John "Jack" T. Kitsch

John “Jack” Thomas Kitsch passed away at home in his lake cabin on Monday, December 26, 2016. He was 66 years old. Jack was an outdoorsman, a farmer, a loyal friend, and a loving son, father and grandfather. He loved watching his three grandsons do water sports and their extra-curricular school activities. To know Jack meant to know how much he loved to fish. As long as the weather permitted, he could be found in his fishing boat, hitting his favorite hotspots on the lake. Jack and his fishing buddies would talk fishing over coffee, over the phone, and while sitting on his porch overlooking the lake. He was afraid to get a new cell phone, but would rush out to get the latest fish finder with capabilities that rivaled those of the U.S. Navy. He always had walleye in the freezer, and a carton of worms in the fridge. Jack was born March 3, 1950 to John Thomas Kitsch and Bernadette Manning Kitsch. He was raised on a farm north of Webster, North Dakota. Jack graduated from Devils Lake High School in 1968. He attended Lake Region State College, where he received an Associate’s Degree in Land Surveying. Jack moved to Dickinson for his first job after college, and in 1973, he moved to Williston where he lived for 25 years, working for the Webster, Foster & Weston Engineering firm. In Williston, he took advantage of the area’s great fishing and hunting. In the early 90’s, after working in Grand Forks for two years, Jack took over the family farm he grew up on. In 2000, he bought a run-down house in Lakewood and spent his free time turning it into a beautiful lake cabin. He spent more and more time at the cabin, and when he retired from farming a few years ago, it turned into his year-round home. Jack is survived by his daughter, Jodi (Steve) Pederson of Minot, North Dakota; son Justin (Peggy) Kitsch of Washington, DC; grandsons, Rhett, Reece, and Ryker Pederson; mother, Bernadette Mary "Bernie" Manning Kitsch, of Devils Lake, North Dakota; sister, Lana Hood of Des Moines, Iowa; brothers, Kelly (Connie) Kitsch of Jamestown, North Dakota, and Doug (Elizabeth) Kitsch of Bradenton, Florida; sister-in-law LaDonna Kitsch of Burlington, Iowa; former spouse and mother of his children, Renee Rogness Kindervag, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives. He was preceded in death by his father, John Thomas "Tom" Kitsch, and his brothers, Randolph Jerome Kitsch and Kimothy Van Kitsch. There will be a gathering of family and friends at Gilbertson Funeral Home on Sunday, January 1st from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with a time of sharing and remembrance at 7:00 p.m. The funeral service will be held at St Joseph’s Church, Devils Lake, ND on Monday, January 2nd at 10:00 am. Interment will follow at Saints Peter and Paul Church Cemetery, rural Webster, ND. Memorial donations may be made to a charitable cause of the donor’s choice. Sympathies may be sent to Jodi Pederson and Justin Kitsch at 1808 Terrace Drive, Minot, ND 58703.