Ole Veseth

GLENDALE, WI – Former resident of Malta, Mont., Ole Veseth, 88, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 5, 2018, in Glendale, Wis., in the company of his children.

Ole was born on March 3, 1930, on the Veseth Ranch in Phillips County, Mont., and grew up in Malta where he worked summers on the ranch along with pursuing varsity sports. After graduating from Malta High School, he enrolled at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. After graduation, he served as a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Air Force while stationed at Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Upon return to civilian life, Ole worked for Liberty Mutual Insurance in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. He married Patricia Kuning on August 24, 1957, and the couple's children, Jan and Dan, were born in Milwaukee. Ole also worked as a sales representative for Masonite Corporation. He was based in Escanaba, Mich., where his territory included the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and some of Northern Wisconsin.

After retiring in 1992, Ole and Pat enjoyed traveling while living in Tucson, Ariz. They volunteered as campground hosts at Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, for several summers. In Tucson, Ole was active in Habitat for Humanity while enjoying woodcarving and hiking in the mountains surrounding the city.

He is survived by his daughter, Jan (Jeff) LaVake and son, Dan (Suzanne) Veseth. He had five grandchildren, Sam (Danielle), Kate, Sawyer, Wyatt, and Nora. Ole also had three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia in 2014.

Ole established the Einar Monsson Veseth and Alida Simonsdtr Njaastad scholarship via the Mustang Foundation for Malta High School students. Honoring his parents, the scholarship is awarded each year to students pursuing careers in education.

Ole was a longtime member of Sons of Norway.

A celebration of life arrangements is pending.