Gary Jerome Craft was born January 28, 1959 in Stanley, ND to Melvin & Annie (Paulson) Craft. He passed away peacefully at home on February 29, 2020 after a 5 year battle with Late Onset Idiopathic Cerebral Ataxia.

Gary was raised and lived on the Craft farmstead for 61 years. He attended school in Stanley and was part of the SHS class of ’77.

He married Darla Oja on October 16, 1976 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Ross, ND. They have three children Camie, Jamie & Kevin.

Gary started his oilfield career in 1978 and worked off and on while also farming. He started full time in the oilfield the summer of ’95 and retired in 2014. He drilled oil wells in 7 different states and worked his way from worm to company man & consulting. He spent many summers custom combining from Texas to North Dakota. Gary started ranching with his son in 2000.

He served on the Farm Bureau Board and the Knife River Church Council. He collected guns, rocks and earned himself an impressive collection of hardhats.

Gary is survived by wife, Darla; daughters, Camie Anderson and Jamie (Cory) Rice; son, Kevin (Stacy) Craft; grandchildren, Isaiah, Jared and Jace Anderson, Jayd, Mason, Kendall and Kaelee Rice, Dyllon, Andrea, Laurie, Evan and Owen Craft all of Stanley, ND; siblings, Marshall (Jane) Craft of Stanley, ND and Patty (Dave) Neset of Minot, ND; mother and father-in-law, Janice and Howard Rehak of Stanley, ND and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Melvin & Annie and brother-in-law, Dale Rehak.