Donald Arnold Bock

Donald Arnold Bock, 85, of Bemidji, MN, passed away at Sanford Health Bemidji on March 9, 2025.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, March 14, 2025, at Olson Schwartz Funeral Home. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m., Thursday, March 13, 2025 at the funeral home and one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Don was born February 12, 1940 in Truman, MN. He grew up in rural Puposky on the Bock family farm.

He married Jennifer Joyce Olander on August 4, 1960, and they made their home in Bemidji where they raised 5 sons. Donald loved to keep busy tinkering and fixing things. He was one of those men that could fix or build anything you could think of. He loved the outdoors, being on his tractor and side by side, mowing lawn, deer hunting with his sons and taking fishing trips to Canada and Lake of the Woods.

Don was not an emotional man towards his sons and that was hard as they grew up, but as his sons got older, they realized that Dad showed his love in different ways. He taught his boys to be self-reliant and gave them the tools to take care of themselves. He taught them how to fix things and how to build things.  He taught them about mechanical work, plumbing, electrical work, concrete work, hunting, and fishing.  Anything that they may need as grown men, he taught them.  Now as adults they see how valuable their father was, and they thank him for all he did for them.

Don loved to visit with anyone and always had a cup of coffee in his hand all day long.  You will never see anyone drink as much coffee as he did.  It is a wonder how he ever got to sleep.

Don worked at Beltrami Electric for 33 years starting as a lineman and working his way up to Outside Plant Manager. When we were kids the house phone would ring all night long as dad would take outage calls after a storm would come through the area.  He would be up all night long taking calls and still go to work the next day. One time when we were kids a winter storm came in and the roads were impassable, so Dad rode his snowmobile to work. He had a strong work ethic.

He is survived by Son Steven (Christine) Bock of Cimarron KS; Son Darren (Marie) Bock of Bemidji MN; Son Nathan (Shauna) Bock of Mounds View Mn; Daughter-in-law Debra Bock of Bemidji, MN; 12 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren; sisters Florine Wagner of Leaf River, IL , Arnola Brown of Manfield OH; Patrica Bratrude of Crookston MN.

He was preceded in death by his wife Jennifer Bock, two sons Shayne Bock & Douglas Bock; parents, Alex & Flora Bock, brother Kenneth Bock; sister AnnaLea.

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