Thursday, August 7, 2025

Craig Byron Oksol

September 28, 1955 - August 4, 2011.

Craig Byron Oksol was born to Carl H. and Ruth (Flessner) Oksol in Williston on Sept. 28, 1955. He was raised in Williston in a family with five siblings and was raised at First Lutheran Church. He attended Wilkinson Elementary and graduated from Williston High School in 1973. Craig continued his education first locally at UND-Williston for two years of general studies and then he continued his education at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks where he earned his B.S. degree in business.

After his formal education, Craig returned to Williston, where he stepped into the business of his father, Carl H. Oksol at Manger Insurance; here he found his niche in serving the insurance needs of many in northwest North Dakota and northeast Montana. His career would span 34 years at Manger Insurance. Craig and his sister, Karla Osborn, purchased the stock of the closely held family business in 1999 and Craig took on the role of president. This vocation allowed him to serve others and during the ebb and flow of his time at Manger, many people in Williston and the surrounding communities were thankful for years of insurance coverage and the peace of mind he brought to business owners. Craig was well respected in the community and in the insurance arena.

Craig believed in Williston and this greater area and he helped in the community’s growth by serving on many area boards. He served faithfully and with a calming presence. Some of the benefactors of Craig’s time were the Mercy Hospital Board and Williston State College Foundation Board. He was an active member of the Local Rotary Club, a past Rotary Club president, and he truly lived by their motto: Service above Self. Craig is also a past Toastmaster and gave back to his vocation of insurance by serving in many capacities with the local and state insurance associations.

After being reintroduced at their 30th high school class reunion, Craig was united in marriage to Kathryn Larson of Williston on Feb. 4, 2006. To this union, two daughters entered his life, Vanessa and Victoria whom Craig adopted.

Craig cherished life and his family and friends every opportunity that he could. He especially loved taking drives in the country where the wide open prairies always unveiled something new. Craig enjoyed hunting, riding his motorcycle, horseback riding, singing (especially with the Dublin Boys), reading a good book, canoeing or hiking the North Unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Craig also loved spending time with his close-knit Bible study group from New Hope Wesleyan Church and traveling to areas of interest such as Jamaica, Portugal, China and his favorite place to visit, New York City. Had Craig survived, his new mission in life was to spread the Gospel of salvation through his Savior Jesus Christ.

Craig leaves to mourn his early departure his wife, Kathryn, and daughters, Vanessa (Matthew) Massey and Victoria Bastian, all of Williston; his father, Carl H. Oksol and mother, Ruth Oksol; brother, Bruce (May) Oksol, San Antonio, Texas and their children, Kiri (Josh) Nevin and Laura Oksol; sister, Yvonne (Terry) Braun, West Fargo and their children, Eric (Alicia) Braun and Jennifer (Greg) Poziembo; sister, Karla (Bob) Osborn, Williston and their son, Rob (Toby) Osborn; sister, Kathy Oksol, Tucson, Ariz., and her children, Anna and Sophie Ochoa-Lions and sister, Jan (Dave) Greenwald, Portland, Ore., and their boys, Cameron and Connor; his mother-in-law, Gwen Larson; his sisters-in-law, Marilynn Baker, Judy Nevell and Janet Melugin and several great-nieces and nephews.

Craig peacefully passed away on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, Minn., where he received the best possible care and had the loving support of his wife and family at his side. He was able to live long enough to again wish his bride of almost six years a happy birthday!

Craig was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents.

Thursday, July 31, 2025

Bruce's Chevy Nova SS -- Brand New -- 1973 -- Cross-Country From Williston, ND, To Los Angeles, California -- To Medical School

Posted July 31, 2025.

My car, link here.

Link here.

I truly got teary-eyed when I posted this. I never thanked my dad enough for this car; I could never thank him enough for this gift. 

I distinctly remember the day I drove off to medical school, leaving 722 17th Street West, Williston, ND.

So many memories when looking at this picture:

Monday, June 23, 2025

John And Marlene

 


Friday, May 23, 2025

Obituary — Carl H. Oksol

 Link herehttps://www.willistonherald.com/obituaries/archives/carl-oksol-96/article_b1f7e830-5ecc-11e8-b830-03ce3322190c.html.


Carl Oksol, 96, of Williston, passed away at CHI Saint Alexius Medical Center in Williston on Sunday Afternoon, May 20, 2018.

His Funeral Service will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, May 25, 2018 at First Lutheran Church in Williston.  Rev. Brian Knutson will officiate. Interment with military rites will take place in Riverview Cemetery following the funeral service.

Friends may call at Everson-Coughlin Funeral Home on Thursday, May 24 from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM and for the hour preceding the service at the church on Friday.

Carl Harold Oksol was born February 6, 1922 to Paul and Christine (Tangvald) Oksol.  The fifth of five children, he was raised on the family sheep farm near Newell, South Dakota.  Paul and Christine emigrated from Norway to America so Norwegian was spoken at home and English taught at school.  

Carl, being the youngest, needed a way to get to school. A Hispanic family living down the road gave Carl a horse, who had not been well cared for.   No one at the Oksols knew the horse’s name, so Carl’s mom Christine just took to calling him “X” and the appellation stuck. Carl took to “X” immediately.  He made sure his stall was cleaned every day; he carried hay to the bin, and when he could afford it, even treated “X” to some oats.

During the course of several weeks, “X” improved remarkably.  Carl’s mother had not been paying much attention to Carl and “X” and so was quite surprised when she looked out the window one day and saw Carl on a beautiful chestnut quarter horse. She hurried out the door and asked Carl where he had gotten the new horse.  Carl explained that “This is “X”. He’s gotten all better!”

