Gary was born on October 24th, 1945 in Williston, ND to Murell and Bernice (Emanuel) Knudsvig. Gary was baptized and confirmed at Rudser Lutheran Church. He was the oldest of eight kids. He was raised on the family farm and at a young age was instilled with the values that he carried through life; faith, family and hard work. Gary attended Elmgren School which was about a mile cross country from the farm. He graduated from Grenora High School in 1963 where he was active in many sports.

Gary graduated from Minot State University in 1967 with a Bachelor's Degree and started his teaching career in Trenton. While in Trenton, he wore many hats from bus driver to being the principal. In 1978, he started teaching at Williston High School and later retired in 1999 after 32 years in education.

Gary met Linda Magnuson and they were married on July 17th, 1976 at Rudser Lutheran Church. They have been married for 48 years and have two children, Amy and Aaron. Gary was a devoted husband and father and would do anything for his family. If you needed advice or just to talk, he had a way to help you solve your problem or get you headed in the right direction. In 2002, Gary became a grandpa when Destiny was born. From that day forward he was the proudest and best grandpa to Destiny, Mason, Isaac, Paxton, and Parker. He would often say, “If I knew being a grandpa was this much fun, I would have skipped having kids and just been a grandpa!” He was their biggest supporter and made sure they knew the importance of their education. He loved to listen to the stories they shared with him and smiled the whole time they talked.

Gary farmed his whole life from the time he was born until this last fall when he still would come out and run the grain cart at harvest until Parker or Paxton would relieve him for the day or give him the weekend off. Gary loved to operate equipment and teach others how to do the same. If you saw him in a tractor, he always had a big smile on his face and his bib overalls on! He farmed with his brother Gene and his Dad for many years and later his son Aaron. They all spent many hours together and had a strong bond. He was very proud of the farm and to share that with all his family.

In 2014, Gary and Linda started to spend winters in Arizona where they could be close to Amy and her family. They spent many holidays together and played lots of games, he was a trivia expert! He was excited to watch the Super Bowl with Mason and Isaac and proudly attended Destiny’s college graduation. Being able to spend the winters in Arizona and summers in Williston, Gary always said he had the best of both worlds!

Gary retired from farming in 2016 but never quit being a farmer. His hobbies were anything his grandkids were involved in. He attended every important moment he could. He would rarely miss a baseball or football game they were playing in. If he wasn’t able to attend, he would find a way to watch or listen to them with his grandson’s dog Daisy right next to him. He also enjoyed watching the NDSU Bison, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings or any event that his grandkids were interested in.

He had many friends both in the Williston area and in Arizona. He loved to visit with people and was always willing to help anyone out if they needed anything. Gary loved to laugh and have fun with family and friends.
Gary was a member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, former member of Rudser Lutheran Church, former member of the Williston Elks and served on the Smokey Butte Township board.

Gary is survived by his wife, Linda of 48 years; daughter, Amy (Erick) and their children, Destiny, Mason and Isaac; son, Aaron (Amber) and their children, Paxton and Parker; brother, Larry (Glennis) Knudsvig; sisters, LaRene Magnuson, Darlene (Larry) Geltel, Pat (Don) Bilbrey, and Pam Knudsvig; sister-in-law, Roxi Knudsvig; brothers-in-law, Gary (RhaeJean) Magnuson, Arlyn (Leah) Magnuson, Kevin (Leslie) Magnuson, David Magnuson, and Rick (Lori) Magnuson; and many nieces and nephews.

Preceding Gary in death are his parents, Murell and Bernice Knudsvig; brother, Gene Knudsvig; sister, Donna Vessar; and father and mother-in-law, Harold and Florence Magnuson.

Memorial Contribution