Robert M. Ward, age 68, resident of Tolna , ND , died Thursday, March 13, 2008 at the Nelson County Health System Hospital in McVille , ND .

Robert Medley Ward was born April 29, 1939 in McVille, the son of Medley and Mildred (Christofferson) Ward. He attended elementary school in Hamar , ND , and high school in Tolna. He was a 1956 graduate of Kathryn , ND , High School. Robert worked in road construction during the summer while attending NDSU and Valley City State College. Robert entered the United States Army on June 12, 1961 and was discharged on May 8, 1964 . He obtained his teaching certificate and taught for a short time at Warwick, ND, and Palermo, ND, from 1966-67. He then began working for the US Department of Defense as a computer programmer. Robert married Nellie Knauss on June 5, 1970 in Tolna. They lived in Laurel , MD , while he was working, but also lived in Italy from 1986-1991. He retired from his job on January 31, 1994 . September of 1995 they moved back to Tolna, spending summers there and traveling during the winter until 2002. It was then that he owned a bar in Tolna until 2005. During his life Robert was a member of the American Legion, and a life sponsor member of Ducks Unlimited; as he was an avid hunter.

Robert will be greatly missed by his wife, Nellie of Tolna, ND; 4 children, Marsha Magee-Boumont of Moscow, ID, Michelle Anderson of Kathryn, ND, Brian (Peggy) Ward of Hunter, ND, and Jodi (Rusty) Summers of West Fargo, ND; 3 stepdaughters, Donna Cooper of San Diego, CA, Roberta Hall of Heathsville, VA and Barbara (Trevor) Haas of Tolna, ND; 10 grandchildren, Logan, Jamie, Emily, Daniel, Carley, Whitney, Hunter, Brittany, Jared and Courtney; 2 step grandchildren, Kristina and Joshua; 1 great grandchild, Blaike; 3 sisters, Rosalie (Don) Dragland of Bella Vista, AR, Judy (Lloyd) Galde of Aneta, ND, and Nancy (Glenn) Brustad of Hillsboro, ND; 1 stepbrother, Mark Baumgartner of Minneapolis, MN; several nieces, nephews and his best friend Woof.

He was preceded in death by his parents; stepmother Margaret; 2 sisters, Coline Volkman and Dianne Maxwell.

Robert's Funeral Service will be held at the American Lutheran Church of Tolna, ND, on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 11:00a.m. Interment will be in the spring at the Tolna Cemetery . Visitation will be held at the church on Monday, March 17, 2008 from 5PM until 7PM and 1 hour prior to services on Tuesday. Arrangements with the Stanley-Iverson Funeral Home of McVille. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Cancer Center in Grand Forks .