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- [S927] Obituary.
Ellyn Frank Gartner, 76, passed away peacefully at his home in Bismarck on Dec. 17, 2010. Services will be held at Bethel Lutheran Church, Bismarck, at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 22, with the Rev. Timothy Jenks officiating. Burial will be held at Sunset Memorial Gardens.
Visitation will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Bismarck Funeral Home, with a prayer service at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church.
Ellyn was born Feb. 27, 1934, to Frank and Beatrice (Schafer) Gartner in Glen Ullin. He was baptized and confirmed at the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Glen Ullin. He attended Sacred Heart Elementary School and graduated from Glen Ullin High School May 22, 1954. He joined and was honorably discharged from the Armed Forces and National Guard of North Dakota.
Ellyn married the love of his life, Edna Frank, on May 18, 1958, at Zion Lutheran Church in Bismarck. Edna and Ellyn were blessed to be the parents of seven children, Brenda, Cheri, Judi, Blaine, Barry, Joel and Jane and later were blessed with 12 grandchildren.
Ellyn “Al” worked for over 50 years as a plumber and pipefitter. He was known as someone who worked hard for every hour’s pay. He worked as a plumber and job foreman for H.A. Thompson & Sons in Bismarck. Later, he worked as a pipefitter, general foreman and construction supervisor for Sornsin Mechanical, ProCon, Inc., and Henry J. Kaiser Company, among many others. Ellyn’s crowning achievement was his work as a general foreman during the construction of the Great Plains Synfuels Plant in Beulah. He was one of the first 10 men hired and one of the last ones there to complete it. He also supervised construction, turnaround and shutdown projects at various Basin Electric power plants and at the Amoco Refinery in Mandan.
Ellyn was a proud member of the Plumbers & Pipefitters UA Local No. 795. He served as an executive board-member for nine years and as president for six years. He also served as secretary-treasurer of the North Dakota Pipe Trades Association. Ellyn was an original member of Pride Industries Board of Directors. He also was an active member of Bethel Lutheran Church, where he served on the church council and board of trustees.
Ellyn was an avid gardener, raising more than 40 types of day lilies and a wide variety of perennials. He loved spending time with his grandchildren and was a savvy pinochle player. We will miss him greatly.
Ellyn is survived by his wife of 52 years, Edna; three sons, Blaine (Lori), Coon Rapids, Minn., Barry (Vickie), Eagan, Minn., and Joel (Heather), Black River Falls, Wis.; four daughters, Brenda (Charles) Whitman, Bismarck, Cheri (Craig) Stolz, Mission Viejo, Calif., Judi (Mike) Swanberg, Bismarck, and Jane (Eric) Lagerquist, St. Paul, Minn.; 12 grandchildren, Madisson and Hailey Whitman, Sydney and Meg Stolz, Erin, Kelly and Brian Swanberg, Brady, Collin and Megan Gartner and Hans and Peter Lagerquist; brothers, Terry (Trish) and Nathan (Debborah); as well as many nieces and nephews.
Preceding him in death were his parents; brother, Theodore; and sisters, Arlene White and Joan Steckler.
Go to www.bismarckfuneralhome.com to sign the online guest book or to share memories with the family.
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1934 - 2010 (76 years)