Ralph Milton Winge

Former State Rep. Ralph M. Winge

Ralph Milton Winge, of Litchville, ND, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of May 26, 2020 at Missouri Slope in Bismarck, ND.  Seventeen days later on June 12, 2020, Ralph’s wife of forty-six years, Jane Winge, passed away. 

Ralph was born August 25, 1925, the second of five children to Mabel (Gregorson) and Albert Winge while they lived on Albert’s homestead near Van Hook, ND.  He was baptized on October 4, 1925 and confirmed on June 23, 1940 at Bethany Lutheran Church in Van Hook, ND, where his father was a founding member.  He attended elementary and high school in that community, graduating from Van Hook Consolidated School Class of 1943.

Ralph purchased machinery and rented land from a neighbor when he was seventeen years old.  He did some trucking and worked part time in a garage to supplement his farm income.  Ralph graduated from NDAC (now NDSU) with a BS in Agricultural Economics, attending only fall and winter quarters.  Ralph and his parents purchased the farm in Litchville after being displaced by the Garrison Dam project in the 1950s.

In 1958, he was elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives from the 38^th Legislative District consisting of about the south half of Barnes County.  The district was later changed to the 24^th and included the city of Valley City and surrounding townships.  Ralph represented this area for eighteen of the twenty years between 1958 and 1978.  While he was a member of the legislature, he was chairman of the Transportation Committee during the 1965 session, chairman of the Natural Resources Committee during the 1977 session, member of the Legislative Council for ten years and was chairman of the Interim Committee of Transportation in 1965-67.  He also served as Assistant Minority Leader in the 1975 session.  During his time in the legislature, he also actively farmed.

Ralph and Jane Williamson were married in Tallahassee, Florida on March 1, 1974.  Family members will tell you that they were all surprised to learn that Ralph was married, as the couple kept their courtship and wedding a secret.   Together, they continued to live on the farm in Litchville.  Ralph and Jane retired when they reached age sixty-five.  This provided them the opportunity to enjoy gardening, entertaining guests, helping the local community, and traveling both domestically and internationally.  Ralph achieved a milestone by having visited all fifty state capitol buildings in the United States.  Ralph was an excellent dancer and enjoyed bowling.   He was also an active member of First Lutheran Church in Litchville where he held most church council positions over the years.  Farmers Union, the Eagles Club, the Litchville Community Center, and the Sheyenne Valley Garden Club were also important tohim.

Ralph was a kind man who made friends easily and enjoyed helping his neighbors and the community.  He was a steward of the land and a faithful public servant of the state of North Dakota.  As he would always say, “Be good and be careful.  And if you can, do both.”

Ralph was preceded in death by his parents, Mabel and Albert Winge; his brother, Herbert Winge; his sisters, Lois Winge(in infancy) and Grace Lippert; two sisters-in-law, Alice Cape Winge and Jeanette Winge. 

Ralph is survived by one brother, Royce Winge of Ames, IA; one brother-in-law, Wilbur Lippert of Bismarck, ND; nieces and nephews, Vernon (Mary Hedstrom) Winge, Alan Winge, Paul (Nancy Durant) Williamson, Muriel Lippert, Nancy (John) Walsh, Joyce (Steve Rees) Winge, Julia (Steve Kuntz) Winge, and Carol (Denis Mahony) Winge; and many great-nieces and great-nephews.  He is also survived by dear friends and long-time neighbors, the Formo family of Litchville.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to the ND Farmers Union Foundation or First Lutheran Church of Litchville.

A memorial service will be held Sunday, June 28, 2020 at 2:00PM at the First Lutheran Church in Litchville, ND.  Burial will be held following the service at Woodbine Cemetery in Valley City, ND.  Obituaries can be found and condolences shared in the eastgatefuneral.com guestbook, the “Remembering Ralph and Jane Winge” Facebook group, or by mailing a card to Muriel Lippert, 3112 N Colorado Dr, Bismarck, ND 58503.