Raymond William Klindworth, 89, rural Fessenden, died August 9, 2017 surrounded by family and friends at the CHI St. Alexius Health Center, Carrington, North Dakota after an eight-year battle with Parkinsonism. His funeral will be held at 10:30 A. M. Monday, August 14 at Concordia Lutheran Church, rural Fessenden with interment at the Concordia Lutheran Church Cemetery. Visitation will be held Sunday from 2:00 P. M. to 4:00 P. M. At the Nelson Funeral Home in Fessenden.

Ray was born August 10, 1927 to William and Marie (Pagel) Klindworth on the family homestead, two and one-half miles south of Hamberg, ND. He attended grade school in Hamburg Township, and graduated from Fessenden High School in 1945. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1946, and served in the post-World War II U.S. occupational force in Germany. After his discharge from the Army, Ray attended North Dakota State University. He returned home to take over the family farming operations upon the death of his father in 1952.
About the same time, Ray met Rosella Mehlhoff of New Rockford at the wedding of her sister at Concordia Lutheran Church. They married in June 1952 and three children arrived over the next four years – Keith, Judy and Gerald. Rosella remained the love of Ray's life for the next 65 years.
Ray was active in many different community and civic activities during his life. His faith was most important to him, and he was a baptized, confirmed and lifelong member of Concordia Lutheran Church. He was on the founding board of directors for the Lutheran Home of the Good Shepherd in New Rockford, ND. When his children were in school, he was a member of the Fessenden School Board. He was a lifelong member and supporter of North Dakota and Wells County crop improvement associations.

However, Ray's passion was Klindworth Seed and Bean which he started in a small elevator on the family farm in the early 1960's as a certified seed business, handling most seed at that time in two bushel burlap bags. He designed and built a new seed cleaning facility on the family farm in 1977, and started handling seed in bulk and doing custom seed cleaning for farmers. He was instrumental in the development of pinto beans as a cash crop in central North Dakota, being one of the first to grow pinto beans, and overcame many challenges with the crop. As pinto bean acreage increased, he started processing and marketing the beans produced by area farmers. He continued his work growing-out new small grain seed varieties and in the promotion and development of a North Dakota pinto bean seed industry. Throughout his years of farming, and as owner of Klindworth Seed and Bean, he actively participated in many crop improvement initiatives and was an active supporter of NDSU Research and Extension programs to improve North Dakota agriculture.

Above all, Ray cherished his relationships with people, especially his neighbors, the customers and employees of Klindworth Seed and Bean, and his family. He loved having people stop by his office at Klindworth Seed and Bean to talk about farming, pinto beans, or just to say hello. His favorite times were the family events that he and Rosella arranged several times a year at which his family would get together. He loved to keep up with his children and grandchildren and their careers and academic pursuits. He and Rosella lived for 63 years on the family farm, and for the last two years at the Lutheran Home of the Good Shepherd.

Ray is survived by his wife, Rosella ; sons Keith (Pat) Klindworth, Springfield, Virginia and Gerald (Lynne) Klindworth, rural Fessenden and a daughter, Judy (Doug) Weninger, Holmen, Wisconsin; nine grandchildren: William, Andrew, Alec, Amy and Karl Klindworth; Whitney (Andrew) Kuch, Eric (Bree Breckel), Brian (Maria) and David (Amy) Weninger; a great-grandson, Bennett Weninger; and a sister, Lorraine (Irving) Langfield, St. Paul, Minnesota.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Marie Klindworth.

Online condolences may be shared at nelsonfuneralhomesnd.com