Michael John Baltzer passed away peacefully in his home, surrounded by his family, on May 31, 2026.

A funeral service will be held at 11 AM on Monday, June 8, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 502 N 4th St, Bismarck, ND. To view the service livesteam, click the link provided, Michael Baltzer. 

Visitation will be held from 3:30-5:30 PM on Sunday, June 7, at Eastgate Funeral Service, 3117 E Century Ave, Bismarck.

Burial will be held at 12 PM on Tuesday, June 9, at North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan, ND.

Born October 18, 1947 in Bismarck, ND, Mike was the eldest of six children born to his parents, Vernon and Barbara (Greitl) Baltzer.

Mike attended school in Napoleon, ND where his spirit and self-determination were evident from an early age. Mike spent his first week of first grade playing on the train tracks of Napoleon instead of going to school, remembering to go home each day for lunch when the noon whistle blew. Thankfully, his antics were soon discovered and he made his way into the classroom. In 1958, the family moved to Bismarck, and he graduated from Bismarck High School in 1965. He then attended Bismarck State College for two years followed by North Dakota State University where he graduated with a degree in civil engineering. During college, he spent his summers working for the United States Forest Service in Montana.

While sitting in the NDSU student union shortly before graduation, Mike learned that he would be drafted into the Vietnam War. In June of 1970, he was sent to train in Fort Polk, Louisiana after which he spent one year serving in Vietnam as an infantryman.

After returning from Vietnam, Mike began his career as a civil engineer at Swenson, Hagen & Co in 1972 where he remained until his retirement in 2016. His many engineering projects around North Dakota have left his wife and daughter with a lasting appreciation for parking lot drainage systems.

Mike was very active playing basketball, tennis, volleyball, softball, and golf, but his greatest passions were skiing and sailing. He spent his summers sailing Hobie Cats and sailboards at his beloved Lake Tschida cabin, and his winters were filled with countless ski trips with friends and family. Outside of his athletics, Mike also loved his 1966 Mercedes Benz 230 SL. Mike loved to tinker, and his Mercedes presented him with never-ending opportunities for tinkering.

In 1982, Mike met his soon-to-be wife, Renae, in the parking lot of Gateway Mall as they prepared for a skiing trip with friends. As Mike watched Renae learn to play blackjack in the back of his green army van, something clicked. The two were married on November 26, 1983. After a few years of skiing and sailing adventures together, Mike and Renae welcomed their only daughter, Ann, into the world on August 4, 1987. Mike’s care and love for his wife and daughter was rivaled only by the love and pride he felt for his two grandchildren, Miriam and Ezra.

Mike was a long-time and active member of Trinity Lutheran Church where he was a member of the church council for many years and served as the president of the congregation in 2003. Mike was actively involved with the Banquet feeding ministry at Trinity, serving as board president, and was on the board at the Dream Center in Bismarck at the time of his passing. His steadfast faith carried him through the difficult moments in his life, and when faced with challenges, Mike was unwavering in his belief that “Thy will be done.”

Mike was preceded in death by his parents Barbara and Vernon, his baby brother Joel, and his brother Tim. Mike is survived by his wife Renae, his daughter Ann Baltzer (Robin Weiss), his grandchildren Miriam and Ezra Weiss, his sister Sharman Newman, and his brothers Terry (Judy) Baltzer and Bruce Baltzer, and several nieces and nephews.

Mike will be remembered for his generosity, sense of humor, love for life, and resolute faith. His memory will forever be cherished by those whose lives he’s touched.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Trinity Lutheran Church or Dream Center Bismarck.