Josh Umbreit, 52, of Bowman, ND, passed away on October 4, 2024 in Bowman, ND.

Funeral Services for Josh will be held on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 at 1:00 pm at the Bowman Lutheran Church.  Pastor Mary Peterson and Pastor Galen Strand will officiate the services.  Burial will follow in the Bowman Cemetery.

Livestream link:

https://www.facebook.com/LutheranChurchBowmanND?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Joshua John Umbreit, 52, of Bowman, ND left this world on October 4th, 2024.

He was born to parents Debra Umbreit and Christopher Tuey, on February 21st, 1972 in Red Oak, IA. Joshua graduated from Herbert Hoover High School in Des Moines, IA in 1990.

Growing up, Joshua had a quirky sense of humor and loved to make everyone around him laugh.  He developed a life-long passion for cars (especially hot rods) and learned to build and modify cars from his step-grandfather, Marvin Almond.   He had a natural athletic ability that allowed him to excel in soccer, speed skating, cycling, and triathlons.  He grew to adore Star Wars, and later passed this along to his son, who would happento be born on Star Wars Day.

Joshua enlisted in the United States Navy in 1991 and served as a U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman, Surface Warfare Specialist, and Search & Rescue Swimmer through 1997.  His service included time aboard the USS Frank Cable, stationed in Guam and the USS McClusky, stationed in Japan.  Joshua took great pride in serving his country and received many accolades for his physical and academic performance, including graduating top of his Naval class and the United Nations Medal for Service with UNPROFOR in Zagreb, Croatia.

Following his service in the Navy, Joshua served in the Army National Guard as a Medic from 2000-2001 while he attended the Iowa Central Community College RN-ADN program.  He also completed Russian Studies through Iowa State University, where he studied abroad in Russia. Joshua later completed hisRN-BSN degree in 2006.

Following his college graduation in 2002, Joshua began his career as a Registered Nurse at the University of Iowa Hospital on the Neurosurgery/Neurology and Neurosurgical ICU units.  In 2004, he took the leap to become a travel ICU RN, packed up his gold Jeep and Brittany Spaniel, and left the rolling hills of Iowa for Tucson, AZ.  His first assignment was at Kindred Hospital, where he met and started dating Amber Powell, a tall redhead RN from North Dakota, who was also pursuing her first travel assignment.  They bonded over early morning hikes in the Tucson Mountains with Joshua's beloved dog, Ruby and acclimating to life in the desert with monsoons, scorpions, tarantulas, and javelinas.  Joshua and Amber married June 4th, 2005 in Bowman, ND.  The couple continued their adventure as a traveling RN duo, working across the country from NC to AZ, and a few places in between.  In May of 2007, Emma Jean was born in Austin, TX.  The small family continued their travel adventures in NE, CO, and AZ, until 2008 when they decided to establish roots in Des Moines, IA.  Addie Mae was born shortly after in May 2009.  Three years later in May 2012, Joshua James "JJ" completed the Umbreit family.  In 2014, with the changing landscape of city life, the family left Des Moines and moved to Bowman, ND.  They enjoyed the slower-paced, safe, small-town life, and Joshua, burnt out from healthcare, instead worked several odd-jobs including the pipeyard, mechanic at Case, and city maintenance for Rhame.  In 2015, the family's lives were turned upside down when their youngest child JJ was diagnosed with advanced Retinoblastoma and their focus was placed on traveling to Minneapolis for treatments until 2016,when care then was transferred to New York, where JJ then achieved remission of his cancer.  Joshua took charge of and taught Amber and JJ to navigate their way through the Big Apple on many trips; later sending them on their own to stayhome to care for the girls.  From 2018-2019 Joshua attended Western Welding Academy in Gillette, WY where he developed his skills with tig, stick, and MIG pipe welding, fabrication, and pipefitting.  He then worked with several contractors in multiple states as a travel contractor, working as a rig welder in the field and a contract welder in breweries on tank batteries, welding stainless and carbon.  Joshua loved metal working, staying busy with projects, and running with his dogs. But his greatest source of pride and joy were his three incredibly strong and courageous children.

Joshua will be remembered for his sense of humor, big heart,creative artistic sketches, and singing his favorite songs, which his kids have chosen to share during his memorial service.

Joshua was preceded in death by his grandfather, Melvin Umbreit and grandmother Yuki Almond.

He leaves behind his wife, Amber; children, Emma, Addie, and Josh (JJ).  Parents Debra (Wes) Lasher, Christopher (Wendy) Tuey, uncle Edward Umbreit, step-grandfather Marvin Almond, Mothers and Fathers-in-law Roxanne and Raymond Kromarek, and Jim and Wanda Powell; brothers and sister-in-law Josh(GeneAnne) Powell, Kyle (Jamie) Kromarek, Dustin Kromarek, Casey Kromarek, Jordan Powell, Ryan (Savannah) Stroh, Sara (Cole) Olson, several half-brothers and half-sisters and two stepbrothers.