Obituary of Kenneth Eugene Riersgard

Kenneth Eugene Riersgard, passed away on September 3rd in Portland, Oregon, at the age of 92. Kenneth was born January 22, 1919 to Thea and Christ Riersgard in Rhame, North Dakota. Kenneth’s father emigrated from Norway in 1905 and homesteaded in Manitou, North Dakota, which was predominately a Norwegian community. Kenneth grew up on this farm and often spoke of his many fond memories of his childhood and school years. After high school, he attended and graduated from the School of Forestry at Bottineau, North Dakota. While working in Stanley, North Dakota, he met his future wife, Olive Griffin. In 1941 he moved to Los Angeles to work at as a machinist at Lockheed Aircraft in Burbank during the industrial build-up of early World War II. In June of 1942 Ken and Olive were married at the Wee Kirk of the Heather Church at Forest Lawn in Glendale, CA. In 1943 he was inducted into the Army. He served in the Pacific with the Amphibian Tractor Battalion. He was discharged in 1946. He attended the University of Montana, graduating in 1948 with a degree in Wildlife Management. In 1949 Kenneth started his long career with the Soil Conservation Service in Idaho. In 1957 he was transferred to Moscow, Idaho. He enjoyed his job as Area Agronomist serving the ten north Idaho districts, and said that he looked forward work each day. He retired in 1978 and spent his time gardening, fishing, camping, pitching horseshoes and travelling with the Road Runners travel club. For years, Ken and Olive spent retirement winters in Hemet, CA, where he won several horseshoe tournaments. He also enjoyed studying the Lewis and Clark Expedition and Native American History, and visited many related historical sites. He was a devoted, life-long member of the Lutheran Church. In the early years in North Dakota services were held in Norwegian until the mid-thirties when the small parish switched to English. Kenneth was preceded in death by his parents and siblings, Emil, Raymond, and Alice. Survivors include his wife, Olive; children: Linda Reiersgard, Marsha Hyde and Philip Riersgard and his wife Charlotte; and grandson, Andrew Collier. A memorial service will be held at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Moscow on October 15 at 10 AM. A reception will follow at the church.