Floyd Schorsch

Floyd Schorsch, 83, died of natural causes on January 11, 2013, at his home in Bismarck, North Dakota. A family gathering will be held on the farmland Floyd longed to go back to and where his ashes will be set free on a nice and breezy day along the Cannonball River. Floyd was born to Joe and Eva Mesling Schorsch at New England, ND, on July 31, 1929. Floyd attended grade school in Havelock and graduated from New England High School in 1947 where he participated in basketball. Floyd was a good amateur basketball player and pitcher in the late 40's and 50's for the Regent and New England area teams. He once scored 51 points in an amateur basketball game and in the same year struck out 18 batters in an amateur baseball game. Floyd enjoyed playing baseball with his brother Edwin, who was a good pitcher also. He remained a great fan of nearly all sports throughout his years. Floyd was supportive of the area teams and talent, especially if the participants were relatives or "local kids". As a high school student, Floyd wanted to be a fighter pilot and fly P-51's, but, at 6'5 he was too tall. With the coming of REA, Floyd worked wiring local farms and homes. Floyd married a smart, pretty neighbor girl, the love of his life and partner forever, Margaret Herberholz, in September of 1950 and began his farming career, growing wheat and cattle, on the Mesling Homestead, northeast of Havelock. Floyd retired from farming in the spring of 1968 and enrolled in Capital Commercial College of Bismarck. In winter of 1968, Floyd took a position with the McVille State Bank in McVille, ND. Floyd and Margaret had the good fortune to become good friends with many of the people in the McVille area, where he advanced his banking career and fine tuned his taste for lutefisk. He retired from banking in 1988, when he and Margaret moved to Bismarck. They had a cabin at Wolf Creek on Lake Sakakawea, which they enjoyed with their children and grandchildren for many years. Floyd was an avid hunter and fisherman. He liked to catch big muskies on Lake of Woods, Ontario, big walleyes and salmon on the Missouri River and Lake Sakakawea, big lake trout and salmon on Fort Peck Lake and big northern pike in Canada. He knew the good fishing holes on the Missouri River from the Garrison tailrace to Bismarck. He had fun catching salmon with his brother Don in Michigan, where he learned about the "striped whistlers". Floyd had much fun hunting pheasants, geese, sharptails, sage hens, turkey, elk, moose, deer, fox, and coyotes. Floyd had a lifetime of memorably good hunting and fishing outings with his family and friends. Floyd did learn to fly in the late 50's. He was a member of the Regent flying club, Flying Farmers of America and later was also chairman of the McVille Airport Authority. He owned several airplanes over the years, taught his son to fly, and gave many airplane rides to his friends and family. He would fly his kids and neighbor kids to school when the culverts "washed out" during the spring floods on the Cannonball. With the help and mentoring of his new and old friends at the Mandan airport, he also completely rebuilt and restored his Aeronca Champ airplane. While in Bismarck he also discovered a new hobby, again with old and new friends and his nephew Curt, flying and building remote control airplanes and helicopters. Floyd appreciated the relationships that he had with his nephews and nieces, especially his nephew, Curt Schorsch, and son-in-law, Neil, who both assisted and mentored him on many projects in his later years. Thank you Curt and Neil for the many things that you did for Dad. Floyd will long be remembered for his zest for living, keen whit and sense of humor, sharp mind, strong and skillful hands, and love for his family. Proudest of all was being, simply "Grampa". Floyd had a great life. Surviving Floyd are his wife of 62 years, Margaret, Bismarck; son, Kerry Marian Schorsch, New England, ND; daughter, Terry Richard Voss, West McDonald Lake, MN; and daughter, Pam Neil Kostelecky, Bismarck. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Joel Heather Kostelecky, Jack Caroline Schorsch, Dr. Eve David Kostelecky Albrecht, Joe Schorsch and Joe's special friend, Ashley Wandler; great-grandchildren, Mallory and Madison Kostelecky, Alex and baby Albrecht, and Isabella Schorsch; sisters, Lorraine Selinger and Francis John Hanstad; sisters and brothers in-law, Chris Schorsch, Maggie Schorsch, Virginia Jim Zoller, Mary Lee Offet, Betty Herberholz, Bev Monte Strand, Frank Herberholz, Joe Carol Herberholz, Bernard Ginny Herberholz, William Herberholz, and John Good; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Eva Schorsch; brothers, Edwin Schorsch, Donald Schorsch, and George Grossman; infant grandson, Patrick Schorsch; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Joe and Emily Herberholz; sisters-in-law, Josephine Good and Blanche Herberholz; and brothers-in-law, Mike Herberholz, Richard Selinger, and Chuck Burtts.

Floyd Schorsch

July 31, 1929 - January 11, 2013