Rod D. Olson

Rod D. Olson, age 82, of

Minot, passed away on

Friday, September 17,

2021, at his home.

Graveside service will

be Tuesday, September

21, 2021, at 11 a.m. with

Military Honors at Beth-

lehem Lutheran Cemetery

in rural Columbus.

Rod was born on De-

cember 6th, 1938, in Ken-

mare, North Dakota. He

spent the first eight years

of his life on his

grandfather’s farm South

of Columbus and attended

Columbus grade school

for grades one and two.

When Rod entered 3rd

grade, his family moved

to Lignite, where he com-

pleted grade school and

graduated from high

school. Shortly after high

school, Rod entered the

U. S. Army and was sent

to The U. S. Military Pol-

ice Academy at Fort Gor-

don, Georgia. Upon com-

pleting military police

training, Rod was sta-

tioned in Inchon Korea,

where he completed his

military career. While

serving, Rod did have the

privilege to briefly drive

Douglas McArthur. After

returning from the army,

he rekindled his love of

farming, which he started

at 14 years of age, when

he rented his uncle Milo’s

farm. Rod continued his

education at Minot State

College until he pur-

chased the Mallard bar in

Lignite. Rod owned the

Mallard bar for 26 years

until its sale in 1991. Dur-

ing this time Rod, follow-

ing his love of baseball.

He started the first Little

League and Junior Legion

Baseball teams in Lignite.

In 1970 Rod and Wally

Hanson purchased the

Standard Oil Bulk Plants

in Crosby, Columbus,

Bowbells and Lignite and

started Lignite Oil Com-

pany Incorporated. In

1972 he purchased his un-

cle Milo’s farm and

worked the land until his

retirement. Rod was mar-

ried to Bunny Allen of

Mohall, when their mar-

riage dissolved, Rod

gained and raised two

wonderful stepchildren

Cole and Karla. In 1989

Rod married Donna Beck-

er of Minot, where he was

blessed with 3 more step-

children and loved all the

children as his own.

After retiring due to

health issues Rod and

Donna moved to Minot

and enjoyed their summer

home at Vanhook much of

the year. Rod enjoyed

hunting, fishing and espe-

cially baseball, where Rod

was a diehard Yankee fan.

Rod was a member of the

American Legion, Moose

Lodge Portal, Masonic

Lodge, Minot Sierra Club,

and Kem Temple of the

shrine.

Rod accomplished

many great things in his

life. With everything Rod

did, he did it his way. As

was his way, Rod is the

author of this obituary.

Rod is survived by Cole

and Bobby Joe Allen

(Jamey, Haley) Karla (Al-

len) Biberdorf (Cally, Kay-

la) Jeanne (Becker) and

Russ Gohl (Carrie (Gohl)

and Andy Wyman)

(Amber (Gohl) and Dirk

Mikkelson) Coreen (Beck-

er) and Jerry Caufield

(Jami (Caufield) and Chris

Schwab) (Shawna (Cau-

field) and Marc Tor-

mondsen) Jake Caufield

Mitch Becker (Lee and

Jaimie Barnett) (Nick and

Sara Becker) (Kassy Beck-

er) (Christian Becker)

(Hannah Yexley). Rod is

also survived by 19 great-

grandchildren.

Stakston-Martin Fun-

eral Home of Crosby is in

charge of the arrange-

ments.