Ted Kurle, age 90 of rural Mercer, ND rode off into the sunset on Tuesday, November 2nd in Bismarck, ND surrounded by his loving family.


A public graveside service will be held at 2:00 PM Saturday, Nov. 6th at the Zion Lutheran Cemetery (7 miles south of Mercer off of Hwy. 41) with Pastor Randy Emgarten officiating. A horse drawn wagon will bring Ted to his final resting place.
A fellowship lunch will be served following the graveside service at the Mercer Community Center.


Visitation will be from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Friday at Goetz Funeral Home in Washburn with a 7:00 PM prayer service.


Ted was born April 9, 1920 to Jacob & Eva (Rath) Kurle on the family farmstead south of Mercer, ND. He married Ruth Neumiller on Feb. 26, 1944 in Washburn. Together they farmed and ranched the Kurle homestead and Ted also custom hauled cattle. He was well-known for raising quality registered quarter horses for more than 50 years. Ted was a great horseman and teamster and passed down his horsemanship skills and his love of the cowboy way of life to his sons and grandsons. In his younger years, he enjoyed hunting with his greyhound dogs and always looked forward to seasonal hunts with his boys. Ted loved playing old time music with his accordion, having his own band "The Ted Kurle Band" in which his three sons also participated in. He is remembered for loving to tease and play jokes. On most sunny days, Ted and Ruth were often seen driving their horse-drawn buggy along the road.


He is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Ruth Kurle of Mercer, ND; sons, Duane (Jeri) Kurle of Mandan, Dennis (Kim) Kurle of Mercer & daughter-in-law, Ardythe Kurle of Washburn; grandchildren, Daren (Janet) Kurle of Strasburg, ND, Chad (Ann) Kurle of Bismarck, Anne (Brent) Earsley of Baldwin, ND, Casey (Michelle) Kurle of Box Elder, SD & Shawn Kurle of Bismarck; step-grandchildren, Jessie (Tamie) Kirchmeier of Wellington, CO, Julie (Tracey) Gegelman of Bismarck, & Jason (Ann) Kirchmeier of Mandan; great-grandchildren, Ryan, Chance, Madison & Lucas Kurle & his "little cowboys" Tanner, Teigen, & Ty Earsley; step great-grandchildren, Dalton & Shauntaye Kopecky, Glynnis, Elizabeth, Cambelle & Sage Kirchmeier, Ashley & Alexis Gegelman, and one sister, Alvina Packard of Sacramento, CA.

Ted was preceded in death by his son, Terry; one brother, Ed Kurle; and six sisters, Emma Wanner, Helen Cove, Edna Cramer, Caroline Laib, Frieda Laib, and Magdalena Schweigert.