Anton "Tony" Ficek

Anton “Tony” Ficek, passed away peacefully on the 28th of February, 2010, one day before his 90th birthday. Mass of Christian burial will be held at 12:30 pm Wednesday at Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Bismarck, with Rev. Russ Kovash officiating. Burial will be held in the North Dakota Veteran’s Cemetery, Mandan. Visitation will be held from 12:00 noon until 7:00 pm Tuesday at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, where a vigil will be held at 7:00 pm. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Tony was born March 1, 1920, in Manning, ND, the son of Frank and Anna Bren Ficek. Tony left school at an early age to help out on the farm. When he was a young man, he went to work for the Civilian Conservation Corps in western ND. In 1942, he was drafted into the army where he became part of the Company A 50th Combat Engineers. His tour of duty included campaigns at Attu and Kiska, in the Aleutian Islands. He also had tours of duty in the Marshall Islands and the Philippines. He received a purple heart for wounds he received in the Philippines. Upon his discharge in 1946, he returned home to ND. He met his lifelong companion Elizabeth “Betty” Gulka and they were married on February 4, 1947. Tony worked for his father-in-law, Sam Gulka, moving houses, including the house they would eventually reside in on 4th Street in Dickinson. He began his occupation in plumbing in Dickinson, working for Dickinson Plumbing and Heating, and Wanner Plumbing, as well as a plumbing contractor in Waukesha, Wisconsin. In the mid 60s, Tony started his own company, Tony’s Plumbing and Heating, which he and Betty operated until their retirement. Tony loved dancing polka and waltzes with Betty. He had the ability to learn and play the accordion by ear. They traveled extensively around the Midwest to attend Polka dances. He was known as one of the smoothest dancers. Tony and Betty were also regular participants in the annual reunions of the 50th Combat Engineers. They traveled to meet his army buddies as far as Lake Placid, NY, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota, among others. They hosted three reunions in Dickinson. He loved to be outdoors and loved working in his shop and tending to his raspberry bushes. Tony was a very handy man. When he was in his shop, he was either fixing something or trying his hand at an invention. He loved spending time with his children, grandchildren, and extended family. In the fall of 2004, Tony and Betty moved to Bismarck to be closer to their family. Although he was a quiet man, when he spoke it was often with a dry quick witted remark. Grateful for having shared his life are his wife of 63 years, Betty; his son, Ken Ficek, Bismarck; his daughter, Peg Dennis Nelson, Bismarck; his son, Gary Rhonda Ficek, Fargo, and his son, Keith Ficek, Dickinson. He is also survived by six grandsons, Mark and Brad Ficek, Jeff Robinson, Tony, Daniel, and Andrew Ficek, as well as step grandchildren, Sarah Bunnell and Tyler Nelson; two sisters, Mildred Kadrmas, Yakima, WA, Blanche Dvorak, Albany, OR, and one brother, Edwin Ficek, Dickinson. He was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Ann Barta, Mary Kadrmas, Lillian Crothers, and Emma Kadrmas; and his brother, Vincent Ficek.

Anton "Tony" Ficek

March 1, 1920 - February 28, 2010