Archie Christian Rasmusson

Archie Christian Rasmusson came into this world on September 14, 1920, in Hillsdale Township, Eddy County, ND, and left us for something better on February 9, 2017, at the age of 96, while living at the Baptist Home in Bismarck where he was well cared for. Archie had a long and interesting life. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday, February 25, at House of Prayer Lutheran Church in Bismarck, with Pastor Joel Samuelson officiating. Burial will be at the ND Veterans Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Archie was born to Fredrick K Rasmussen and Ida Cammila Knutson Rasmussen on their family farm. He went to Hillsdale School #2 and worked on the farm until he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force in January of 1943. Archie’s extraordinary technical abilities singled him out for advanced training in communications, raising to the rank of T-4 (Sergeant) in the 2nd Tactical Air Command Squadron. This position placed Archie in the English Channel on D-Day, providing vital communications between the invasion force and aircraft support. Archie remained in the service until the end of WWII, participating in the liberation of the Gardelegen Concentration Camp. Archie was honorably discharged on December 14, 1945, and returned to Hillsdale Township to farm and play baseball. Baseball playing in Sheyenne, ND, led to his meeting of Alice Marie Allinder, who very quickly became his wife, with a wedding in Svea, MN, on November 18, 1951. After working as a farmhand north of Devils Lake for a time, and a few years as a carpenter in Everett, WA, Archie and Alice returned to Hillsdale to join forces with his older brother Bill in farming the home place. That is where they raised their two children, Dennis Dean and Debbie Louise. Sending both children off to college pleased Archie greatly, but losing the “hired hands” prompted a decision to sell his part of the farm when his brother retired. Archie and Alice moved to West Fargo, where his son and daughter-in-law were living with their first grandchild, and Archie began a new career working for Scheels Hardware, which transitioned to Scheels Sports. With his son moving due to his career, Archie and Alice decided to move to Bismarck in 1986 where his daughter and son-in-law were living. Archie transferred to the Scheels store in Kirkwood Mall, working there until retiring at the young age of 78. Archie was an active member of House of Prayer Lutheran Church, Three Crowns Swedish Association (although he was Danish), and loved playing cards, woodworking, and visiting over coffee. Archie is survived by his wife, Alice, Bismarck; son, Dennis (Mary), Clitherall, MN; daughter, Debbie (Terry) Traynor, Bismarck; grandsons, Gregg Rasmusson, St. Louis, MO, Timothy (Nathan), Minneapolis, MN, and Casey (Heather) Traynor, Bismarck; granddaughters, Emily (Keith) Negren, Plymouth, MN, and Alison Traynor, Bismarck; and great-grandchildren, Connor and Grayson Traynor, Owen and Edison Negren, and Carter. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, William (Ethel) and Arnold (Janet); and sisters, Alice (Clifford) and Ruby (Jesse). In lieu of flowers, memorial may be given to the ND Veterans Cemetery or the Baptist Health Care Center.