Lee Balerud

Lee Balerud, 67, Minot, passed away Wednesday, December 24, 2025 in his home.
Lee James Balerud was born on March 23, 1958 in Minot, ND, the son of Elroy and Donna Rae (Lee) Balerud. He was raised and educated in Minot, and in high school he was recognized for his trumpet skill and performance on the track team. After graduating from Minot High School in 1976, Lee attended Minot State University. After a brief interlude as a ski instructor, he attended the University of North Dakota School of Law to earn his Juris Doctor.
After law school, Lee returned to Minot, where he embarked upon a career as a self-styled "hillbilly-biker-lawyer." In later years he became a private contractor as a landman in the Bakken Oilfield, which allowed him to spend time outdoors and meet new people.
Throughout his life Lee loved to travel and made friends everywhere he went. San Francisco and New Orleans were two of his favorite places to visit, and he particularly enjoyed providing new experiences through travel for his children and grandchildren. He was an avid outdoorsman; in his younger years he skied in the winter, and in the summer you could hear him rev his Harley Davidson from three or four blocks away.
Lee will be remembered for his intelligence, his charisma, and his ever-present smile. Above all, Lee was a storyteller and a comedian - he loved making people laugh with tales of places he'd been and adventures he'd had, and if the details changed a little with each telling, he never admitted it.
Lee is survived by his children: Erin (Chris) Balerud, Brynn Balerud; fiancée Carole Wiekamp; father Elroy Balerud; step-children who he treated as his own Carressa (Brandon) Cartier, Aurora Enquist, Maverick (fiancée Michaela) Brandsrud; grandchildren: Karver, Payton, Thomas, and Waylon.
Lee was preceded in death by his mother Donna and son Andrew.
A celebration of Lee's life will take place at a later date.