Daniel Sluke

ND, passed away Sunday,

December 2, 2018, in a

Minot hospital.

Daniel Willard Sluke

was born August 9, 1959

to Lynn and Joanne (Foer-

ster) Sluke in Park River,

ND. He was raised and

educated in Fordville, ND,

graduating in 1977. While

in school, Dan excelled at

basketball and baseball,

and began his lifelong

love of the outdoors. He

graduated from Mayville

State in 1982 with a BS in

Education and began his

teaching career the fol-

lowing fall at Burlington

Elementary. He retired in

2014 after teaching 5th

grade for 25 years and

then physical education

for 6 years.

Dan married Nedra

Nesheim on May 31,

1986, at Bethlehem Luth-

eran Church, rural New

Town, ND. They were

blessed with two

daughters, Courtney

Marie and Amber Jonelle.

Dan started Dan’s Mow-

ing Service in 1995 as a

means of making some

summer income and be-

cause, like his mother, he

loved to mow the lawn.

He retired the business

this past summer due to

poor health.

Dan loved all sports. He

grew up a UND Fighting

Sioux fan and passed that

enthusiasm on to his fam-

ily. The Slukes enjoyed

many weekend trips to

Grand Forks for hockey,

football and basketball

games. They enjoyed even

more games in the garage

or the family (Sioux) room

in their home. He was de-

finitely the #1 Sioux Fan!

Dan loved the outdoors

and loved to hunt

pheasant. Fall was an an-

nual trip to New Salem

with his brothers-in-law

and a trip to Crosby with

his brothers and parents.

It was also a trip home to

Fordville to hunt deer

with his brothers and dad.

Winter was ice fishing

with friends and family.

His favorite times were

when he got to bring his

grandson and the Johnson

kids.

Dan also loved Las Ve-

gas. He wasn’t a big gam-

bler, but he loved being

there and watching all of

the people, the shows and

the good food. He was

ready to go back just as

soon as he got home. He

also loved Christmas. It

was a perfect time for his

generous spirit and he

played an awesome Santa

Claus.

In many ways, Dan was

a kid at heart, and his

grandsons and the kids in

the neighborhood loved to

get him to come out and

play. Rides in the Polaris

or on the riding lawn

mower, making s’mores,

lighting fireworks on the

4th, or having a water bal-

loon fight were some of

his favorites. For Dan,

there was nothing more

important than family and

friends. He always had

time for a visit or to help

someone out. He was so

appreciative of everyone

who visited and helped

him out when he got sick.

Surviving family in-

cludes: Wife of 32 years,

Nedra Sluke, Minot;

daughters, Courtney (Jus-

tin) Traeger and Amber

Sluke, both of Minot;

grandsons, Ayden and

Bowen Traeger, Minot;

brothers, David (Mary),

West Fargo, Dale (Denise),

Fordville, Marcel (Lisa),

West Fargo, and Mike

(Renee), Fargo; brothers-

in-law, Bradley, New

Town and David (Barb),

Stanley; aunt, Donna Ko-

taska, Fargo; and many

nieces, nephews and

cousins.

Dan was preceded in

death by his parents;

parents-in-law, Harold

and Gaynelle Nesheim;

granddaughter, Camdyn;

Baby Traeger; and his

aunt, Shirley Morstad.

Funeral: Thursday, De-

cember 6, 2018, at 11:00

a.m. at First Lutheran-

Church, Minot, ND.

Everyone is invited to join

in celebrating Dan by

wearing Fighting Sioux

apparel.

Interment: Rosehill

Memorial Park, Minot,

ND.

Visitation: Wednesday

from 4 to 7 p.m. with a

Family Prayer Service at

5:00 p.m. at Thompson-

Larson Funeral Home,

Minot, ND.

View the live stream of

the funeral service by

visiting www.firstlutheran

.tv. Those wishing to sign

the online register and

share memories may ac-

cess the online obituaries

section at (www.

thompsonlarson.com).