Irven O. Rostad, 82, Minot and formerly of Carpio, died on Tuesday, November 28, 2006, in a Minot nursing home.

Irven was born on December 4, 1923, near Carpio, ND, to Ole and Cora (Hanson) Rostad. He was raised on a farm near Carpio and attended rural school prior to graduating from Foxholm High School in 1941. As a young adult he assisted his parents and neighbors with their farming operations prior to entering the U.S. Army on November 28, 1945. He served in Austria and Germany as a command car driver and received the Army of Occupation Medal and Good Conduct Medal prior to his honorable discharge on February 28, 1947.

Irven married Carol Jones on September 5, 1948, in Carpio. They made their home in Minot where he was employed by the John Moses Veterans Hospital as a chauffeur and ambulance driver for one year in 1950. Irven began employment with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1951 at the Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in northern Minnesota. He transferred to Carpio in 1954 and was employed at the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge until 1981 when he retired as a biological technician. Irven and Carol raised their two children on the refuge until they built their home in Carpio in 1970. During this time Irven devoted more than thirty years to wildlife and habitat preservation on national wildlife refuges with most of the time spent in the Lake Darling area.

Irven continued his interest in nature after his retirement by promoting and helping to develop the city park and campground in Carpio. He and his wife enjoyed bird watching and maintained feeding stations at their home.

Irven was a member of the Carpio Lutheran Church where he served on the church council, taught Sunday school and served as church custodian for several years. He was a member of the Carpio Economic Development Board, Donnybrook American Legion Post #195, Moose Lodge, Carpio Ambulance and Fire Departments. He also served twenty-four years on the Carpio Park Board. His hobbies included fishing, traveling, reading, dancing and volunteering for public service activities. Irven was an inventor and held one U.S. patent. He enjoyed designing and making prototypes of his new ideas and with his family traveled to several inventor congresses where his inventions won several awards.

His loving family includes his wife of 58 years Carol; children: Edith (Gary) Christenson of Minot and Scott Rostad of Minot; grandchildren: Andrew Christenson, Anthony Rostad, and Anna Carroll; sister: Adeline Bergeron, of Minot; brothers: Sanford (Jane Ellen) Rostad, of Carpio, and Clayton (Carol Mae) Rostad, of Minot; sisters-in-law: Muriel "Lolly" Rostad and Darlene Rostad; brother-in-law: Ewald Mueller; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Irven was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Alice Mueller and brother, Glen and Lester Rostad.

Funeral Service: Saturday, December 2, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. in the Carpio Lutheran Church;
Interment will be in the St. John's Cemetery - rural Carpio;
Visitation: Friday from 2:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. in Thomas Family Funeral Home - Minot;