Mark Orth

Mark Lewis Orth, 78, of Bismarck, ND died on June 8, 2025.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM, Monday, June 16, at Zion Lutheran Church, 413 E Ave D, Bismarck. To view the service livestream, click this link Zion Lutheran Church, Bismarck North Dakota - YouTube 

Visitation will be held 6:00-7:00 PM, Sunday, June 15, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Pkwy, Bismarck. A prayer service will begin at 7:00 PM.

Burial will be held at 2:00 PM at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan.

Mark was born in Britton, SD on February 25, 1947, to May and Rudy Orth of rural Gwinner, ND. He was raised on a farm near Gwinner, ND, and attended school at North Sargent Gwinner, ND. Mark worked at a grain elevator as 2nd man and at Melroe Manufacturing as a welding foreman. He married Evelyn Kempel on September 7, 1969, and made their home in Gwinner where they were blessed with the birth of their son Adrian and daughter Tiffany. They moved to Carrington, ND in 1980, then to Bismarck, ND in 1993 while working for the Federal Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). Mark also served various tours of duty for FEMA when working for the BOR. He retired from the BOR in 2007.

Mark was drafted into the Army at Ft Bliss, TX on October 10, 1966. He was stationed at Ft Eustis, VA, had a military tour of duty in Honduras in 1967, and discharged on October 10, 1968 as a SP5. Mark joined the ND Army National Guard in 1973 as an E-5 in a Combat Engineer Company and served in full and part-time positions. He was the senior TAC with the ND Military Academy, the first winter-survival instructor in the state, and received many meritorious awards, including Soldier of the Year, and Army Commendation Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters. Mark retired in 1993 as First Sergeant at Battalion Headquarters 141 ECB.

Mark grew up hunting with his family and looked forward to hunting deer annually. After moving to Bismarck, he began shooting prairie dogs, which inspired him to build a specialized hunting bench. Throughout the years Mark participated in many trap shooting events, winning many trophies. In his churches, he was active with various leadership roles. Spending time with family and teaching his children and grandchildren the love of outdoors and hunting gave him pleasure. He also enjoyed helping friends and neighbors. Mark was an avid reader and liked watching action movies.

He is survived by his wife Evelyn, son Adrian (Michelle) Orth, West Fargo, daughter Tiffany (Christopher) Sandison, Tucson, AZ; seven grandchildren Ryan and Colin Orth, Cade, Brooke, Nicole, Hope, and Luke Sandison; sister Ruth Schepp, Gardner; two sisters-in-law, Alyce Welder, Lake City, FL, and Eleanor (Michael) Briggs, Fargo; brothers-in-law Dennis Kempel, Fargo, and Darrel Kempel, Williston and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers-in law, many aunts, uncles, and cousins.