Clarence Kitzan, 83, of Bowman, ND died peacefully at Southwest Healthcare Hospital on Saturday, February 28th, 2015, surrounded by family, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Mass of Christian Burial for Clarence will be on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. at the St. Charles Catholic Church in Bowman. Father David Morman will celebrate the Mass with burial to follow in the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery at 3:00 p.m. C.S.T. There will be a Family and Friends service on Monday, evening at the St. Charles Catholic Church beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Clarence Kitzan was born on April 24th, 1931, at Antelope, ND, the youngest child of Jacob and Katherina (Losing) Kitzan. He attended rural school as a young boy and graduated from Hebron High School in 1951. He then went to work for Coast and Geodetic Survey, first in Nevada where the atomic bomb was being tested, and later in Louisiana and Arkansas.

He married his High School sweetheart, Agnes Reinbold at Hebron, ND on December 27th , 1951, and to this union, three children were born; Val, Denise and Lori

In 1952 he was drafted into the Army and took his basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO and Ft Belvoir, VA, before being sent to Germany for 18 months. After his discharge from the Army, he moved his family to Riverdale, ND and began cutting meat at Super Valu. He then worked for a some time as a night guard a the State Training School in Mandan, before being employed as a meat cutter in Mandan, Williston, Dickinson and Glendive, MT. In 1960, the family moved to Bowman, ND where he worked for Super Valu, then 2 years for Home Base Auction Market, before purchasing Bowman Custom Meat, which he owned and operated, along with his wife, Agnes, for 19 years. After retirement, Clarence drove bus for the Bowman School District for 23 ½ years.

Clarence was a member of the American Legion, and had a special love for horses. He raised and trained quarter horses, and was the COACH for the DAKOTA WINDS RIDERS, a ladies drill team on horses. The team took 1st place in competition in Cheyenne, WY in 1988.

He was an avid reader of Westerns, especially the author, Louis L'amour. He loved to fish, pheasant hunt, shoot prairie dogs and took pride in his garden every summer. He enjoyed spending time at Cenex for coffee and chatting with his group of friends. Many Bowman residents will remember seeing Clarence cruising around town on his moped. Clarence also had a special place in his heart for his 7 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Jacob and Katherina, 7 brothers, Gust, Bill, Walter, Reinhold, Ben, Arthur, and Reuben; 3 sisters, Leona Metzger, Adeline Heinle, and Edna Mischel; his mother-in-law, Elizabeth Reinbold; 9 brothers-in-law, 5 sisters-in-law; and his black lab hunting buddy and companion, Jon.
Clarence is survived by his wife of 63 years, Agnes; his children, Val (Jackie Stuber) Kitzan, Denise (Patrick) Lorge, Lori (Bob) Nelson; 7 grandchildren, Shane Kitzan, Rachel Kitzan, Max (Cameron) Lorge, Tara (Chuck) Heringer, Pete Lorge, Christina (Scott) Thelen, Erin Nelson; 9 great-grandchildren, Ryan and Sophia Kitzan, Carson Smith, Wyatt, Cyrus and Zeke Heringer, Jalen Gonzalez, and Alden and Emerson Lorge; sister, Alma Sailer; 7 sisters-in-law, 2 brothers-in-law and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.