Carl turned six years old in 1928 and started school later that year.  Carl remembers the walk to grade school being uphill both ways and often covered with snow, several feet deep.

By third grade, the older siblings were no longer available to walk Carl to school so he was on his own.  His folks had him ride “X” to school.

Carl continued to attend school until he graduated from Newell High School in 1940. He graduated 39th in his class. Out of 40.  

Carl attended college in 1940 and earned a degree in industrial engineering, which is impressive for someone who graduated second from the bottom of his class.  

In 1942, someone was thinking about Carl. Uncle Sam. Carl received a letter in the mail with a return address from the US Selective Service.   Carl did not open the envelope; he did not want to go into the army. Instead he visited the Belle Fourche Navy recruiting station. Carl was sworn into the United States Coast Guard, November 6, 1942.   Carl was in the Coat Guard for four years on the USS Wakefield transporting American Troops to the theaters of war, and returning to the United States with American troops for reassignment or foreign troops as prisoners of war.  In all, he completed 44 trips across the Atlantic, six across the Mediterranean, and four across the Pacific. [He was discharged from the US Navy, April 16, 1946, having served three years, five months, and eleven days.]

[We know little of the specifics between his US Navy discharge in 1946 and his marriage to Ruth in 1950. We do know he was a truck driver, driving from South Dakota to Texas. He also talked of general construction, a very difficult job; he remembers moving cement by wheelbarrow; how heavy it must have been. And, finally, we have a photo of him and about 30 young men in suits standing in front of a large corporate headquarters building, a meat-packing plant, John Morrell & Company. Carl met Ruth on a blind date set up by a close friend of both.]

Carl married Ruth Flessner (whom he loved at first sight) on November 4, 1950. 

[His first job after getting married of which we knew: insurance adjuster for Western Adjusting, which kept him on the road constantly. Working for Western Adjusting,] Carl and Ruth moved to Bismarck, ND, their first home, and the city where children Bruce and Yvonne were born. Carl moved his family from Bismarck to Williston in August 1953, where Karla, Craig, Kathleen, and Jan were welcomed to the family.  

While Carl was adjusting insurance claims in Williston ND, he learned to know Erling Manger of  Manger Insurance. In December 1955, Carl bought one-half interest in the business and started working for Erling on January 1, 1956.   Carl and Erling operated as a partnership for two years (1956 and 1957). Then in January 1958, Jim Leinen joined the agency.

Carl was very active in the community, being involved in Williston Rotary Club, the Bethel Foundation, Elks Club, Moose Club, First Lutheran Church (where he was especially involved in Lutefisk ticket sales) and his work as a Williams County Commissioner.

In 2015 Carl moved to a room at Bethel Lutheran Home, which he loved.  He had a captive audience to whom he could tell all his stories over and over again.  

Carl passed away on May 20, 2018 after living a “wonderful life”.

Carl is survived by his children, Bruce A Oksol (May) of Texas, Yvonne R Braun (Terry) of Minnesota, Karla Osborn (Bob) of Williston, Kathleen Oksol (Jorge Ochoa-Lions) of Arizona, Jan Marie Greenwald (Dave) of Oregon; daughter in law, Kathryn Oksol; Grandchildren, Eric Braun (Alicia), Kiri Nevin (Josh), Rob Osborn (Toby), Laura Oksol (Tim Moberg), Victoria Knox (Kyle) of Williston, Jennifer Poziembo (Greg), Anna Bernstein (Kevin), Sofia Ochoa,  Cameron Greenwald, Connor Greenwald; Great-Grandchildren, Arianna, Olivia, Sophia, Oliver, Emelia, Jillian, Bennett, Caleb, Kaitlyn, Gemma. Ruth Oksol, living in Portland Oregon, was heartbroken to hear of Carl’s death.

Carl was preceded in death by his parents, siblings, beloved son Craig Oksol and infant granddaughter Kallie Ann Braun.

Friends are welcome to visit www.eversoncoughlin.com to share memories of Carl or leave condolences for his family.

Monday, March 31, 2025

Storm Lake Pilot -- March 2025

Happened to catch this article in The New York Review of Books, March, 2025. Ruth would have been proud. LOL.



Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Bruce -- Age 74 Years Old -- Photo By Sophia

 

****************************
Carl H. Oksol

About 2016, we think.

************************
Most Important "Events" In My Life

In chronological order, not in order of "influence" on my life.

Kindergarten.

Second grade.

Eighth grade.

High school.

Wrestling. Listen to Victor Davis Hanson. Will post the link later.

Bruce Conway.

[College]

Cross-country hitchhiking.

Summer in Europe.

[Medical school] 

Selling dictionaries. 

Linda Fisher.

Open Marriage.

Alaska.

May Garcia.

Kiri.

Laura.

[USAF]

Gas mask training in USAF.

Ejection seat training into ocean.

First flight F-15.

Turkey.

Jim Wessler.

Arianna.

Laura.

Yorkshire.

Arianna.
first grandchild
water polo

Olivia.
soccer

Sophia.
catching a fish

Levi.

Judah.

***********************
On Wrestling

Bruce -- Kindergarten Class -- 1955 - 1956

 


Kathy: Letter From Canada -- 1974

Now we know that Jan's fixation on shoes started at a very early age. LOL.


 


 


Letter From Craig -- To Flessner Grandparents Regarding Jan's Birth

Letter is hard to read -- fading away. 

Incredibly good penmanship.

Craig's letter and Mom's note.


Craig's letter transcribed:

Carl: US Coast Guard Discharge -- 1946

 



 


 

 


 


 


 

Monday, March 17, 2025

Ruth's Grandfathers --

 William A. Folkerts


O. E. Flessner






Friday, January 10, 2025