Gene Langlee, 93, of Bowman, ND, passed away on Sunday, October 10, 2021 at the Southwest Healthcare Long Term Center in Bowman.

Funeral Services for Gene will be on Friday, October 15, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at the Bowman Lutheran Church.  Susie Stearns will officiate.  Burial for Gene will be on Monday, October 18, 2021 at 11:30 a.m. in the Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis, SD.  Visitation for Gene will be on Thursday, October 14, 2021 from 12-9 at the Krebsbach and Kulseth Funeral Home Chapel.

Gene Langlee, 93 of Bowman died on October 10 th 2021 on his youngest daughter Bobbi's birthday with his son John by his side.

This is Gene's story as told by him:

I was born on March 12, 1928 to Peder and Ragnhild Langlee in Bowman ND. The funny thing about this is the Jo McCaffrey was born on March 11 th so she was there at the same time. I graduated from Bowman High School in 1945. I joined the Navy in 1945 where I proudly served until October of 1947 and received the World War II Victory Medal.

On November 16 th 1947 I married the love of my life Jo. We were blessed with 6 wonderful children: Bette, Patty, Polly, John, Jill and Bobbi. I am so proud of how close our family was and still is to this day.

On Norwegian Independence Day (May 17, 1948) Harold Emme and I purchased Joe's Lunch. A year later I bought him out. In 1962 I decided to build Gene's Restaurant. For 38 years Jo and I worked side by side along with our family. Our staff became a second family to us. It is great to know that so many of them have thanked Jo and I for helping to teach them great work ethics. The restaurant gave me many opportunities to play pranks with my sidekicks Windy, Boots, and Wilbur among others. A fun fact is that the Priest once told his congregation that they could eat meat on Fridays at Gene's Restaurant because it was so thin that you could read a newspaper through it. This may be why my CB handle was "Thin Bacon."

We have many close friends in Bowman. We often spent time at Flagstone Terrace followed by a house party where many songs were sung with Ol Blue Eyes and Glenn Miller. Donna Windmill and I were the main singers according to my kids.

We once purchased a station wagon and tried to take our six kids on vacation. We went to California, Canada and many states. I believe that the movie Vacation with Chevy Chase was inspired by our trips.

Gene was preceded in death by: his wife Jo Langlee, Sister and Brother-in-Laws Marge and Mick Bingham, Cathy and Clarence Kappen, and Son-in-Laws Darwyn Stebbins and Greg Carlson.

His survivors include daughter Bette Stebbins: Wade and Lori Stebbins, Jodi and Mike Tolzin, and Scott and Lisa Stebbins, daughter Pat and Larry Stearns: Travis Stearns, Jamie and Pika Stearns, Justin and Jen Stearns, and Mindy and Justin Sivage, daughter Polly Carlson: Chad and Tara Carlson, and Brad and Jeanette Carlson, son John and Ann Langlee: Paige and Matt LeDoux, and David and Katie Langlee, daughter Jill and Stan Palczewski: Jesse and Ana Palzcewski, and Lindsay and Josh Costello, and daughter Bobbi and Craig Egeland: Cole and Jen Egeland, and Alisha and Andrew Sonsalla. And great-grandchildren: Derek, Morgan, Amanda, Evan, Ethen, Keegan, Tate, Kale, Kyera, Owen, River, Archie, Nina, June, Kailyn, Quinten, Cameron, Kaia, Presley, London, Evelyn, Ted, Elena, Taylor, Rylee, Mya and 1 more in the oven.

Thanks Dad for all the memories and your sense of humor from your favorite "Boneheads."