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Gary McGarry • 1936 - 2009 Gary Miles McGarry was born September 6, 1936, in Williston, ND, the son of Joseph F. McGarry and H. Leah Tank. He attended elementary school and was raised in Alexander, ND. He graduated from Assumption Abbey High School in Richardton, ND. He was drafted into the United States Army in September 9, 1960, and served with the 593rd Engr Company, 4th US Army until his discharge on September 7, 1962, at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. He was employed by road construction companies for most of his working days. He first worked for Schultz & Lindsay Construction of Fargo, ND, and later went on to work for Wilder Construction Company in their Alaskan operations. Gary operated all types of heavy construction equipment in Wilder's contracting stables. Among other construction duties, he was involved in grading the service roads paralleling the Alaska pipeline and paving the Valdez Airport runways. Gary married Barbara Thomas January 16, 1971, in Phoenix, AZ, and they lived in North Pole, AK. They were later divorced. Gary retired in 1995 and moved to Minot, ND, where he purchased a home base in Maryland Township. He was an avid collector of antique farm and construction equipment, specializing in John Deere farm equipment and small stationery gas engines. He managed to attend as many old-time farm equipment shows as he could work into his schedule. He belonged to the Lansford Old Time Threshers Association among other organizations. He had a host of friends that he loved to shoot the breeze with at these shows. He had been fighting cancer for the past three years, but never complained about his illness. Gary believed in living life everyday to its fullest. Gary is survived by an adopted son, John McGarry of Cheyenne, WY, and by his uncle and aunt, Donald and Frances Tank of Minot, and by their nine children; Donald Jr., Fargo, ND, Mary (Allen) Ferhadi, Holly Springs, NC, Linus, Minot, Lora (Peter) Friello, San Antonio, TX, Carol (Millo) Wallace, Minot, Terry, Minot, Russell (Stella), Henderson, NV, Frank (Chandra), Baghdad, Iraq, and Milford, KS, Julie (John) Welsch, Bismarck, ND. He was preceded in death by his mother, father, and stepfather. Funeral: Friday, July 10, 2009, at 11:00
a.m. at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, Minot. Service Participants Music Honorary Bearers: Gary's family and friends Active Bearers: Harold Rolfsrud, Eddy Mrachek, John Rolfsrud, Ron Pederson, Joseph Weber, Millo Wallace Final Resting Place: Schafer Cemetery ~ Rural Watford
City, North Dakota Military honors accorded by the the Carl E. Rogen American Legion Post # 29, Watford City, ND. Immediately following the funeral mass, please join the family for a time of fellowship and lunch in the lower level of the church. Our family would like to thank all of you for your many acts of kindness. Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated during this difficult time. May God bless the memory of Gary. To sign the online guest register
for Gary |
Gary McGarry, 72, Minot, ND, formerly
of North Pole, Alaska, died Tuesday, June 30, 2009, at Trinity
Homes in Minot.