Gary A. Scholand

Gary August Scholand, 80, of West Fargo, ND, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, at Sanford Hospital, surrounded by his loving family.

Gary was born on November 29, 1945, in Northwood, ND, to William and Myrah (Thiele) Scholand. He was raised in Buxton, ND, where he attended grade school. At the age of thirteen, he began attending Crookston Cathedral School, graduating in May 1964. Following graduation, Gary briefly attended St. John's Seminary in St. Cloud. He was then drafted into the military and spent two years in Vietnam working as a surveyor.

Upon his return, Gary attended the University of North Dakota, majoring in Business. During the summers, he worked custom combining, where he met his most treasured love, his "Sweetie," MaryEllen Olderbak. Gary and MaryEllen were married on February 11, 1971. After graduating from UND, Gary took a job as a quality control inspector at the Nekoma Anti-Ballistic Missile site. During this time, they welcomed their son, Christopher.

In 1973, Gary and MaryEllen left Nekoma and moved to Lawton, ND, where Gary farmed with his brother-in-law, David Allen. They welcomed their daughter, Cara, in 1976. Gary farmed until 2003. He then worked for a local farmer for one year before beginning his trucking career with A.H. Newman, where he worked until his retirement in 2014.

Following retirement, Gary and MaryEllen moved to West Fargo. Gary's favorite activity was following the sporting events of his grandsons, Jacob and Miles. He rarely missed an event and loved cheering them on. Gary also enjoyed playing golf and especially looked forward to golfing with his grandson Miles, along with the many friends he made on the course.

Gary is survived by his loving wife, MaryEllen; children, Christopher (Kristen) Scholand and Cara Hackett; grandchildren, Jacob and Miles Scholand, and Mychael, Arianna, Meagan, and Alexander Hackett; brother, Michael (Connie) Scholand; sisters, Rita Frey and Joyce Riske; sister-in-law, Caroline Scholand; and brother-in-law, Ted Seibel.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Myrah Scholand; his in-laws, David and Verna Olderbak; brother, Robert Scholand; sister, Darlene Hammrich; sister-in-law, Valerie Seibel; and nieces, Jana Hammrich and Annette Jones.

Memorial Service: 2 pm Saturday, January 3, 2026, at Faith Journey Lutheran Church in West Fargo.

Visitation: An hour before the service.

West Funeral Home & Life Tribute Center

westfuneralhome.com