Stuart Douglas Gessner

Stuart D. Gessner, 69 lifelong farmer and rancher of rural Penn, ND passed away on Sunday evening, May 19, 2013 at his home from leukemia. He was in the loving care of his family and Mercy Hospice. Funeral Services for Stuart will be held on Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 2:30 p.m. at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Devils Lake. Visitation will be held at the Gilbertson Funeral Home, Devils Lake on Wednesday beginning at 3:00 p.m. with a Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m. Family will be present beginning at 6:00 p.m. Visitation on Thursday will be at the church one hour prior to the funeral service. Military Honors will be accorded by the Neathery-Simensen Post #756, Devils Lake Veterans of Foreign Wars and the North Dakota Military Funeral Honors Team. Serving as Casket Bearers for Stuart will be Duane Pfeifer, Merle Henke, Arden Loken, Richard Schwab, Tim Rutten, Alvin Peyerl, Brent Kuss and Dwight Noltimier. Honorary Bearers are the Cedar Inn Coffee Buddies and all those dear friends who could visit for hours about mules and sheep. Stuart Douglas Gessner was born September 19, 1943, in Devils Lake, ND, the son of Leland and Henrietta (Huth) Gessner of Penn, ND. He graduated from Devils Lake High School in 1961. He graduated from Lake Region Junior College in 1963 and from NDSU with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Animal Science in 1965. Stuart married Linda Russell of Conrad, MT on July 16, 1966. Stuart was a lifelong farmer, raising small grains, sheep and turkeys on the family farm at Penn. He was chosen as the North Dakota Master Sheep Producer in 2001. His favorite hobby was riding and driving horses and mules. He also enjoyed spending time with his family, watching sports (especially the NDSU Bison) and fishing. Stuart served in the ND Army National Guard from 1965 to 1971. He is survived by his wife, Linda; son Lee (Bonnie) Gessner of Penn, ND; daughter Kim (Paul) Lunde of Jamestown, ND; three grandchildren, Dustin, Jon and Christina; and two sisters, Beryl (Marlow) Myer of MN and Sheila (Gerry) VonBerge of AZ; several nieces, nephews and cousins. He is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Brian.