Keith A. Kulland
May 8, 1938-May 1, 2021
Keith A. Kulland, 82, of
Williston, ND, passed
away peacefully on Satur-
day May 1, 2021, at
Mountrail Bethel Home in
Stanley, ND. Springan-
Stevenson Funeral Home
of Stanley is assisting the
family. Friends may sign
the on-line register and
give their condolences at
www.springansteven
son.com. Visitation will
be held at American Luth-
eran Church in Stanley,
ND on Saturday, May 8,
2021, from 12:00 PM until
service time. Funeral Ser-
vices will be held at
2:00PM on Saturday, May
8, 2021 (Which would
have been Keith’s
83rdbirthday), at Ameri-
can Lutheran Church in
Stanley, ND. Pastor David
Behm will officiate. Burial
with military honors will
follow in Johns Cemetery
near the Kulland farm in
Palermo, ND. A Memorial
and Celebration of Life
for Keith will be held at
Concordia Lutheran
Church in Williston, ND,
on May 7th at 7:00 pm,
with visitation to begin at
6:30 PM. A social gather-
ing will be held at Willis-
ton American Legion Post
#37 following the
Memorial Service on Fri-
day. The Funeral Service
will be broadcast, you can
view Keith’s service
directly on his obituary
page on our website
www.springansteven
son.com. Due to Covid19,
we ask that everyone
adheres to local and state
requirements for social
distancing. Keith was
born May 8, 1938 at a
home near the Palda coal
mine, in Mountrail Coun-
ty to Alfred and Mildred
(Holstenson) Kulland.
Alma Eklund helped
deliver him. As a boy
Keith helped on the fami-
ly farm east of Belden,
ND, and was confirmed at
Bethany Lutheran Church
of rural Belden. He at-
tended high school in
Parshall, ND, then went
on to enlist in the United
States Air Force, where he
was stationed in Japan
and the Philippines. Upon
his return he worked at
North Dakota missile sites
in Langdon and Larimore
among other places, mar-
ried Ellen (Kellel) Kul-
land, and had two chil-
dren, Janice and Jason.
Keith was a longtime
resident of Williston ND,
and as a young man
worked in the oil patch
for Calvert, then Bomac
drilling companies. One
day in his late 30’s he
came home and an-
nounced, “I bought a
crane!” Keith then went
on to own Kulland Exca-
vating and Gravel Inc. for
25 years, and later started
a business of taking down
old granaries and grain
elevators in Northwest-
North Dakota and Eastern
Montana. For all who
knew Keith he was an ec-
centric, with many
dreams and ideas, and-
manyof which came true.
He was an inventor, mas-
ter mechanic, collector,
explorer, and best of all
storyteller. We used to
say, he never bought any-
thing that couldn’t be
fixed, and he had a love of
tinkering and fixing old
vehicles and machinery.
He was also instrumental
in the construction of the
American Legion Park lo-
cated southwest of Willis-
tonin the 1990’s. Keith
wore many hats. He was a
member of Toastmasters,
Williston Moose Lodge
#239, and the Vietnam
Veterans of America
Chapter #487 in New
Town, and was a lifetime
member of Williston
American Legion Post
#37 (Where was Post
Commander from
1983-85, and Legionnaire
of the Year in 2008),
Williston VFW Post
#12169, and Williston
Forty and Eight Voiture
Locale#360. Keith was
also well known for his
faithful portrayal of Gen.
George S. Patton. He and
his North Dakota Military
Police Association won
several awards in the
North Dakota State Fair
Parade. The highlight of
his Patton portrayal was
when he recited his
famous speech on the
Medora Burning Hills
Amphitheater stagein
2002. He was known to
many as, “The General”.
Keith was an avid military
history historian, and a
true patriot, but most of
all he loved life and cher-
ished his family and
friends. Keith is survived
by his children, Janice
Strande (Dave) of Grand
Forks, ND, and Jason Kul-
land of Langdon, ND,
grandchildren, Nathan
Strande (Meagan), of
Council Bluffs, IA, Erik
Strande (Kelsey) of Ver-
nal, UT, and Shaun
Strande (Jennifer) of
Grand Forks, ND, great
grandchildren, Keaton,
MaKenzie, Judd, and
Lucy, and one sister, Ani-
ta, of Mulvane, KS. He
was preceded in death by
his parents, and brothers,
Clark, Dean, and Darwin.