John Ankenbauer

bauer was born and 86

years later, passed away at

the Kenmare Hospital.

John was the tenth child

of eleven children born to

Earl and Edith (Dollahon)

Ankenbauer. He was a life

long resident of the Ken-

mare, North Dakota area.

He attended Elmdale

Country and Kenmare

Public Schools.

As a youngster John

went to the Church of the

Brethren and during the

summers enjoyed attend-

ing the First Baptist Vaca-

tion Bible School. As an

adult he was a member of

the United Methodist

Church until it closed.

John helped on the family

farm. At a young age he

worked in the Anken-

bauer Coal Mine and later

for Richard Ankenbauer

Trucking. In the spring of

1956, John began employ=

ment for the Earl

Schwartz Company.

John was united in mar-

riage to Dorothy Olesen

on July 4, 1956 at the Na-

zareth Lutheran Church

in Kenmare. They made

their home at the Coady

apartments until moving

to the Schwartz farm in

January 1958. August

1970 they purchased his

family’s farm just west of

Kenmare and continued

to live there until moving

into Kenmare in Sep-

tember 2008.

In late 1977 John began

employment with Bomac

Drilling (WR Grace) for 10

years. He continued farm-

ing until retirement in

2002. John enjoyed retire

ment, more time with

family, twenty winters in

Mesa, AZ, golfing, fishing,

flea markets, threshing

shows, downhill skiing,

and coffee with the men

at Cindy’s Cafe and the

Pizza Hub. In 2002, John

realized a lifelong dream

when he and Dorothy

took a two-month

motorhome trip across Ca-

nada and into Alaska.

John liked the simple

things in life. Driving

around the country-side,

observing the changes of

the seasons and he loved

good, home cooked, fried

chicken. His childhood

was active. As the young-

est of the seven Anken-

bauer brothers, growing

up in the valley west of

town was filled with hard

work, but also included

many memories of broth-

erly shenanigans. Swim-

ming in the creek and ski-

ing down the hills made

for fun on the farm. Edith

always said it was a

wonder they all lived to

adulthood!

John is survived by:

wife Dorothy of 62 years;

son Lawrence and Kath-

leen, Kenmare and their

daughter Jennifer, Wade

and Jaden Berhow, Forest

Lake, MN; daughter Don-

na and Mike Bryson,

Cedaredge, CO and their

daughter Lindsey (Antho-

ny d.2012), Madysen and

Hunter Holden, Las Ve-

gas, NV; brother Robert

(Ruth) Ankenbauer, Van-

couver, WA; sisters Mar-

garet Elizabeth Jones,

Portland, OR and Shirley

Duff, Woodbury, MN;

sister-in-law Theresa Ank-

enbauer, Kenmare;

brother-in-law, Millard

Bushey, Bakersfield, CA.

Eighteen nephews and

seventeen nieces, over

100 great nephews and

nieces, several cousins.

Also, Dorothy’s two broth-

ers, seven sisters and their

families.

John was preceded in

death by: his parents Earl

(1972) and Edith (1985);

siblings Richard (2004)

wives Patricia (2015)

Aileen (1990), Doreen

Bushey (1957), Mary

Kathryn Berney (2009)

husband Lloyd (1966),

Berlin “Bill” (2002) wife

Joy (2010), Forrest (1994)

wife Vivian (2016), Foster

(1998), Alden Joe (2013)

wife Carol (2016);

brother-in-laws Harold

Schletty (1978), Donald

Duff (2010), Rupert Jones

(1993); nieces Jeanne

Bushey (1958), Jolene

Ankenbauer (2000);

nephew John Jones

(1993).

All the pain and grief is

over, the restless tossing

passed, I’m now at peace

forever, safely home in

heaven at last.

There will not be a pub-

lic service. Interment will

be at Lakeview Cemetery,

Kenmare, ND.