Butch Leedahl

Butch Leedahl, 73, of Crystal, ND, passed away Sunday, December 29, 2024, at his home in Crystal. Memorial service will be held Saturday, January 4, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at First Lutheran Church, Hoople, ND. Visitation will be held for one hour before the time of the service at the church.

Gilbert “Butch” Leedahl was born September 2, 1951, at Grafton, ND, to Pete and Eliza (Ault) Leedahl. He grew up in the Hoople area and graduated from Valley High School in 1969, where he participated in all sports. After high school, Butch attended Mayville State College. He then bartended at Duffy’s Bar in Hoople for 50+ years. 

Butch enjoyed many years of hunting with family and friends, and always loved hunting with dogs, yellow labs being his favorite. He was also very active in playing golf and pool. In the spring, summer, and fall Butch loved being on the golf course, and in the winter couldn’t be kept away from the pool table. He loved watching and wagering on professional sports including the NFL and PGA Tour. He loved College Football and was a dedicated NDSU Bison fan. He also played slow pitch softball throughout his adult life and coached Little League baseball. Butch was also an avid reader of all types of fiction from Sci-Fi to World Wars and everything in between. His true love of the fiction genre was Western primarily Louis L’Amour. There were few Louis L’Armour novels he couldn’t cite chapter and verse.

Butch was a mild mannered and gentle person who was more interested in being a good friend than aspiring to greatness or success. He was an honest and trustworthy man with countless friends. 

He is survived by his sisters, Patty (Leedahl) Willey and Brenda (Leedahl) Jordan as well as nieces and nephews: Chad Hanson, Brett Hanson, Seth Jordan, Lindsay Fischer, Lori (Willey) Kiffmeyer, Michelle Willey, Donald Willey, and Angela (Willey) Dronen.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Nancy (Leedahl) Hanson; and grandnephew, Deklen Fischer.