Laurel M. Hiatt, age 67 of Bottineau, died on Friday, July 19, 2013 at a Bottineau hospital. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday at 10:00 A.M. in the Nero Funeral Home Chapel in Bottineau. There will be no burial. Cremation will take place. Reviewal will be Tuesday, beginning at 10:00 A. M. until 9:00 P.M. in the funeral home.

Laurel M. Hiatt, a son of Howard and Vida (Peterson) Hiatt, was born on August 18, 1945 at Bottineau. He attended high school in Dunseith and worked at the Dunseith Creamery. Following his graduation, he worked in Alaska doing surveying. He took classes in college and went on to get his degree as an Engineer Tech in Surveying. He was honorably discharged from the National Guard following six years of service. He was stationed for a time in Missouri while serving in the Guard. He excelled in sharp-shooting and achieved a Private E-2 ranking. Laurel lived in Iowa and Washington and Minnesota for a short time. On December 28, 1967 he was married to Mary Allard at St. Louis Catholic Church in Dunseith. They moved to their current location east of Bottineau in 1972. Here they raised their family with Mary at his side. He worked with livestock and his passion was horses. He grew to have his own production sales in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio and traveled all over the country with his horse. He also worked for Mikkelson Aggregate for a time.

Laurel loved walking through the colts every spring morning with Mary to see which new babies had arrived. Laurel enjoyed riding his horses and sharing his love of horses with his sons and grandchildren. He adored his grandchildren, Kasey, Madison, Karson, JT, Alexandria, and Gabriella and loved spending time with them. Laurel was a good friend and will be missed dearly.

Laurel was raised in the Methodist Church. He served several years as a township supervisor. Laurel was a member of the Roughrider Assoc., Bottineau Rodeo Club, Chariot and Chuckwagon associations, AQHA, APHA, and the Saddle Club.

Laurel passed away on July 19, 2013 in Bottineau. He will be deeply missed by his wife and family.

He is survived by his wife Mary at home; Mother, Vida Hiatt of Bottineau; sons, Jon of Tioga, Byron and his wife, Phyllis, of Mohall, Scott of Bottineau and Ryan and his wife, Jennifer, of Bismarck; 6 grandchildren; brothers, Rod and his wife, Suzane Hiatt, and Rick and his wife, Susan Hiatt, both of Bottineau; sister Shelley and her husband, Jeff Kenner, of Devils Lake; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Howard; one brother, Earl Hiatt; one sister, Vonnie Hiatt-Peterson and his grandparents.