Robert Fallgatter

Robert C. "Bob" Fallgatter Sr. died at his home, on the ranch, on May 2, 2005 with his wife, daughter, son, granddaughter, hospice nurses Paulette Voegle and Toni Hager at his bedside. Services will be held at 10:30 AM Friday at the First Presbyterian Church, Steele, with the Rev. Bob Schoepp officiating. Burial will be at 3:00 PM Friday in the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan with military rites by VFW Post 1326. Visitation will be from 12:00 Noon to 9:00 PM Thursday at the Eastgate Steele Memorial Chapel where a prayer service will be held at 7:30 that evening. Bob was born in Kintyre, ND, on January 3, 1918, the son of Myron and Alice Hoof Fallgatter where he spent the next eighteen years of his life. He enjoyed racing his horse Blackie up the main street of Kintyre. The horse was trained to kick with both of his back feet. Bob and his brothers earned money selling and delivering milk to Kintyre residents. He graduated from high school in 1935 and went on to attend school at Lyons Township Junior College in LaGrange, IL, where he was involved in a Golden Gloves boxing program. He graduated from there in June 1937. That fall he enrolled in the School of Forestry at the University of Montana, Missoula, thanks to his aunt Kit, who was a friend of the Governor of Montana, he worked for the US Forest Service, in Glacier Park as a Forest Ranger. He spent one summer in Idaho eradicating White Pine blister rust. In 1941, when the U.S. Navy was recruiting men, he quit school and enlisted in the Navy Air Corps. He completed basic training at Wold Chamberlain Field in Minneapolis, MN. From there he was sent to Jacksonville, FL for Primary Training. His advanced training was completed at the United States Naval Air Station in Miami, FL. November 15, 1941 he was commissioned as a Naval Aviator and received his wings. His first assignment was to Corpus Christi Texas Air Station as a flight instructor. He arrived there on December 7, 1941 and the first news he heard was the bombing of Pearl Harbor. On June 17, 1942, he returned to North Dakota and married Olga Naaden at Braddock, ND. They lived in Corpus Christi for one and one-half years at which time Bob was assigned to San Diego and North Island Air Station. There he trained for sea duty and in April 1944 he was sent to the South Pacific where World War II was in full force. He became a part of Air Group 20 as a fighter pilot and served on the aircraft carriers USS Enterprise and USS Lexington, where he enjoyed playing ping pong. He received the Navy Cross and five air medals. He made 71 carrier landings. At the end of the war, he, his wife and son moved to Goodrich, ND to the Davis ranch where he worked for shares with the Davis family. In 1953, they purchased a ranch south of Steele and named it the Flying F Ranch which was also the brand. They trailed the cattle to their new home, which took three days with the help of friends and family. The ranch is now operated by his son Rob, Jr. and grandson, Steve. Bob was active in many community projects such as the Boy Scouts, 4-H, Farm Bureau, conservative causes, Sunday School teacher, member and elder of the Steele Presbyterian Church, delegate to the ND Constitutional Convention and County Commissioner. Bob is survived by his wife, Olga who has been his soul mate for 62 years; a son Robert Jr. Kathy of Steele; a daughter, Susan Mike Kuhn of Spokane, WA; seven grandchildren, Amy Lonnie Wolff of Steele, Steve Meghan Fallgatter of Bismarck, Dr. Alison Fallgatter of Minneapolis, MN, Tyler Kuhn of Missoula, MT and Kasey, Kane, and Luke Kuhn of Spokane, WA; six great-grandchildren, Kash and Krista Wolff of Steele, Jarren, Caleb, Brighton and Elijah Fallgatter of Bismarck; his brothers, Calvin Linda of Ridgecrest, CA, Wayne Vera of Tulsa, OK, and Wallace Eileen of Napoleon, ND; and a sister-in-law, Darlene Fallgatter of Steele. He is also survived by his in-laws, Lawrence and Mary Ellen Naaden, Bjorne and Betty Naaden, Evelyn Naaden, Geri Naaden, Mamie Eilertson and Sue and Grant Sherritt and many nieces and nephews. Bob was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Don, a sister, Dorothy and her husband Ray Miller.

Robert Fallgatter

January 3, 1918 - May 2, 2005