey Pelton), and
Liam Dwyer, and a
great-granddaughter, Lili
Fitzpatrick. He is also sur-
vived by a brother, Robert
Raymond Tangsrud, Sr.,
and a sister-in-law, Edna
Forthun, along with
numerous nieces,
nephews, and cousins.
In addition to his wife,
Ed was preceded in death
by his parents, and his si-
blings: Astrid Nelson,
Amy Anderson, Norbert
Tangsrud, Elsie Anderson,
and Raymond Edgar
Tangsrud.
In keeping with his
wishes, no funeral ser-
vices will be held. A
private family service will
be held at a later date, and
his cremains will be in-
terred at Riverview
Cemetery in Williston
next to his wife. The fam-
ily requests no flowers,
and donations may be
made to Ed’s favorite
charity, Home on The
Range, in Sentinel Butte,
North Dakota, a thera-
peutic, working ranch for
boys and girls
(hotrnd.com).