Les Pritchard

Lester Francias Pritchard was born to Ray and Adeline Pritchard on March 11, 1936 in Park Rapids, MN, and passed away April 17, 2019 at Villa Maria, Fargo, ND, from complications of larynx cancer.

Lester grew up in the Osage/Park Rapids area.  He attended a one room school house.  After finishing school, he enlisted in the US Navy from 1954 – 1958.  The first 2 years of that service was on the U.S.S. Toledo CA-133 Baltimore Class Heavy Cruiser.  The last 2 years he was stationed in Alaska with a construction battalion.

After the Navy, Les married Elizabeth “Betty” Eggert on January 17, 1959.  Together they had nine children.  In 1968, he moved his family to Ulen, MN and began farming there.  He started Ulen Distributing, selling PTO generators for many years, in addition to farming, raising livestock and caring for his family. He later moved to Detroit Lakes, MN where he began selling farm equipment and invented the LP Reel Rock Picker under the name of Detroit Equipment.

On September 5, 2014, he married Alice Marx-Kuehn.  They made their home in West Fargo, ND.  He continued to drive to Ulen to help his son Daniel with the farming operation.  In his spare time, he enjoyed playing cards, fishing and hunting.  He truly loved spending time with family and friends.  He had a wonderful sense of humor and loved to laugh.   He had a strong faith in the Lord and was looking forward to going to his eternal home - his family finds comfort in this.   He will be greatly missed by so many.

Les is survived by his wife Alice; eight children:  Cynthia Pritchard, Fargo, ND, James Pritchard, Moorhead, MN, Daniel Pritchard,  Ulen, MN, Susan (Tomas) Lopez, Grand Forks, ND, Steven Pritchard, Fergus Falls, MN, Timothy Pritchard, West Fargo, ND, Lisa (Rick) Mattson, Lake Park, MN, Kathleen (Nathan) Braseth, Glyndon, MN; ten grandchildren: Alyssa Lopez, Jessica Lopez (fiancé Ben Macy), Kyle Lopez, Marc (Hannah) Pritchard, NaTasha Braseth, Emily (Taner) Ward, Sarah Braseth, Craig Mattson, Ashley Mattson, Corey Mattson (fiancé Emma Osborne); four great-grandchildren: Michael Santana, Zayden Bedgood, Olivia Johnson, Clara Ward; two step-sons Alan (Sandra) Marx, Randy Marx;  two  sisters: Vida Potter,  Avice Zummak; two brothers Gaylas (Phyllis) Pritchard and Curtis (Arlene) Pritchard.

He was preceded in death by his infant son, Francis Pritchard, his parents, four sisters, Beatrice, Margaret, Rachel and Virginia, and four brothers, George, Donald, Percy and Calvin.

The Pritchard family would like to thank Hospice of the Red River Valley and Villa Maria for the excellent care and compassionate service shown to Les and his family.

Visitation:  4:30pm – 6PM, Tuesday, April 23, 2019, with Rosary & Prayer Service beginning at 6pm, all in West Funeral Home & Life Tribute Center, West Fargo.

Funeral Mass:   10:30am Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, West Fargo

Burial: Holy Cross Cemetery – North, Fargo, ND

Military Honors:   US Navy Funeral Honors Team and VFW Post #7564, West Fargo.

West Funeral Home & Life Tribute Center  

westfuneralhome.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Les Pritchard, please visit our floral store.