Ret. SRMSGT Scott S. Ronningen

Ret. SMSGT Scott Sher-

wood Ronningen, 56,

Minot, ND, passed away

Sunday, November 24,

2019, at his residence.

Scott was born Sep-

tember 14, 1963, the son

of Stanley and Barbara

(Nyberg) Ronningen, in

Pelican Rapids, MN.

When Scott was young

the family moved several

times before moving to

Fargo, ND, where he was

confirmed at Olivet Luth-

eran Church and later gra-

duated from Fargo South

High School in 1982.

After graduation, Scott

went to work for Crane

Johnson Lumber Co. in

Fargo. Before joining the

US Air Force in 1985, he

was in the North Dakota

Army National Guard for

several years. While in the

United States Air Force,

Scott was stationed at

Minot Air Force Base,

where he was a jet engine

mechanic on the F-15 Ea-

gle fighter aircraft. He was

later cross trained as an

aircraft crew chief (moth-

er of the aircraft) and sta-

tioned at Grand Forks Air

Force Base, where he was

a crew chief on KC-135

tankers. While stationed

at Grand Forks, he de-

ployed to Operation

Desert Storm. He then

moved to Minot Air Force

Base where he worked on

the B-52H as an aircraft

crew chief and was

awarded the Master Crew

Chief Badge and later be-

came (Thee) Production

Superintendent of the

most respected bomber

unit in the world, also

known as the Bomber

Barons. He retired on Au-

gust 31, 2007 as a Senior

Master Sergeant and he

spent his retirement living

in Minot.

Scott received various

medals and decorations

from the Air Force during

his career to include the

Meritorious Service Medal

with 4 oak leaf clusters,

Air Force Commendation

Medal, Air Force Achieve-

ment Medal with 2 oak

leaf clusters, Air Force

Outstanding Unit Award

with Valor Device with 5

oak leaf clusters, Air

Force Good Conduct

Medal with 6 oak leaf

clusters, National Defense

Service Medal with 1 ser-

vice star, Armed Forces

Expeditionary Medal,

Southwest Asia Service

Medal with 2 service

stars, National Defense

Service Medal with one

service star, Southwest

Asia Service Medal with 2

service stars, Global War

on Terrorism Service

Medal, Humanitarian Ser-

vice Medal, AF Longevity

Service Award with 4 oak

leaf clusters, USAF NCO

PME Graduate Ribbon

with 2 oak leaf clusters,

Small Arms Expert Marks-

manship Ribbon with 1

service star, AF Training

Ribbon, Army Service

Ribbon, Kingdom of Saudi

Arabia and the Kuwait Li-

beration Medal Govern-

ment of Kuwait.

Scott met Tracy Iwen in

1984 and they married on

April 5, 1986. They made

their home wherever

Scott was stationed.

They welcomed a son,

Andrew Ronningen on

February 25, 1994, who

was born at the Minot Air

Force Base Hospital.

In his retirement, Scott

loved to hunt, fish, play

golf and collect old fish-

ing lures and hunting

items. His man cave was

the envy of all outdoors-

men and his friends.

Scott was a lifetime

member of VFW Post 762

in Fargo, ND.

Surviving family in-

cludes: son, Andrew (La-

cey) Ronningen, Fargo;

grandchildren, Isaac and

Eli; former wife, Tracy

Van Sickle, West Fargo;

siblings, Mona McGowan,

AR, Mary Ness, ND, Sher-

ri Bruns, MN, Jayne

(Roger) Cote, MA, and

John Ronningen, WI;

along with many nieces

and nephews.

He was preceded in

death by his parents.

Burial will take place at

a later date in Pelican Ra-

pids, MN with full mili-

tary honors.

Those wishing to sign

the online register and

share memories may ac-

cess the online obituaries

section at

(www.thompsonlarson.co

m).

Thompson-Larson Fun-

eral Home, Minot, ND in

charge of arrangements.