Cloyd E. Kittilson, 70, Minot, ND, peacefully passed away in his home on Tuesday, September 29, 2020, from Glioblastoma.

Cloyd was born on July 6, 1950, to Kenny and Eunice (Westgard) Kittilson in Rugby, ND. His family moved to Minot in 1959; he was confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Minot. As an 11 year old boy, he delivered newspapers for Minot Daily News. During high school, he worked as an orderly at Americana Nursing Home. He was educated in Minot Public Schools and was in the class of l968, then he attended Minot Business College, where he met the love of his life, Mary Scholand. They were married on July 19, 1969, at St. John's the Apostle Catholic Church in Minot, ND. Following their marriage, they lived for 4 years in Jamestown, ND, where their first daughter, Lisa, was born in 1970.

Cloyd was employed for four years at Haybuster Manufacturing in Jamestown, where he worked his way up from welder to the shop foreman. Cloyd and Mary returned to Minot in 1974 where Cloyd spent the next 29 years in the wholesale plumbing and air conditioning business; for 20 of those years he traveled on the road calling on his customers, who became lifelong friends. Cloyd ended his career at Steven's Equipment Supply in 2003.

In 1978 the couple welcomed their second daughter, Andrea. In 1983, they started attending Our Redeemer's Lutheran Brethren Church where they made many lasting friendships.

In 1991, Cloyd and Mary purchased a 50-acre piece of property on the  southwest edge of Minot. They spent the remainder of his years planting hundreds of evergreens, eventually creating Pine Valley Tree Farm. Together, they transformed their much-loved land into an amazing and beautiful oasis that will be enjoyed by generations of their family. Cloyd's legacy of planting evergreens is being carried on today by his many grandsons.

Since 1995, summers were spent at Brendle's Bay where Cloyd loved their lake life; many hours were enjoyed walleye fishing and having beach days with their grandchildren. They enjoyed their community of neighbors there, and had many memorable potlucks together.

Cloyd's favorite hobbies were hunting and fishing. He was able to go on 25 fly-in trips to Flin Flon, Canada, taking family and friends on Cloyd-guided adventures. He bagged a bull moose in 1998, and it now graces the foyer in his home, which he helped to build in 1976. He loved hunting with his family and first cousins. He was happiest in the fall when he could watch his grandsons harvest deer from his land. Cloyd was a teacher at heart; he always wanted to pass on to his family his knowledge of how to fix things. He was honest, dependable, and hard-working. He took pride in his family and his land.

On February 4, 2020, Cloyd and his family began an unforgettable, 238 day journey after he was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. They spent 25 days at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, for treatments. With the love and support of his wife and family, Cloyd was able to experience this journey from the comfort of his own home.

Cloyd is survived by his wife of 51 years, Mary, two daughters, Lisa (Bill) Morman and their triplets, Ann, Andrew, and John; and Andrea (Brad) Abel and twins Samuel and David, Matthew, Ethan, Sarah, Luke, and Michael, mother Eunice Kittilson, sister Carlotta (Norris) Olson, and many beloved relatives on both sides of his extended family. Cloyd was preceded in death by his father, Kenny Kittilson, grandparents, and nephew Corey Johnson.

Thomas Family Funeral Home is handling arrangements for a private family burial. There will be no reviewal or visitation. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Our Redeemer's Christian School, Dakota Hope Clinic in Minot, or an organization of your choice.

To our faithful friends and fervent prayer warriors, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all of you who have come along side us on this difficult but sacred journey. Our deepest thanks to the Home Health and Hospice teams for their tender care.