Edward "Ed" Fetch

Funeral Mass for Edward “Ed” Fetch, 81, of Dickinson will be 10:00 a.m. Friday, August 11, 2023 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church with Father Justin Waltz and Father Keith Streifel con-celebrating. Burial will follow at St. Joseph’s Cemetery.

Visitation will be 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. Thursday, August 10, 2023 at Stevenson Funeral in Dickinson with a rosary and vigil being held at 6:00 p.m.

Ed passed away at his home Thursday, August 3, 2023, surrounded by his family.

Edward Fetch was born on August 2nd, 1942 to Barbara and Joseph Fetch, Sr. in Beulah N.D. The family later moved to Halliday where his dad owned the blacksmith shop, and then to Dickinson right before Ed started the eighth grade. At the age of 16 years old, he started working for Woodworth Honey Company. In 1961 while driving his convertible, he caught the eye of Shirley Morel. They couple married on August 4th, 1962. To this union six children were born, Sue, Scott, Jerry, Tami, Dean and Dawn. Following the wedding, they moved to Bismarck where Ed worked for a honey company. He was then transferred to Parker, AZ on the Indian Reservation where he worked a few months for the same beekeeper. Later they moved to Sunnyside, Washington along with his sister Pauline and brother-in-law Duane, where Ed and Duane worked for a beekeeper there. They moved back to Dickinson, then onto Minot and back to Dickinson where they remained.

In 1967, Ed started his business with 80 hives on Main Street in Dickinson across from Cenex, working out of their home basement. He worked various jobs and later worked at Dickinson Ready Mix for 15 years before deciding to go full time in the bee business. They trucked their bees to Idabel, Oklahoma and later to Alto and Nachodoches, Texas. Later moving the bees to California to help pollinate the almonds. Ed sold his honey in Bread Poets and all of the Dan's County Market stores in Bismarck, Mandan, and Dickinson as well as various other small businesses. He ran the honey company along with his wife Shirley and his family for over 40 years. Ed retired in 2007 from the bee business when he sold the business to two of his sons.

Ed and Shirley travelled to Branson, Nashville, the east coast, Alaska and Mexico. He enjoyed fishing, camping, going to the casino and especially spending time with his family. Shirley and Ed played hundreds of hands of Pinochle, especially in recent years. He loved to go down to his new shop he built four years ago just to tinker. He loved his wife’s baking, cooking, and his Oreo cookies and glass of milk. Ed was past President of the North Dakota Beekeepers Association and also past Southwest Director of ND, past Captain of the Rural Fire Department and Rescue Squad. Ed was a lifetime member of the Eagles Club, Knights of Columbus and 4th Degree.

Ed is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Shirley; six children, Sue (Don) Emmil, Scott, Dean (Bonnie), Dawn (Brian) Reisenauer, all of Dickinson, Jerry of Hettinger, and Tami Kieffer of San Tan Valley, AZ; eleven grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

Ed was preceded in death by his parents, Joe Fetch Sr. and Barbara (Schutt) Fetch; brother, Joe Jr; sisters, Marie Fettig, Pauline (Duane) Fricks, Marge (Easter) Michels; parents-in-law, Carl Morel and Katherine (Bergenheier) Morel; brothers-in-law, Edward Morel, Jerry McMahen, and Kenneth Johnson; sister-in-law Pauline Dowhaniuk; three nieces; and two nephews.