Lewis John Duffey, 87, of Maddock, ND and formerly of Heimdal, ND passed away Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at CHI St. Alexius Hospital in Devils Lake, ND.  Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 AM Tuesday, January 30, 2024 at First Lutheran Church in Fessenden, ND with Pastor Shirley Teske officiating.  Visitation will be from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM Monday, January 29, 2024 at the Nelson Funeral Home in Fessenden.  Burial will be held at the Churchs Ferry Lutheran Cemetery in Churchs Ferry, ND.  Music will be provided by Donna Wipf.  Military Honors Frank Proisl American Legion Post #33 of Fessenden and the North Dakota Military Funeral Honors Team. Everyone is invited to livestream the service on the First Lutheran Church Facebook Page.

Lewis John Duffey was born April 9, 1936 to Bernard and Margaret (Hunter) Duffey in rural Harlow, ND.  He graduated from high school in Maddock with the class of 1954 and began working for a local plumber.  In 1957, Lewis started building elevators for John Hogenson Construction.  He also enlisted in the United States Army in 1957 and served his country until his honorable discharge in 1959.  Upon his discharge, Lewis moved to Devils Lake and began working on a farm for Clarence Nielson.

Lewis was united in marriage to Nancy Robinson on September 1, 1961 in Churchs Ferry, ND.  Together the couple raised two daughters, Karen and Kristi.  Lewis drove truck for Coca-Cola from 1961 to 1966 before moving to Tokio, ND, where Lewis ran and managed the elevator for a year.  The family moved to Russell, ND where he worked and managed Russell Farmers Elevator until 1971.

Lewis and Nancy moved their family to Heimdal, ND in June 1971, where they made their home. He assisted in the upkeep of Heimdal's water and sewer system for many years with Nancy as bookkeeper.  Lewis managed the Heimdal elevator (part of Fessenden Co-Op) until his retirement in January 1999. He very much enjoyed his time spent at the elevator and the lifelong relationships he cultivated during that time.  Nancy passed away in September 2012 and Lewis moved to the Maddock Memorial Home in April 2014, where he resided until his passing.

Lewis was a hard worker at heart and loved the farm he grew up on.  As his daughters grew, he wanted to instill in them that same hard work ethic and allow them to experience the farm life he knew.  He brought home egg-laying hens; baby chicks to feed; baby calves to bottle feed; and horses to ride including colts that he would break.  As busy as Lewis' schedule would get, he never complained or neglected to attend his daughters' school events.

In his free time, Lewis would cut down damaged trees in Heimdal.  He would chop and bundle the wood for sale or give them to anyone in need.  Lewis felt nothing should wait to be done and if something needed fixing, it was handled right away.  He enjoyed both boat and ice fishing, snowmobiling, hunting ducks and geese, bowling and golf.  Lewis loved spending time with his children and grandchildren.  His favorite pastimes were spent playing pinochle, Bingo and watching the Twins play baseball with his wife, family, and friends.  He also liked working on jigsaw puzzles and word searches. He will be greatly missed by all who know and loved him.

Lewis is survived by his daughters, Karen Duffey (Felipe Ayala) of Phoenix, AZ and Kristi Duffey (Andrew Jacobson) of Noblesville, IN; 5 grandchildren, Ulysses, Bryan, Samantha and Benjamin Ayala and Isaac Duffey-Jacobson; 2 great-grandchildren, Genevell and Ulysses Ayala II; numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Nancy; parents, Bernard and Margaret Duffey; brothers, James, Lawrence, Gordon and Basil; sisters, Inez and Marlys.