Orville Engelbretson

Orville Engelbretson, 88 has joined the Lord and returned to his eternal home on Friday, June 23rd. He ascended to Heaven while visiting his sons in Glendale, AZ surrounded by members of his family. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 am Friday July 14th at The House of Prayer, 1470 S Washington St, Bismarck, ND 58504. Visitation will be held on Thursday July 13th from 5:00 – 7:00 pm at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, where a prayer service will begin at 7:00 pm. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Orville was born in Regan, ND on August 12, 1928 to Eric and Vivian (Lundberg) Engelbretson. He was raised on a family farm during the Great Depression with his brother and 2 sisters. He attended school in a one room structure. After spending his childhood years on the family farm, he enlisted in the military, joining the then Army/Airforce at the age of 17 near the end of World War II. Military life lead him to pursue his passion of fixing things and he was trained to first be a vehicle mechanic and then eventually an airplane mechanic. One of his assignments was to be stationed at Davis Monthan Airforce base in Tucson, AZ where he met his first wife, Dolores. His last assignment was to use his skills to work on various military planes while stationed overseas during the Berlin Airlift which lasted for almost a year from June 1948 through May 1949. Once his military obligation was over, he was honorably discharged at a rank of Sargent, and he returned to Tucson and married Dolores in July of 1949 and they raised 4 children, Danny, Diane, David and John. In civilian life, Orville used his military training to pursue an automobile mechanics career. He worked his way up to eventually become a master mechanic and then into management. His skills and training lead him from there to eventually owning his own businesses, fixing and selling used cars.  Orville will always be remembered for his kind heart and directness when dealing with people. His legacy of helping others has always been a part of who he was, whether it be taking in stray animals his children or wife brought home or his coaching, ministering and mentoring lost souls and the underprivileged, troubled youth, or confined prisoners both here and abroad. His missionary work in such places as Kingston Jamaica attests to his compassion for others, his unafraid attitude to go where most people would not and his trust in the Lord to provide him with the strength, courage and spiritual guidance to put others before himself. Right until the end, he never complained about his own failing health, but instead ministered to those around him who needed his kind and wise words. His giving spirit will be sorely missed on this earth. Orville is survived by his spouse of 29 years, Aldeen; and his children Danny (Joni) Engelbretson, Diane (Danny) Calkins-Scroggins, David (Kim) Engelbretson and John (Michele) Engelbretson; his Grandchildren Matthew Christopher Calkins, John David Calkins, Nicole Engelbretson, Ashley (Jarrod) Phillips, Emilee Engelbretson, Mark Engelbretson, Erica (Jared) Medford, Ryan (Carli) Engelbretson, Kathleen Engelbretson; his Great Grandchildren Carter Engelbretson, Halen Phillips, Lola Phillips, Ruby Phillips, Bailey Engelbretson, Jace Medford, Haley Medford, Jillayne Moniz and Ryker Huttie; sister in-law Erna (Bob) Engelbretson; step-children Jeannette Meckle, Susan Bonnet, Karen (Melvin) Fischer, Sheila Klein; his 11 step-grandchildren and 10 step-great grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by his first wife of 38 years, Dolores Engelbretson, his brother Bob Engelbretson, his sisters Lorraine Colling and Peggy Berg and his step son Virgil Sorenson.