John Lewis

Karlsruhe

John Lewis, 75, Karlsruhe, ND, passed away on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 in a Velva Nursing home.

John was born on April 5, 1950, a son of Clayton and Marian (Kruger) Lewis in New Rockford, ND. He was raised and educated in Sheyenne, ND, where he attended and graduated from Sheyenne High School in 1968.

John was united in marriage to Norma Marie Popham on July 18, 1972. In 1973, they moved to Velva, ND, where they purchased their first farmstead, SE of Velva. Together John and Norma raised their family of four children, Melissa, Randy, Johnna and Stefanie. After many years of caring for Norma, she passed on August 29, 2007 after a long battle with leukemia.

He was a member of the Methodist Church in Velva, ND.

John was a straightforward hardworking guy who spent most of his life in construction, running scrapers, dozers and payloaders on all kinds of jobs. He took special pride in building dams for Fish and Wildlife – work that kept him outdoors. But what he really lived for was his horses and mules. He was always out there doing something with them – training, riding, or just tending to them everyday. A proud member of the Quarter Horse Association, he’d make a deal with just about anyone if it involved his horses. That was John: simple, steady and happiest when he was around his animals.

He’ll be missed for his no-nonsense ways and the quiet love he had for the life he built.

John is survived by:

Children: Melissa (Mikel) Myers, Randy Lewis, Johnna (Aaron) Torr, son-in-law Robert Norton; grandchildren: Gracie, Graydon, Gaby, Hudson, Beau, Elle, and Jack, Sylas and Miri; special Friend: Betty Kanode; siblings: David (June) Lewis, Heidi (Corey) Schieffer; Brother in Law Jim Hanson; several nieces, nephews and cousins also survive.

John was preceded in death by his father, mother, and wife of 35 years Norma, daughter Stefanie, and sisters Lynn and Pam.

Visitation: Tuesday, March 3, 2026 one hour prior to the service at Oak Valley Lutheran Church, Velva

Funeral Service: Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at 10:30 am at Oak Valley Lutheran Church, Velva

Burial: in the spring of 2026 at the Velva Community Cemetery, Velva, ND

Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, Minot.

Published by The Minot Daily News, February 28, 2026.