Richard G. Bolme

Prayer Service:

Richard Bolme of Fargo, North Dakota, passed away surrounded by family on February 11th, 2024, at Sanford Hospital in Fargo. He was 81 years old.

My dad was born August 20th, 1942, in Moorhead, MN to Gilbert and Grace (Skarvold) Bolme. He was richly blessed to have four sisters, Bette, Janice, Gail, and Elaine who loved and adored him and were very protective of their little brother. The Bolme kids ran around Christine and Walcott like they owned those places and always managed to find some kind of mischief. Grandma Grace once said about Dad and his sisters that they “stuck together like a pack of wolves!” That never changed as they grew older, and each had their own families. Their demonstration of the importance of family was passed down generations and lasts to this day. His nieces and nephews were an important part of his life. He treasured those relationships and was so proud of all of them.

Dad’s love of sports began playing basketball and baseball for Walcott High and through sports he developed many friendships which would last a lifetime. For those in that crowd, the older they got, the better they were.

He joined the US Army in 1962 and served at Ft. Benning, GA and Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri until 1965. He was a Personnel Specialist but from his stories, he got paid to play on the post’s travelling baseball teams and even won the post championship in 1965. Dad was proud of his service, and that call for service was passed down also through his son and grandson. He was also a proud member of the Walcott Legion.

Dad met Shirley Jordheim of Walcott in grade school. Their romance began in the 4th grade when Richard walked Shirley home one night. That walk ended with a quick peck on Shirley’s cheek and a fast escape running down the street. They would eventually marry on August 13th, 1966, at Walcott Lutheran Church. That union produced me, Michael John, and my built-in best friend little brother, Matthew Lynn. We felt so lucky to have a dad who always had time for a game of catch or horse and who instilled in us a love of snowmobiling, hunting, and sports. Dad loved going to games and was a regular season ticket holder to Bison football and basketball, and Redhawks baseball. Having a dad with season tickets to those things is a blessing and the memories of that time spent together can’t be replaced. As we grew older the role of stern father figure began to lessen, and dad turned into a more of a friend for both of us. He was always glad to pitch in and help with whatever project we needed, or just hang out and watch a game. Dad’s positivity in all things was one of his best qualities.

After his military service, dad was employed by the US Postal Service for thirty-one years and was grateful for a fulfilling career there which included many friends. He completed that career as manager of the Prairiewood Postal Station in Fargo. Dad and Mom’s retirement years included three trips to Norway and other wonderful adventures.

Some of the greatest blessings in dad’s life were his daughters-in-law. Angie and Kari were seen as daughters and he loved caretaking their lawns, doing projects, and helping wherever he could. His hobbies of cleaning everything and washing cars were appreciated by Angie and Kari as they kept busy working, going to school, and raising families. He was especially fond of cheating at cards and letting Angie catch him.

Grandchildren became the center of dad’s life beginning in 1993. Tyler, Sara, Meghan, Mayson, and Mari were the lights of his life and his face always lit up when he saw them. Walks to the park to play basketball, bike rides around the neighborhood, and numerous trips to Dairy Queen were regular activities for dad and the grandkids. Dad loved attending their activities, especially sports, and would talk about those activities for days to whomever would listen. He truly was a proud Grandpa.

Visitation and prayer service will be held at Boulger Funeral Home on Friday, February 16th. Visitation will be from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm with prayer service at 7:00 pm. Funeral will be at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Fargo on Saturday, February 17th at 11:00 am. Burial will be at the Walcott Cemetery in Walcott, ND at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to St. John Lutheran Church and Bethany Retirement Living. We would like to thank our family and friends for all the love and support we have received. We love and appreciate you all.

Richard was preceded in death by his parents, his son Matthew Bolme, infant sister Gail, sisters Gail King and Elaine Beadles, brother-in-law Orland Jordheim, niece Rhonda Macdonald, nephew Steven King, and parents in law Ole and Olga Jordheim.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Shirley Bolme, his son Michael (Amy) Bolme, his daughters in law, Angie Amundson and Kari (Tim) Houser, grandchildren Tyler, Sara, Meghan, Mayson, and Mari Bolme, his sisters Bette Jordheim and Janice (Milt) Oestreich, brother-in-law Orval Beadles, brother and sister-in-law Arnold (Gerda) Jordheim, and many nieces and nephews.