Gerald Geist

Gerald Duane Geist, age 77, passed away at his home in Devils Lake, ND, the morning of February 1, 2019.

            Funeral services will be at 11AM on February 6, 2019, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 612 – 14^th Ave. NE, Devils Lake, ND.

            Gerald was born March 28, 1941, the eldest of three children to Andrew and Ruth Geist in Fargo, ND. He was raised in the Tappen/Steele, ND, area where he also attended school. As a child, summers were spent working on his Uncle Gus and Aunt Maggie Steffan’s farm.

            Gerald enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1958 and proudly served in the Far East (Okinawa, Guam, the Philippines, Borneo, Korea, Japan) working in supply. Upon his honorable discharge in 1961 he was one of the youngest sergeants in the Marine Corps.

Returning to the Steele-area, he worked various jobs. There he met, pursued, and won-over Eldeen Magstadt. They married in 1963. That same year, he started work for the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) and soon moved with his wife and children to Devils Lake, ND, in 1968, where they have lived since. Widely respected, he advanced to the position of Senior Project Manager overseeing large, complex projects for the NDDOT. He retired in 2012.   

            Gerald is survived by his wife Eldeen; sons Gerald Jr. (Fargo), Rod (Nikki) of Casselton, Troy of Fargo, Brandon (Heather) of Fargo; daughter Lacey of Devils Lake; grandchildren Casey, Tanner, and Sully; great-grandchildren Jhett, Preslee, and Nash; brother Gary (Patty) Geist; sister Arvadel Bodvig; brothers-in-law and sisters in-law Gary and Mary Magstadt, Gary and Juleen Johnson, Bill Magstadt; and many nephews and nieces.

            He was preceded in death by his parents Andrew and Ruth Geist and brother-in-law Duane Bodvig.

            Gerald was an avid Bison and Vikings fan, prolific reader of history and military books, Professional Bull Riders enthusiast, and joyful pinochle player. He was a man who caught fireflies in glass jars for his children, sat in commune with them before campfires, drove the family cross country to Disney World in a Winnebago, sat at the end of a pier in silence holding his child’s hand, who always remembered his wedding anniversary when his wife most often did not, and whose eyes twinkled at the sight of his grand- and great-grandchildren. He dearly loved his family, and they, him.    

Pallbearers: Gary Magstadt, Mike Pike, Ken Hunt, Bill Magstadt, Tanner Geist, Robert Senger