Ray D. Jesser

Ray D. Jesser, 83, Bismarck, died January 13, 2019, at the Baptist Health Care Center, Bismarck. Services will be held at 11:00 am Friday, January 18, at Bismarck Baptist Church, 2211 Laforest Ave., Bismarck, with Rev. Bryan Hochhalter officiating. Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Thursday, January 17, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, where a prayer service will begin at 7:00 pm. Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Bismarck. Ray Donald Jesser was born on June 14, 1935 to Amanda and Ernest Jesser at Underwood, North Dakota. His family moved to Portland, Oregon during WWII so his father could work in the shipyards. The family moved back to Bismarck in 1946 and he attended Richholt Grade School, Bismarck Junior High School, and graduated from Bismarck High School in 1953. After High School graduation, Ray went to Bismarck Junior College for one year. He transferred to the University of Sioux Falls in 1954 and received a Bachelor’s degree in 1957. After college graduation, Ray was drafted into the US Army. Following basic training Ray was stationed in Stuttgart, Germany for 19 months. After being honorably discharged from the Army in 1959 Ray returned to Bismarck where he met Marcella (Sally) Kirschman. They married in 1960. After he accepted a teaching position in Napolean, ND, he taught English and coached there from 1959 – 1964. In 1964 Ray accepted a teaching and coaching position at Simle Middle School where he taught until 1971. In 1972 Ray earned his Master’s Degree from NDSU. He then taught one year at Wachter Middle School. In 1972 he transferred to Bismarck High School where he became Assistant Principal, a position he held until his retirement in 1994. From 1994 – 2002 Ray supervised student teachers and taught education courses at the University of Mary. In 2002, he became a full-time caregiver for his wife, Sally, who was ill with Parkinson’s Disease. The foundation of Ray’s life was his faith in God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. During his lifetime he held many different positions at Bismarck Baptist Church, including: Deacon, Church Moderator, Sunday School Superintendent, co-teaching an adult Sunday School Class, being a 45 year member of the church choir. Ray enjoyed tooling leather craft kits, attending church activities, camping, traveling and enjoying time with good friends. Ray’s pride and joy were his 2 grandsons, Joshua and Jonathon. The love of Ray’s life, his wife Sally, passed away on April 30, 2007. He never stopped missing her and anxiously waited to be reunited with her in heaven. Ray is survived by his son Barry and wife Jennifer, his daughter Paula Jo and husband David; grandsons Joshua Lauer, Jonathon Lauer and his longtime girlfriend Sarah Miller; sister-in-law Karen (Randy) Albaugh, nephew Shannon (Mary Ellen) Strom, and great nephew and niece Russell and Sophia; niece Heather (Emanuel) Conduah, and great nephew Ezekiel (Zeke); brother-in-law Ron (Joan) Kirschman, niece and nephew Kristi and Jesse and their families. Ray was preceded in death by his parents Ernest and Amanda Jesser, grandparents George and Maggie Brenneise, Fred and Magdalena Jesser, and 11 uncles and 3 aunts.