Harold Bach

Harold Bach, 99, passed away August 14, 2019 at CHI St. Alexius Health, Bismarck.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, August 19, 2019 at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, ND.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm on Sunday, August 18, at Parkway Funeral Service, where a prayer service will begin at 6:00 pm.

Burial will be held at 10:00 am on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan.

Harold was born March 26, 1920, on a farm near Regent, ND, the son of Fred and Anna (Bambusch) Bach. After graduating from Regent High School, he joined CCC’s (Civilian Conservation Corps) and worked on various projects in Montana & South Dakota. He sent the money earned from the CCC’s to support his grandma. In September 1941 he volunteered to enlist in the U.S. Army. He served in 5 campaigns (Algeria-French Morocco-Tunisia-Rome-Arno-North Apennies) during World War II. He was discharged from the Army in October 1945. Upon returning from the War he worked a short time for Boeing Aircraft and went to FBI Detective School under the GI Bill in state of Washington.

 In 1947 he married his Regent sweetheart, Evelyn Jungers, in Tacoma, Washington. They became homesick for their small rural town so they returned to Regent where he worked at the Regent Farmers Union, and then purchased the Regent Lumber Yard. He sold his share of the lumber yard in 1959 as he started his new career as a rural postal carrier out of Regent. He was very proud to be awarded a million-mile buckle for never having an accident delivering the mail for 28 years. His last years of delivering rural mail was in Dickinson from 1978 to 1987, when he retired.

He served 28 years on the Regent City Council and was the mayor for a few of those years. He was a lifelong member of the American Legion, AmVets & VFW. In 1984 he became post commander for the VFW in Dickinson and then in 1985 he became the North Dakota All-State Post Commander.

He had many hobbies that included hunting, fishing, baseball, bowling, golfing, traveling, snowmobiling, motorcycling (rode to Sturgis Rally several years on his Honda Goldwing even though it was against Evelyn’s wishes). His latest endeavor was to run the sprints in state and national Senior Olympics. He didn’t take up competitive running till he was 72. He was not only a good competitor in his age group by winning over 170 medals during his career but even set many National Senior Game records for his sprints on the track. His greatest accomplishment on the track was setting a world record in the 50-meter dash at the Huntsman Senior Games in Saint George, Utah. He always attributed his good health from all the physical training he would do on a daily basis.

Harold had many special friends at the Dickinson Recreation Center as well as friends and staff at Touchmark that he greatly appreciated.

Harold is survived by his children, Carla (Bob) Hillard, Bill (Dillys) Bach, Jim Bach, and Karen (Whitey) Holt; his grandchildren, Sean Hillard, and Josh and Jarrett Bach;  his great grandchildren, Sienna Bach, Oliver Bach, Asher Bach, and Archie Bach and his sister Helen Tiezen,.

He was preceded in death by his parents , Fred & Anna Bach; his wife, Evelyn Bach; his grandson Jesse Hillard; his daughter-in-law Deb Bach;  his siblings  Dorothy Dorgan,  Blanche Weber, Archie Bach, and Johnny Bach.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Hettinger County Historical Society.