Gibson Uhrich

Gib Uhrich, 89, of Wales, ND, passed away Tuesday, August 7, 2012, at the Cavalier County Memorial Hospital of Langdon, ND.

Gibson Stephen Uhrich, son of Michael Alphonse and Maryann (Mayme) Schneider Uhrich, was born near Wales on May 22, 1923. He was born on a farm located in the southwest quarter of Section 25 in Dresden Township. This farm was better known as the “poor farm”. He attended school at the Methodist Church in Wales, the Minto Consolidated and the Wales High School. Gib worked at numerous jobs through the years. In 1943 he worked at the Kaiser Shipyards, Portland, OR. Later, he pumped gas and serviced many movie stars’ cars at the Mark C. Bloome gas station in Los Angeles.

In 1945, he worked on Fred Bohn’s dairy farm, which produced milk for the Langdon Creamery. This job required traveling to Dresden to meet the train or truck to pick up the milk. He often made trips to Langdon with the team and sleigh because the roads were blocked. When Fred quit the dairy farm, Gib worked for the Langdon Creamery, delivering milk door to door and also making butter in a three hundred-fifty gallon butter churn which was a very interesting experience. Each week many farmers would bring their cream and eggs to sell. In 1949, Gib returned to the dairy farm, which was now owned by Dan Irwin. In 1950, Gib went to work building roads for the county at Sarles.

On February 20, 1952, Gib started working for Wales Implement as a truck driver, hauling livestock and also as their mechanic. Wales Implement was then owned by Lloyd Blake and Leo Kram. While in the livestock trucking business, Gib hauled many loads of livestock to Fargo and horses to Jamestown. Often it was the last livestock on that farm. Gib quit trucking in 1966.

Gib was a school bus driver for the Wales school from 1968-1973. Somewhere in-between he was an auctioneer, Wales gas truck driver for a short time, town cop for many years and he also raised cattle, horses and sheep. Gib worked at the Wales Implement in excess of 50 years, until its closing.

Gib married Rita Marie Hiltner at Holy Trinity Church in Dresden on October 19, 1953. Rita, daughter of John A. and Margaret Schafer Hiltner, was born at the Hiltner family home on February 10, 1929. Gib and Rita made their home at the John A. Hiltner farm until 1961 when they moved into Wales, where they continued to make their home. Give and Rita became the proud parents of four children.

Gib is survived by his wife of 58 years, Rita; his children: Salene “Sally” (Dwayne) Kram, Dale (Kathy), Daryl, and Jeanne (Robert); grandchildren: Joel (Heidi) Kram, Rebecca (Wyatt) Komrosky, Jon (Peggy) Kram, Rachel (Steve) Conard, Amanda (Nathan) Bennett, Sara Uhrich, Ryne Uhrich, Stuart, Sean, and Sam; and great-grandchildren: Isaac, George, and Elizabeth Kram, Amelia, Connor, Tyler and Audrey Komrosky, Alexis and Andrew Kram, Gibson and Maida Conard, and Zane, Tucker, and Rylan Bennett.

Gib was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings: Ruby Greening, Eileen Uhrich, Andrew, Ivy Blake, Lyle, Merle, George, James, Yvonne Uhrich, and Jack.

VISITATION will begin at 5pm with a 7pm Prayer Service at the Brooks Funeral Home of Langdon, ND on Friday, August 10, 2012.

SERVICES will be on Saturday, August 11, 2012, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Wales, ND at 5:00pm.

INTERMENT- St. Michael’s Cemetery, Wales, ND.