Earl Aamoth passed away at the St. Catherines Nursing Home in Fargo, ND on November27, 2023.

His Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, December 4, 2023, at 11:00 at St. Joe's Catholic Church. Father Paul Eberle will Officiate the Service.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, December 3, from 1:00 - 5:00 at the Everson Coughlin Funeral Home.

This is the story of Earl Aamoth written in his words.

I was born January 16th, 1931, to Emil and Myrtle (Fossum) Aamoth in Twin Valley, MN. The first 14 years were spent on the family farm 7 miles east of Twin Valley. Farm life wasn’t easy in the early 30’s. What with the lack of moisture, locusts, and hard winters. We raised our own vegetables, fruit, meat, and made our own butter, canned meat, and vegetables for winter. We did all the farm work with horses until 1939 or 1940 when my dad bought a “B” Allis-Chalmers tractor. We had no electricity or indoor plumbing. We had to carry water from the pumphouse which was about a block away. I attended the Banner School which was a 1 room schoolhouse through my elementary years, which was 1/3 mile from our farm. There was no water at the Banner School and being our farm was the closest I was more or less the water boy. So, in the winter I and my cousin Orlin Braget usually got the call to haul an 8-gallon milk pail from our farm back to the school. By the time we waded through 2 feet of snow with a full pail we were mostly covered with ice. Lots of fun though. At recess we played tag, pickup sticks, hide and seek, and soft ball. I love farm life even if it was hard. All those green grain fields were a pretty sight and at harvest when the grain was cut and stacked, all those stocks in straight rows, what a beautiful sight. Then came the threshing time. My sister and I had the job of sacking the grain from the threshing machine and taking it to the granary. This one time, I don’t know what caused it, but the team went nuts and we had a runaway with a wagon load of grain. We almost hit the pumphouse, scared the heck out of ma and the women folk, went around the whole farm and finally got them under control after about 10 minutes. Man, what a ride! Got my own bundle team working for Otto Braget. Made 2 bucks an hour, which was pretty darn good money for a 16-year-old. Bought a 35 ford, I was living in high heaven. One thing about threshing runs- you sure ate good and always a beer party after each place.

I graduated from Twin Valley High School in 1948. While in school I played baseball, basketball, and track for the Twin Valley Tigers. Also, Legion Independent baseball. I could always brag that I played for the twins because our town team was called the Twin Valley Twins. I sang a solo “The Long Road” at my graduation and was editor of the Twin Valley Tiger school paper. In my junior year I met a beautiful freshman girl named Donna, who on Feb. 3rd, 1951, became my wife of 62 years.

I joined the Air Force on Dec. 4th, 1950. Had basic training at Lakeland AFB and Sheppard AFB in Texas. I went to Scott AFB in Bellville IL in Jan. of 51, to start radio mech school. One day I was riding the base bus along the flight line when the P51 Mustang came roaring along about 200 ft. in the air. I watched as he came to the end of the runway, made a U turn and BAM, right down on the tarmac. Man, that P51 was fast. I thought to myself, I’ve got to get flying that plane. But when I asked the 1st SGT about flight school, he said I must have 2 years of college so that put an end to that. As luck would have it, when my outfit was sent to Germany in 1952, we were stationed at Spangdahlem AFB which had a squadron of P51’s and Sabre jets. The 51’s out preformed the jets every time. While in Germany I was in charge of a crew of 4 operators and 2 radio mech’s setting up radio relay sites across the country, which included Spangdahlem AFB, Bitburg AFB, Stuttgart, Berkenfel, and other places. My wife and 18-month-old daughter came over in the spring of 53. We lived in a quant village of Spicer, about 10 miles from the base. We saw a lot of country while they were there. I bought a 48 Ford and we traveled to Luxenberg, Belgium, and Holland. Donna and Paula came back to the USA aboard the French liner, Ile De France. In March of 54, my outfit came back in a rowboat. Back in the states we were stationed at Gieger Field outside of Spokane until my discharge in Dec. 1954 as a S.SGT.

In 1955 I went to work for Northwestern Bell in Rugby N.D. Moved to Williston in Nov. of 55 and raised our 5 kids there. Paula was born at Scott AFB, Craig was born at Fairchild AFB, and Wayne, Toni, and Kari were born in Williston, all graduated from Williston High School. We traveled all over the state following the boys in baseball, especially when they won the Babe Ruth State in Fargo in 1970 and the State Legion tour in Fargo in 1973. In 1980 I built our house at Long Creek on Lake Sakakawea. We lived there until 2011 when we moved to Fargo. I retired from US West Telecom in 1992 after 37 years. We spent many a good years sitting on the deck of our house watching the birds, deer, coyotes, wild turkeys, and geese while enjoying moon lite nights with lots of stars and comets.

I lost my wife of 62 years on May 12, 2013. She passed on Mother’s Day with many family members around her.

I joined the moose in 1956. I went through the chairs and in 1998-1999 was elected to be Governor of Williston Lodge 239. I joined the Ritual Team in 1975 as Class Rep. and became a team member in 1977 as SGT. At. Arms. I was a ritualist until 2003. I went to Ritual Competitions for 26 years and International Competitions for 5 years. I was sponsored to become a Pilgrim at the House of God at Moose Heart Campus in IL. in 2004. This is the highest award you can obtain in the Moose. Was quite an honor. I am also a lifetime member of the VFW, and a member of the American Legion since 1950.

Earl is survived by his children, Paula (Steve) Marquette, Wayne (Sandra) Aamoth, Toni (Rory) Anderson, Kari (Dale) Hastings, and daughter-in-law Dianne Aamoth.

Grandchildren- Stacy (Albert) Johnson Casarez, Sherri (Matt) Ekblad, Adrianne (Steve) Engelter, Avery (Delanee) Aamoth, Carly (Alex) Wolf, Lauren (Cory) Leff, Derik (Chelsey) Anderson, Dustin (Kecia) Anderson, Nichole (Brandon) Gwin, Natalie (Derek) Pladson.

Great grandchildren- Kayden Johnson (fiancé Natalie), Kody Johnson, Kolten Casarez, Leif, Bode, and Chay Ekblad, Sophia and Olivia Engleter, Ari Aamoth, Wallace Wolf, Alena, Leni Mae, and Lane Anderson, Elise and Bryn Anderson, Layla, Liam, Emma, Caleb, and Rosie Gwin, Jasper Pladson.

Great-great granddaughter- LilyAnne Johnson.

Earl is preceded in death by his soulmate Donna, parents Emil and Myrtle Aamoth, his brother Larry, sisters Marion, Gen, and Norma, his son Craig Aamoth, his granddaughter Alicia Dragger, and his grandson Zach Anderson