Paul Wirtz
May 3, 1932-June 17, 2021
Paul A. Wirtz, 89,
Minot, ND, formerly of
Kenmare, ND, passed
away Thursday, June 17,
2021, at Trinity Hospital
in Minot.
Paul was born May 3,
1932, on the family farm
located east of Kenmare.
He was youngest of 13
children born to John and
Mary (Bauer) Wirtz. He
was raised and educated
in Kenmare. As the
youngest child, he was al-
ways looking for a laugh
and to entertain. That trait
would last Pauly his en-
tire life.
Paul was a very smart
man, but he would choose
working over going to
school any day of the
week. As a teenager, he
could be found working at
the bowling alley, the coal
mines or on the farm.
Later, he worked during
the winter plowing snow
and surveying missile
sites, all while continuing
to operate his farm.
Paul married Marlise
Peterson June 5, 1952, in
Kenmare. Together, they
made a successful farm
and raised their family.
They always had a
camper, even into their
eighties, where many
great family memories
were made. Paul loved to
work and would lead oth-
ers in a local project to get
it done. He would often
be seen working in front
of his farm shop where
neighbors would stop by
and visit which was the
case on his final Saturday
before his fall.
He was a member of St.
Agnes Catholic Church in
Kenmare and Our Lady of
Grace Catholic Church in
Minot.
His loving family in-
cludes: wife of 69 years,
Marlise, Minot; daughters,
Pam (Dick) Ramsdell,
Rugby, ND, Paulette
(Mark) Mattern, Devils
Lake, ND, and Robin
(Ben) James, Kenmare,
ND; son, John (Marianne)
Wirtz, Minot; grandchil-
dren, Sheila (Mike)
Melaas, Kim (Steve)
Anderson, Derek (Katie)
Ramsdell, Paul (Kelli)
Mattern, Aimee (Pat)
Muus, and Steve (Val)
Mattern; 11
great-grandchildren; one
great great-grandchild due
in August of 2021; sister,
Theresa Ankenbauer,
Minot; and numerous
nieces, nephews and
cousins.
Paul was preceded in
death by: his parents;
brothers and sisters,
Clarence, Agnes, Bernard,
Sr. Louise, Clarence M.,
Clara, Lillian, Lawrence,
Bernice, Lucille and John.
Mass of Christian Buri-
al: Thursday, June 24,
2021, at 11:00 a.m. at Our
Lady of Grace Catholic
Church, Minot.
Inurnment: Thursday
at 3:00 pm at St. Agnes
Catholic Cemetery, Ken-
mare, ND.
Visitation: Wednesday
from 5 to 7 p.m. at
Thompson-Larson Fun-
eral Home, Minot.
Memorials: are pre-
ferred to the Kenmare
Ambulance, the Kenmare
Rural Fire Department or
the St. Agnes Catholic
Cemetery Fund.
The service will be
livestreamed for the pub-
lic to view and can be ac-
cessed by going to the
Thompson-Larson Fun-
eral home website:
www.thompson
larson.com.
Those wishing to sign
the online register and
share memories may ac-
cess the online obituaries
section at www.thompson
larson.com.