Kenneth Orville Lystad was born June 10, 1919, in Willow City, North Dakota to Norwegian immigrant parents, Hans Christian “Christ” and Alice (Bakken) Lystad. He attended a rural one-room elementary school in Gardena and graduated from Bottineau High School in 1937. He was the oldest of four children.

Ken was mobilized with the ND National Guard 164th Infantry, Medical Detachment in December 1940, and sent to basic training at Camp Claiborne, LA. He had three months training in Medical and Surgical school at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and he served as a medic with the 164th on New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, Fiji Islands, Bougainville, and the Solomon Islands. He was honorably discharged in July 1945.

After his discharge, Ken moved to Rolla and met the woman he would be happily married to for 70 years. After a 5-month courtship, Ken married Hope Elaine Ebel on April 14, 1946, at her parent’s farm in Rolla, ND. Ken and Elaine lived in Bottineau, ND, and briefly in Clark, SD, when Ken was called again to active duty in 1949 for the Korean War. At that time, Ken joined the 231st Engineer Battalion and mobilized with the unit in 1950 for another 2 years of active duty. During this time the family lived in Fort Lewis, WA, and Ken served as a platoon leader, training troops for service. He was honorably discharged from active duty in January 1953.

The family moved to Stanley in 1954, where they bought and operated the Westland Oil station and bulk business for 15 years. He then bought Exxon Bulk, and continued farming and ran a feedlot. He served as Commander of Company C, 468th Engineer combat battalion in the US Army Reserves, until retiring in 1979. At his retirement, after 26 years of service, he held the rank of Major.

Ken and Elaine have been life long Stanley residents, raising their 5 children and being very involved in the community. Kenny and Elaine were members of American Lutheran Church where he served on the church council; he was a Mountrail County Commissioner for 17 years; served 3 terms on the Stanley School Board and was board President when the Severson High School was built; he was a member of the Charles Hartman Post of the American Legion and VFW for over 65 years, serving as Commander many of the years. He was also commander of the Honor Guard and served as Fire Chief and a volunteer fireman for 25 years.

Kenneth believed in family, faith, hard work, quiet charity, leadership, patriotism, and public service. He was proud of his military service and was pleased to have participated in an Honor Flight to the WWII Memorial in Washington DC. He was even more proud of his children and grandchildren and served as a role model for all of them. He was a voracious reader and always knowledgeable about current events. He was an honest, generous and kind man and we will always love and miss him.

Ken is survived by his five children: Penny (Cliff) Hovda of Minot, ND; Peggy (Daryl) Lautenschlager of Byron, MN; Larry (Grace) Lystad of Stanley, ND; Jeffrey (Mary) Lystad of Fargo, ND; Kristan (Tony) Johnson of Byron, MN. Grandchildren: Jonathan Hovda (Rita); Stephen Hovda (Leslie); Dawn Spencer; Holly LeRohl; Chad Lystad (Ellery); Timothy Lystad (Vanessa); Jordan Lystad; Kendra Lystad (Ryan); Drew Lystad; Max Johnson; McKenna Johnson; Seth Johnson; Great-grandchildren: Kacey Spencer; Payton Lystad; Fern Nelson Lystad

He was preceded in death by his wife Elaine; his parents; his sister Marie Sanderson, and brothers, Willie and Lyle.