LISBON, ND — The Lisbon area is mourning the loss of a man it called a pillar of the Ransom County community.
They also use words like irreplaceable, a good friend and a cowboy to describe 67-year-old Jerry Rufsvold.
He died in a car accident last week.
According to police, the other driver was under the influence of numerous prescription drugs at the time of the accident.
“He always had a good joke for you or something to make you laugh, no matter what the day was like,” said his good friend John Finstad.
For more than 30 years he stood behind the counter at Cenex on Main Street. The restaurant has since changed its name. This is where Finstad first met JR in the late 1980s. The two became close friends.
“He was everything you could want in a friend and a person you could rely on,” Finstad said.
He was always ready to listen and give advice while sipping a Diet Coke.
“In a society where there’s probably always someone who doesn’t like you, that wasn’t JR. He would turn around and help anyone and everyone,” Finstad said.
One of JR’s greatest contributions to the Ransom County area was his role as a primary founder of the Fort Ransom Arena Association. The organization paid tribute to him by saying, “Without this legendary man, this association would not be what it is today. His role in this association was an incredible gift that is irreplaceable,” the organization wrote on its Facebook page.
“He was just a cowboy and loved riding, he loved cattle and rodeos,” Finstad said.
The community mourns the loss of their friend and cowboy whose life ended far too soon.
“It’s just sad that he won’t be here anymore. He set the bar pretty high for all of us in how to treat other people and live your life,” Finstad said.
The Fort Ransom Arena Association is accepting donations in JR’s name to keep his dream alive.
They can be sent to the following address:
Fort Arena
PO Box 3
Fort Ransom, ND 58033.
Please attach a memo for JR Memorial.
Matt Henson is an Emmy Award-winning reporter/photographer/editor for WDAY. Before joining WDAY in 2019, Matt was the lead anchor at WDAZ in Grand Forks for four years.
