Abner Lee

Abner Lee, 91, Minot,

died Tuesday, January 7,

2020 in a Minot Hospital.

Abner was born No-

vember 22, 1928 in May-

ville, ND to Andrew and

Anna (Ramsfield) Lee. He

spent his youth in May-

ville, where he graduated

from Mayville High

School in 1946.

Abner was drafted into

the US Army on June 26,

1951 and was accorded

the Korean Service and

United Nations Service

Medals during his mili-

tary tenure. While serving

his country, Abner was

united in marriage to Lor-

raine Sanda on February

19, 1952 near Hatton, ND.

He was honorably

discharged on June 5,

1953 and returned to ND

where he assisted with

the daily operation of his

wife’s family farmstead

near Hatton.

Abner attended ND

State University and gra-

duated with a B.S. Degree

in Agriculture in 1959. He

started his employment

with the USDA Soil Con-

servation Service in

Jamestown and worked in

various communities

throughout ND until retir-

ing from the Soil Conser-

vation Service at Minot in

1987. Abner began his

real estate career in 1987

with Signal Realty and

later Broker’s 12 of Minot

and retired in 2007.

Abner held various

memberships in the Minot

community that included

Zion Lutheran Church,

Golden K Kiwanis, Toast-

masters, Veterans of

Foreign Wars, Disabled

American Veterans,

NAARFE, Elks Lodge, and

Eagles Aerie.

Abner enjoyed reading,

golfing, hunting, fishing,

traveling, and spending

time with family and

friends.

Abner is survived by

his loving wife of 67

years, Lorraine, Minot;

children Sherry Wheeling,

Minot and Mark Lee, Ply-

mouth, MN; son-in-law

Jerry Wheeling, Minot;

grandchildren Tiffany

Schmelz, Jennifer Ander-

son, Jill Cope, and Chad

Wheeling;

great-grandchildren Kay-

dra Weigel, Jayden Wheel-

ing, Cole Anderson, and

Claire Anderson; siblings

Alice Strand, Mayville,

ND, Clarice Kennedy,

Grand Forks, ND, and

Dorothy Grage, Mayville,

ND; sister-in-law Evelyn

Lee and brother-in-law

Dave Boyer, along with

numerous niece and

nephews.

Abner was preceded in

death by his parents,

daughter Janelle Wheel-

ing, an infant brother

Kenneth Lee; brothers

Harold Lee and Arthur

Lee; sisters Olivia Nelson,

Sophia Haakenson, Mar-

garet Lande, Inez Boyer

and Mildred Strand;

brother-in-law Gaylord

Sanda, Gene Sanda,

Gerald Sanda, and

sister-in-law Mary Jane

Thingelstad.

Celebration of Life for

Abner Lee: Saturday,

January 11, 2020 at 2:00

p.m. in Zion Lutheran

Church, Minot.

Interment: North Dako-

ta Veterans Cemetery at a

later date.

Visitation will be held

on Friday, January 10,

2020 from 5:30 p.m. until

7:30 p.m. at the Thomas

Family Funeral Home,

Minot.

Memories and con-

dolences can be shared at

www.thomasfamilyfunera

lhome.com