Ernest William “Ernie” Kouba

Kouba, 89, Minot, former-ly of Towner, entered his

heavenly home on Janu-

ary 25, 2019 in Minot,

ND.

Ernie was born to Willi-

am and Albina (Greciar)

Kouba on July 12, 1929,

on a farmstead in Walsh

county near Grafton, ND.

He was raised and educat-ed in the Pisek area. Ernie

was always proud that his

life was so successful

with a country school 8th

grade education. He en-

listed in the U.S. Army in

December, 1948 at Fort

Riley, Kansas. He proudly

served our country in

Korea with the 7th Infan-

try Division until 1951,

when he was honorably

discharged.

Ernie was united in

marriage to Corrine Clar-

ice Linstad on July 10,

1952, at the Quale Luth-

eran Church near Lankin,

ND. They began their

married life in Hallock,

MN, where he was em-

ployed at the GTA eleva-

tor. In 1953, they moved

to Palermo, ND, when he

became the GTA elevator

manager. Towner, ND be-

came their home, in 1964,

when he became a GTA

Line Superintendent. Er-

nie was promoted to a

Field Manager with Har-

vest States in 1974. He re-

tired in August 1991. Er-

nie truly enjoyed his pro-

fession and made lifelong

friends with the people he

met throughout his career.

Ernie lived life to the

fullest with people who

shared the same interests.

He believed in communi-

ty service and participated

in several community

groups. Ernie was active

in the American Legion as

a District and Region

Commander. He received

the American Legion Na-

tional Achievement

Award in May of 1974. As

a Jaycee member, he re-

ceived the Outstanding

Young Businessman

Award in 1962. He was

active in the State Ama-

teur Baseball Committee,

Legion State Athletic

Committee, and Mountrail

County Park Board which

established the Van Hook

Park. In Towner, Ernie

participated in the Hous-

ing Commission, Com-

mercial Club, Booster

Club, Golf Club, PTA,

City Commission,

Economic Development

Committee, Fire Depart-

ment, City Council, and

Zion Lutheran Church

Council.

A group of men that he

spent time with in Stan-

ley, ND were the Moun-

trailsmen. They were

music ambassadors for

the area and cut an al-

bum. They loved music

and became lifelong

friends.

Fishing, hunting, golf-

ing, and gardening were

Ernie’s passions. He loved

being outdoors and being

active. Most people who

knew Ernie said “he acts

like he is 70” even when

he was 85 years old. In

Towner, he was known

for being the “World

Champion Crane Caller”

and the Bohemian

“lutefisk chef” at the an-

nual Zion Lutheran

Church fall dinner. He

loved fishing with his

buddies at Lake Kississ-

ing, Manitoba, driving

back and forth several

times a day to his prized

garden in his old Dodge

Ram pickup, and wearing

his crazy cowboy hat

while cheering on the

TGU football and basket-

ball teams. Ernie will al-

ways be remembered for

dancing the jig, making

Bohemian dumplings

with his grandchildren,

and cooking food at the

Palm Gardens Park in

Mesa, Arizona. Many chil-

dren and families fondly

will remember Ernie as he

helped “Santa” every

Christmas around Town-

er.

Ernie and Corrine spent

the winters in Mesa, Ar-

izona and enjoyed their

summer cabin at Lake

Metigoshe. The Minnesota

Vikings and Los Angeles

Dodgers were his ultimate

sports teams.

Throughout his life, Er-

nie taught his family to be

gracious, caring, respect-

ful, and to remember that

family and friends are tru-

ly what matters most. He

never said a negative

word about anyone. He

was the most patient, lov-

ing, funny, and genuine

husband and father a fam-

ily could have hoped for.

Nazdravi good steward!

His loving family in-

cludes: his wife of 66

years, Corrine; his chil-

dren and their spouses,

Julie (Tim) Benson,

Minot, ND; Terry (Juliana

Burckhard) Kouba, Du-

buque, Iowa; and Kevin

(Terri Jo Loock) Kouba,

Milbank, SD.

He dearly loved his

eight grandchildren: Bre-

anna Benson, Abby

(Mark) Colvin, Jessica

(Trevor) Deutmeyer,

Miranda (Quinn) O’Brien,

Caitlin Kouba (fiancee Jai

Courter), Loock Kouba,

Leah Kouba, and Kellen

(Amy) Kouba.

His eight great-grand-

children Vivian Colvin,

Charlotte Colvin, Gabe

Deutmeyer, Henry Deut-

meyer, Juliana Deut-

meyer, Thomas O’Brien,

Joseph O’Brien and Kai

Kouba always brought a

smile to his face.

His family also includes

his brother: Duane “Shor-

ty” Kouba, Savage, MN;

brothers and sisters-in-

law, Clayton (Avis) Lin-

stad, Petersburg, ND; Mer-

lin (Ann) Linstad, Ford-

ville, ND; Wayne (Claris)

Linstad, Bemidji, MN;

Marilyn Linstad, Ford-

ville, ND; and Judy Lin-

stad, Park River, ND;

several nieces and

nephews.

Ernie is preceded in

death by his parents;

brothers, Cecil Kouba and

Leonard Kouba; sister,

Eloise (Kouba) Langowski;

sisters-in-law, Eleanor

Close, Mary Alice Kouba,

Margaret Kouba, Violet

Kouba, Marilyn Kouba,

and infant sister-in-law

Vivian Linstad; brothers-

in-law, Marvin Linstad,

Raymond Linstad, Emil

Langowski, and Howard

Close.

Ernie’s family would

like to express their sin-

cere thanks to the staff

members of Trinity Canc-

er Center, Trinity Hos-

pice, the View Assisted

Living Center, and the

Thomas Family Funeral

Home for their profession-alism, loving care, and

genuine concern.

Visitation: Friday,

February 1, 2019 from

4:00 – 6:00pm at Zion

Lutheran Church, Town-

er, ND.

Celebration of the Life

of Ernest W. Kouba: Sa-

turday, February 2, 2019

at 2:00pm at Zion Luth-

eran Church, Towner,

ND.

In lieu of flowers,

memorials will be given to

Zion Lutheran Church,

107 4th Ave. SW, Towner,

ND 58788 for a sound sys-

tem project.

Those wishing to sign

the online memorial regis-

tration or to share

memories of Ernie are in-

vited to access the expres-sions of sympathy section

at (www.thomasfamily

funeralhome.com).