Gerald Burckhard

Minot

Gerald Burckhard, 81, Minot, ND, passed away Wednesday, April 8, 2026, in his home.

Gerald Anthony Burckhard was born March 5, 1945, the son of Michael Lawrence and Olivia Perpetua (Boechler) Burckhard, in Rugby. He and his family lived in Towner, ND until 1957 when they moved to a farm south of Granville, ND. He attended 1st through 4th grade in Towner, 5th and 6th grade in Berwick, ND, 7th and 8th grade in a country school and 9th through 12th in Karlsruhe, graduating in 1963.

Following high school, Gerald worked on the farm with his father, Mike, and family. He developed a great fondness for farming, cattle, and horses. On November 10, 1965, he was drafted into the United States Army. He proudly served his country during the Vietnam War and was honorably discharged August 30, 1967.

After the Vietnam War, he worked for Boeing for a short time while he lived in Washington. When he returned to North Dakota he began working for the United States Postal Service in Fargo, before being transferred to Minot in 1970. Gerald was dedicated to his job. He had an incredible work ethic. His social personality helped him build relationships with those along his route, resulting in many Christmas gifts during the holiday season. He retired from delivering mail in March of 2000. Not being one to sit idle, in 2003, he began working for Wilbur Ellis as a truck driver until 2016.

Gerald married Kathleen “Kathy” VanNatta on November 3, 1972, in Minot and he gained four step-children, Robert, David, Ronda, and Patrick. They made their home in Minot.

He was a member of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church.

He enjoyed spending time outdoors fishing and hunting. His true passion outdoors was his garden. Gerald had a green thumb. His garden was a labor of love, and he took caring for it seriously. He liked to share the abundance of vegetables with others. His apple trees and picking juneberries and chokecherries were special to him, finding it relaxing to pick once ripe.

In his free time, you could find him watching NASCAR racing, old westerns, or restoring tractors and other machinery. One of his fondest memories was being a part of the Centennial Wagon Train in Wyoming.

His loving family includes: wife of 53 years, Kathy; step-children, Robert (Lisa) Wolf, David (Chris) Wolf, and Ronda (John) Sperduti; grandchildren, Danielle (Randy) Wolf, Whitney (Matthew) Walters, Matthew (McKenzie) Wolf, Brandon (Brittnie) Wolf, Kevin (Heather) Wolf, Kyle (Kathryn) Drobnis, Kayla (Dan) Kaplan, and Tasha (Brady) Wolf; 8 great-grandchildren; brothers, Raymond (Carol) Burckhard and Marvin (Lori) Burckhard; sisters, Marlene (Curt) Thompson and Elaine (David) Boehm; and three nephews, a niece and many cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; step-son, Patrick Wolf; and niece, Deanna Thompson.

Mass of Christian Burial: Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, Minot.

Interment: Rosehill Memorial Park, Minot, ND.

Visitation: Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, Minot.

Vigil Prayer Service: Monday at 7:00 p.m. at Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, Minot.

The service will be livestreamed for the public to view and can be accessed by going to the Thompson-Larson Funeral home website: www.thompsonlarson.com

Those wishing to sign the online register and share memories may access the online obituaries section at (www.thompsonlarson.com).

Published by The Minot Daily News, April 17, 2026.