Arnold Archie Burian, 88, died peacefully on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Sanford Hospital in Bismarck, ND due to complications from a weakened heart.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11am on Saturday, August 15, at Good Shepher Lutheran Church, 106 Osage Ave, Bismarck, ND. 

Burial will be held at 3pm on Friday, August 14, at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan, ND.

Arnold Burian, son of Steve and Agnes (Kukla) Burian, was born on August 15, 1937 at home on the family farm and ranch near Fayette, ND, located between present day Manning, ND and Grassy Butte, ND. He was raised on the family farm and ranch, attending Indian Springs School District #5 rural school through 8th grade before attending school in Killdeer, ND. He graduated from Killdeer High School in 1956. He then earned an Accounting and Business Administration diploma from the Parks School of Business in Denver, Colorado in the spring of 1958 before enlisting in the United States Army from the fall of 1958 to late summer 1961, including being stationed in Uijoncbu, Korea for one year after the Korean War as part of Headquarter Company, 51st Signal Battalion Eighth Army in support of the I Corps, reaching the rank of Specialist E-4. When Arnold returned from the Army, he enrolled at Dickinson State University (then Dickinson State Teachers College), earning a BS degree in secondary education with an emphasis in accounting and math in the spring of 1965.

While at DSU, Arnold met Sharon Marcusen from Taylor, ND. He married her at the Taylor Lutheran Church on May 29, 1963. Sharon taught Sophomore and Senior English at Dickinson High School, while Arnold finished college. Arnold's first job took Arnold and Sharon to Fargo, ND in 1965, where Arnold worked as a Field Auditor for the ND State Tax Department.

In the summer of 1967, Arnold and Sharon moved to Bismarck, ND, when Arnold was transferred and then soon after promoted to Controller at the State Tax Department. Their son Steve was born in October 1967, and their son Sean in November of 1969. Arnold and Sharon built their first house in Bismarck as well in 1969. It ended up being their only home, living there together until September 2024 when Sharon died, with Arnold continuing to live there until his recent hospitalization.

In the spring of 1969, future Senator Byron Dorgan appointed Arnold at the age of 30 as his Deputy State Tax Commissioner, when Senator Dorgan was appointed as the Commissioner by Governor Bill Guy after the sudden death of the Commissioner in office. Arnold proudly held the Deputy position for 27 years, under Senator Dorgan, future Senator Kent Conrad, future Senator Heidi Heitkkamp, and Commissioner Bob Olson. During his tenure as Deputy, Arnold earned a MS in Public Administration from Oklahoma State University. He was also awarded the Governor's Award for Excellence in Public Service by Governor George Sinner in 1986. He retired in December 1996 at the age of 59 to pursue his passion for farming, ranching, and conservation.

While working, Arnold saved enough money to buy some land east of Bismarck. It was his pride and joy, and he did not want his boys to grow up as city slickers. Although he never actively farmed or ranched, he spent the next 20 years planning and maintaining tree plantings, conservation plots, and wildlife dams; rebuilding fences and gates; and serving as a supportive landlord and neighbor. Arnold was recognized with the Wildlife Tree Planting Award from the Burleigh County Soil Conservation District in 2005. Even after numerous heart scares and his knees gave out, he continued to plan and manage the land from his home office or dining room table, including oversight visits when physically able and even an extensive conversation in the hospital with one of his long-term renters the day before his death.

Arnold was a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Bismarck for 59 years. He was a member of the North Dakota Stockmen's Association, the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, and the Protective Order of Elks, where Arnold and Sharon enjoyed going to dance. He was also a Pioneer for the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery.

Arnold is survived by his son Steve, Grand Forks, and his son Sean (Jenny), Fargo, as well as five grandchildren: Tiahna (Riley) Anderson, Tyler (Calli), McKenzie, Marissa, and Mariah Burian; and two great-grandchildren, Leighton and Logan Anderson. He is also survived by sister Shirley (Larry) Jablonski and sister-in-law, Kaye Burian.

Arnold was preceded in death by his wife Sharon, his parents, and his brother, Myran.