Leo Oster

Leo Oster, 80, went to be with his Heavenly Father on October 10, 2015 at CHI St. Alexius Hospital in Bismarck, ND. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 am Thursday, October 15, at Church of St. Anne, 1321 Braman Ave, Bismarck, with Rev. Wayne Sattler officiating. Burial will be held at 2:00 pm Thursday at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan. Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Wednesday, October 14, at Eastgate Funeral Service, Bismarck, where a vigil/rosary will begin at 7:00 pm. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Leo was born on November 15, 1934, in Dickinson to John and Stefina (Duttenhefner) Oster. He was raised on a farm in the Gladstone area. He attended boarding school and high school at Assumption Abbey in Richardton, ND. He saw Bismarck for the first time when he joined the Navy at age 20. He enlisted in the Navy on September 22, 1955, and was honorably discharged on September 22, 1959. While in the Navy, he was called a "Scopedope" with the VW-11 squadron. His squadron was instrumental in protecting our country during the Cold War. They flew in a plane with fighter jets around them for 15-hour flights from Newfoundland to Portugal watching the scopes for enemy planes flying in the area. Leo was very proud of his service in the Navy and his role in protecting his country. On November 24, 1967, he married the love of his life, Nellie Wutzke. In 1977, their daughter Jacinda was born. She was the apple of her father's eye. Leo attended electronics school at Wichita Technical College in Kansas. This gave him the training to do repair work at Zenith Hearing Aids in Wichita, KS. Over the years, Leo worked many jobs including at the Coleman Plant in Kansas, and St. Mary's High School, Faith Lutheran Church and Fraine Barracks in Bismarck. After he retired, he enjoyed volunteering, including delivering Meals-on-Wheels for ten years. Leo loved to bowl, play pool, listen to polka music, read Louis L'Amour and religious books, play Solitaire, and watch "60 Minutes." He always enjoyed visiting, usually telling jokes and stories about the farm and his Navy days. Leo was a warm and friendly person who could strike up a conversation with strangers, often finding out he knew them or their relatives. His humor and strong Catholic faith were with Leo until the very end. He was a loving husband, father, father-in-law, brother, uncle, and friend. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him. Leo is survived by his wife of 47 years, Nellie; daughter, Jacinda (Jody) Simmons, Bismarck; granddog, Skippy; brother, Felix, Melpitas, CA; sister, Agnes (Chris) Heim, Mandan; sisters-in-law, Jackie Oster, Dickinson, and Fern Oster, Bismarck; and many beloved nieces, nephews, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers and sisters-in-law, Peter (in infancy), Frank (Barbara and Bernice), Jake, Clem (Ida), Bob; sister-in-law, Kay; and his beloved dog, Charlie Brown. Memorials may be given to God's Child Project, your local Alzheimer's Chapter, or the charity of the donor's choice. - See more at: http://www.eastgatefuneral.com/obituary/Leo-Oster/Bismarck-ND/1551250#sthash.NHhjyRzv.dpuf