Ronald Thue

lifelong resident of Willi-

ams County, North Dako-

ta, passed away peaceful-

ly Thursday morning, July

6, 2017 at the Bethel Luth-

eran Nursing and Rehabil-itation Center in Willis-

ton.

His funeral will be cele-

brated Monday morning,

July 10, 2017 at 11:00 AM

at Light of Christ Lutheran

Church in Williston. Rev.

Scott Neumann will offici-ate and interment will

take place at approximate-ly 2:30 PM at the

Wheelock Cemetery,

Wheelock, ND.

Ron was born April

15th, 1932, in Williston to

Kenneth and Gladys (Jor-

genson) Thue and raised

in Wheelock, ND. He gra-

duated from Wheelock

High School in 1950 and

from Concordia College in

Moorhead, MN with a

bachelor’s degree in edu-

cation in 1954. Ron spent

his college summers

working in Williams

County as a surveyor for

North Dakota Soil Conser-

vation Service and the

highway department.

While he was growing up,

Ron developed his pas-

sion for baseball, both

playing in Ray and listen-ing to major league games

on the radio. He learned

his work ethic while

working at his

grandfather’s store, Thue’s

General Merchandise.

After graduating from

Concordia, Ron was draft-

ed into the U.S. Army

during the Korean War.

He served as a medic at

an Army base hospital

near Frankfurt, Germany.

Upon his discharge in

1956, Ron returned home

to Williams County to be-

gin his 43 year teaching

career, first in Epping,

then in Trenton, and fi-

nally settling at the junior

high in Williston where

he taught Social Studies,

History and Geography for

40 years. In his early

years of teaching, Ron

pursued and received his

Master’s degree in educa-

tion from the University

of Northern Colorado in

Greeley, CO. Equally im-

portant to his career in

education was his contin-ued passion for sports,

which he cultivated with

a long and distinguished

career as a coach and offi-

cial. Well known in ND

and MT for his basketball

officiating, this career ul-

timately resulted in his

being inducted into the

North Dakota High School

Activities Association Of-

ficials Hall of Fame in

2009. Ron also took great

pride in being an assistant

coach on Williston’s girl’s

state basketball cham-

pionship team in 1976.

In 1967, Ron married

Janice Johnson of Carpio,

ND, and they spent their

50 years together in

Williston, including his

last few years living to-

gether at Bethel Home.

Ron had an active role in

several area Lutheran

churches, including sup-

ply preaching at

Wheelock Lutheran

Church and other area

congregations, teaching

confirmation, serving as a

trustee at Our Redeemer’s

Lutheran, and was

currently a member of

Light of Christ Lutheran

Church in Williston. In

addition to his teaching

career, Ron was a long-

time employee of Creigh-

ton Motors in Williston

and after retirement he

worked for Delany Recy-

cling.

Ron is survived by: his

wife of 50 years, Jan, his

daughters Rachel (Steve)

Simonson of Billings, ND

and Sarah (Karl) Carlson

of Mandan, ND, his

grandchildren Andrew,

Maren, and Annika Carl-

son and his sister Jeanie

Thue of Park Rapids, MN.

He was preceded in

death by: his parents Ken-

ny and Gladys and his sis-

ters Marilyn and Linda.

Memorials are suggest-

ed to the Williston Coyote

Foundation, Light of

Christ Lutheran Church or

the Bethel Lutheran Foun-

dation.

Friends may visit

www.everson

coughlin.com to share

remembrances of Ron or

leave condolences for his

family.

Visitation: will be in the

Chapel on Sunday, July

9th at Bethel Lutheran

Nursing and Rehabilita-

tion Center from 4:00 PM

until 7:00 PM and on

Monday, July 10th at the

church for the hour

preceding the funeral.

The Everson Coughlin

Funeral Home of Willis-

ton is caring for the fami-

ly.