Robert "Bob" Knudson

Robert “Bob” Knudson, age 87, of Fargo, ND, died Saturday, May 14, 2022, at Kinder Care in West Fargo, ND.

Robert J. Knudson was born August 5, 1934, at Petersburg, ND.  He grew up on the family farm in Nelson County and was a graduate of Petersburg (ND) High School.  He graduated from NDSU with degrees in Agricultural Economics and Agronomy.   He served as Alumni VP of Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho, as president of the Saddle and Sirloin Club, and served as president of NDSU Young Republicans.  He was a student member of the College of Agriculture Honor Case Commission.  He was named to Who’s Who in North American Colleges and Universities.   Bob was an NDSU ROTC, was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, and later named a Distinguished Military Student.  After special infantry training in Fort Banning, GA, he served active duty with the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, KS.

After military service he followed his roots and joined the NDSU Extension Service.  He held several positions and was awarded several awards for exemplary work.  His first venture in the private sector was ND Seed Potato Company, where he developed markets in the US and Canada.  He served as president of the Red River Valley Potato Growers and vice president of the National Potato Board.  He was a member of the Executive Committee of the National Potato Council.

After 10 years he made a major career change that would be his professional home.  Bob began work with Nickerson Seed Co LTD of London UK, a division of Shell Oil.   His first responsibility was developing a sugar beet seed company for North America. He was assigned to AgriPro as director of cereal seed.  He was CEO of West Coast Beet Seed in Salem OR, owned by Nickerson and first other multi-national companies.   Bob was elected to the Executive Committee of the Beet Sugar Foundation.

Bob served as chair of the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber Agricultural Committee and served three terms on the Minnesota Wheat Growers Research Committee.   Nickerson expanded their North American business and Bob’s responsibilities.  His major effort was expansion of the AgriPro wheat seed business in US and Canada.  Bob graduated from Senior Executive Course of Johnson School of Business at Cornell University.  In 1998 he received the Nickerson Distinguished Service Award.

Ownership of AgriPro changed, and Bob became totally involved with AgriPro Wheat and the North American wheat industry  He received the North Dakota Grain Growers Honorary Kernel Award along with the Minnesota Wheat Growers Communications Award.

Bob retired in 2000.  He was placed on ten-year retainer as senior consultant to Syngenta’s North American Wheat Seed business.   Bob was honored at his retirement with AgriPro when they named the new wheat variety ‘KNUDSON.’  Bob was also awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Agricultural Marketing Association.

He was well known for his like of people.  A long-time friend and co-worker said of him “He knew everyone, and everyone knew him… he was a real people person”

Bob was a passionate alum of AGR fraternity and NDSU.  He was twice named Outstanding AGR Alumnus. He was known for his enthusiasm, optimism and selfless dedication to the industry he served and Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, only to be exceeded by the love for his family and friends.  He was inducted into the AGR Hall of Fame in 2013, the top award in the alum of the fraternity.  A long time Bison fan, he was also a devoted student of Major League Baseball and MN Twins fan.

Bob and his beloved wife Beverly (Hahn) were married May 31, 1958, at Casselton, ND.  They were blessed with two children and four grandchildren;  Jan, now deceased, was married to John Kringler, Fargo,  and had two children, Laura and Robert.   Jim, of Gem Lake, MN, had two daughters Sofia and Siena with their mother Kristin.

Special thanks to Hospice and Kinder Care Assisted Living for the compassionate care they gave Bob. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Hope Lutheran Church, and a scholarship in Bob’s name is being established for AGR fraternity students at NDSU.

Visitation:   5 – 7 pm Wednesday, May 18, 2022,  with a Prayer Service held at 7 pm, in West Funeral Home, West Fargo

Celebration of Life:  10:30 am Thursday, May 19, 2022 in Hope Lutheran Church – North, Fargo, ND

Private Burial:  St. John Cemetery, Embden, ND

West Funeral Home & Life Tribute Center

 westfuneralhome.com

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