(January 28, 1915 – November 29, 2010)

WILLARD LASHER

Funeral services for Willard Lasher, age 95 of Bottineau, were held on Monday at 3:00 pm at the Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Bottineau. Officiating at the service was the Reverend James Judson. Avonne Gessner was the organist and the congregation sang selected hymns. Casket bearers were Howard Beyer, Norman Steinke, Kevin Schroeder, Jeff Beyer, Keith Pritchard, Greg Beyer, Dwight Olson and Lloyd Johnson. Military Honors were presented by the Bottineau VFW and American Legion posts and the North Dakota National Guard. Burial will be at the Oak Creek Cemetery in Bottineau

Willard Wendell Lasher, a son of Bennie Emil and Melvina (Thompson) Lasher, was born on January 26, 1915 at Edmonds, ND. He was reared near McClusky, ND where he worked on the family farm. He later moved to Bottineau. He worked for CCC’s near Watford City, ND building roads in the north unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. He entered the US Coast Guard on July 31, 1942 and he served in the Pacific Theatre until his honorable discharge on November 24, 1945. Upon returning to the states, he worked near Seattle installing telephone lines. On October 27, 1946, he married Ruby Neubauer at Bottineau. They lived on a farm near Makoti before moving to the Neubauer farm near Bottineau. He farmed there until 1962 when they moved into Bottineau. Willard worked for several service stations in Bottineau and later managed the Bottineau Discount station. He later became a full time rural mail carrier for the United States Postal Service.

Willard was a member of the Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Bottineau. He was also a member of the VFW in Bottineau and the Rural Letter Carriers’ Association.

Willard passed away on Monday, November, 29, 2010 at a Bottineau hospital.

He is survived by his wife, Ruby of Bottineau, two daughters, Connie Kay (Lasher) Kahn of Rio Rancho, NM and Sandra Faye (Lasher) Thompson of Bottineau; 6 grandchildren; 15 great grandchildren; sisters, Lillian Beyer of Bottineau and Beulah Hoaglund of St. Paul, MN and several nieces and nephews.