Obituary of Ronald Wayne Volden

On July 26, 2015, our Lord opened up his arms, embraced Ron, and took him to his heavenly home. Ron was born on March 28, 1939 in Seattle, Washington, but spent most of his childhood in Wishek, ND. After graduating from high school he took great pride in serving his country in the Air Force. He never had a dry eye when he heard the National Anthem. The eagle was a powerful symbol to Ron representing love for his country. After his tour of duty, he returned to North Dakota and attended the University of North Dakota receiving a degree in Business Administration. He married Cecilia in 1963, and together they raised three boys. Rob (Robin) Aurora, CO; Tom (Kristen) Eagan, MN; Craig (Andrea), Earlysville, VA. With Ron’s guidance, all 3 boys attained the highest Boy Scout rank, Eagle Scout. In 1993, Ron married Diane in Fargo, ND. Through this marriage, Ron opened his heart to Diane’s children; Lorelle (Dave) Smith, South Bend, IN; Corinne (Mark) Johnson, Grand Forks, ND; Ronnie Jensen, Grand Forks, ND; Traci (Bart) Nelson, Grand Forks, ND; Dusty (Marti) Jensen, Fargo, ND; Patricia (Paul) Schmidt, San Antonio, TX; Jessica Irwin, Grand Forks, ND. Ron truly enjoyed spending time with his 10 children, 17 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Sharon (Virgil) Hed, Eden Prairie, MN; and nephew, Jeff (Jacqueline) Hed, Fridley, MN. He was preceded in death by his parents Clifford and Martha Volden. Ron enjoyed playing tennis, cooking, wine making, canning, reading, and photography. He also delighted in playing Poker, Monopoly and Cribbage with his family, and watching hockey games- especially when The Fighting Sioux and his grandchildren played. Ron and his wife loved owning, operating, and building their successful downtown business, Encore! in Old Town, which they sold in December 2013. Ron had a sense of adventure. For the past several years, He and Diane wintered in Mesa, AZ. Ron had a lifetime desire to visit all 50 states. Prior to his cancer diagnosis, Ron and Diane toured New England checking off the 48th state in the continental US, leaving only Hawaii and Alaska. In February, Ron and Diane were fortunate enough to visit the 49th state, Hawaii. Unfortunately Ron’s bucket list couldn’t be fulfilled. A trip to Alaska was not to be. At work and in his daily life, Ron had a passion for helping and caring for others. For over 30 years he was blessed to lead United Way as President in 3 different communities. He retired 8 years ago in Mankato. Instead of sending flowers, please consider reaching out to help a child as Ron has done all of his life. This can be done by donating food, assisting with shelter, or aiding in education. Our family would like to thank the medical staff and hospice for Ron’s amazing care. They were all angels of mercy. Please join Ron’s family in celebrating his life. A memorial service will be held at Hosanna Lutheran Church on Main in Mankato on Friday, July 31, 2015. Visitation will begin at 10AM with the funeral following at 11AM.