Leland G. Kraft

Leland Kraft, 72, of Baldwin, passed away on Thursday, November 20, 2025, in a Bismarck hospital.

A funeral mass will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, at Church of St. Anne, 1321 Braman Ave., Bismarck.

Visitation will be on Tuesday, November 25, from 5-7:00 PM at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck with a prayer service starting at 7:00 PM.

Burial will be at St. Mary's Cemetery, Bismarck.

Leland was born on February 13, 1953, to Casper J. and Lillian (Gross) Kraft. He grew up in Solen, ND, where he attended school and graduated from high school in 1972. A true jack-of-all-trades, Leland served as a volunteer firefighter and became a self-taught welder, electrician, and plumber. He started his own construction business, building homes and finishing basements, and later worked for Lee Kraft Excavating.

At the age of 23, he discovered his passion for trucking. Over the years he drove for Premium Beverage, Low Boy Services, ELM Trucking and worked in the office and shop at Jim Ressler Trucking. In June of 1993 he founded his own company, 4K’s Transportation, acquiring quite a fleet of trucks. He semi-retired a few years ago, but was still driving on his own.

On March 14, 1975, Leland married Deborah Hochhalter at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Mandan. They made their home in Bismarck and welcomed three children: Sheila, Laura, and Robert.

In 2004, Leland moved to Baldwin, where he started his hobby farm. He loved caring for his cattle and spending time in the hayfield. He enjoyed restoring antique tractors and taking drives with his loyal dog, Sasha. Known as a master prankster and jokester, Leland found joy in making others laugh, and his friends frequently called him for mechanical advice.

Leland is survived by his wife, Deborah; his children, Sheila Kraft of Bismarck, Laura (Noel) Nyborg of Fargo, and Robert “Bobby” Kraft of Bismarck; his grandchildren, Ethan and Emily Nyborg; his sisters, Susanna (Richard) Lindteigen of Turtle Lake and Renee Small of Bismarck; as well as four nieces and two nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Casper L. (Sandra) Kraft; and his nephew and godson, Scott Kraft.