April 15, 2014

Floyd Kindel

Floyd Kindel, 90, of Williston, N.D., passed away peacefully Wednesday morning, April 2, 2014, at the Good Shepherd Nursing Home in Watford City, N.D. His funeral was celebrated Tuesday April 8, 2014, at Light of Christ Lutheran Church in Williston. Rev. Gary D. Benson officiated . Interment followed in the Riverview Cemetery in Williston, N.D.
Floyd was born on March 15, 1924 to Gust and Nan (Johansen) Kindel, near the Missouri River. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. At the age of five, the family moved to a farm south of Wheelock where he grew up. At the age of 16, he rode a freight train to Washington State where he worked during strawberry harvest and haying. He said he was the youngest hobo in North Dakota. After harvest he returned to North Dakota and worked for a neighbor with haying, harvest and hauling coal.
He joined the CCC’s where he drove truck and operated heavy equipment. After the CCC’s he went on defense jobs at Fort Igloo, S.D., ammunition dump, Glasgow, Mont.,  airport, Provo, Utah, ammunition depot and as a welder in the Portland, Oregon shipyard. He then went into the USAAF. Cpl. Floyd Kindel was an anti-aircraft gunner and armorer in a B24 bomber group during WWII from 1943 to 1945. He served in battles and campaigns in Normandy, Northern France, air offensive Europe and was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, WWII Victory Medal and the EAME Medal with four bronze battle stars.
After his discharge from the service, Floyd married Dolores Hanson on July 22, 1946. From this union, two sons and two daughters were born. They farmed and raised Hereford Cattle south of Wheelock for 20 years. After selling this farm, he ranched and owned land in Williams, Billings and McKenzie Counties in North Dakota and Dawson County in Montana. Floyd loved his cattle and all that went with ranch work. He was a hard working independent man who was always ‘on the go’ and felt most at home being outdoors.
He worked for the Great Northern Railroad, Bremerton, Washington shipyard, oil field welding, drilling rigs, feed yards, over the road trucking, part-time auctioneer for 20 years and drove school bus. He took auctioneer training at Mason City, Iowa and Nashville, Tenn., and operated his own consignment auction for nine years in Williston.
He loved to dance to old time music, fix cars and “tinker” on other equipment. He loved playing cards and pool with friends and family. He taught all of his kids and most of his grandkids cribbage, chess, checkers and many other card games. The grandkids loved to challenge Grandpa in games. He was also known to always have coins for his grandchildren. He loved to travel and fulfilled a lifetime dream when he was able to travel in this motor home to Alaska in 1986. Baseball was Floyd’s favorite sport. For many years he enjoyed flying Big Sky Airlines to Billings, during the summer, to visit his daughter and watch the Billings Mustangs play baseball.
Floyd was a member of the Stockman’s Association, National Auctioneers Association, Farmers Union, Farm Bureau, NRA, the American Legion and Golden Age Club.
Floyd is preceded in death by his lovely wife, Dolores; parents, Gust and Nan Kindel; brother, Howard Kindel; sister Frances Kindel; and two grandsons, Keegan Ginther and Kory Anderson.
He is survived by his son, Ryan Kindel and his wife, Evelyn of Wagner, S.D.; daughter, Roxy Denning and fiancée, Rick Udland of Billings, Mont.; son, Randy Kindel and his wife, Mary of Arnegard, N.D.; and daughter, Renee Ginther and her husband, Steve of Epping, N.D.; 11 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren; sisters, Helen (Gordon) Gifford and Alice (John) Tobey, both of Wash.; brothers, Kenneth Kindel of Georgia and Melvin (Faye) Kindel of California.
Floyd was much loved and respected by his family and a ‘cowboy’ who will definitely be missed.
The Everson Funeral Home of Williston is caring for the family.

WATFORD CITY WEATHER