Joshua Matt Gregory, 23, Dickinson, died Saturday, October 19, 2013 in Dickinson. A celebration of life and Mass of Christian Burial for Joshua will be at 10 a.m., Thursday, October 24, 2013 at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, Belfield, with Fr. William Ruelle as the celebrant and Fr. Taras Miles, as con-celebrant. Interment will follow at the St. John’s Catholic Cemetery, Belfield. A rosary & Panakyda will be at 7 p.m., Wednesday at St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, Belfield, with Fr. Taras Miles presiding. Visitation will be one hour prior to each service at the church.
Joshua was welcomed into the world on August 21, 1990 by parents, Steven and Myra (Dewald) Gregory, and proud big sister, Sarah. He was such a happy, smart, inquisitive child. Always taking things apart and trying to figure out how and why they worked the way they did.
He attended school in Belfield and South Heart, and finally found his fit his senior year at Dickinson High School, where he graduated with honors in May of 2008. He went on to attend Bismarck State College where he earned an Associate’s Degree in Power Plant Technology.
While in high school he worked for his parents business replacing carpet, flooring and even shingling the roof after a hail storm. He was so very talented and could figure out and fix most anything. He then went on to be a fry cook at Country Kitchen. At the time of his death he was working in the oilfield for Outback Well Service, where he did the best job possible. He played hard, but worked harder. Joshua could never understand the myriad of excuses people gave for not working. You had a job you agreed to do, so just do it and quit complaining.
Joshua especially loved fixing cars. Often on a Sunday morning we would find him under the hood of his most recent acquisition making it run better and look better, most often with an audience of friends there to give a helping hand when needed, but mostly to watch, laugh and learn from each other. With another friend, he recently rebuilt a ‘73 Chevy Nova SS and was working on a rare NSX.
Joshua was fun loving with a great sense of humor and made dozens of friends just by being himself. He was such a beautiful, good person and had the most beautiful smile that warmed your heart. He loved to go fishing and spent many hours listening to music. Joshua was so very loved and will be greatly missed by his parents, big sister, Sarah, and little sister, Jillian, and all his good friends and family.
Joshua was preceded in death by his grandparents Matt and Katie Gregory, and Alfred Sr. and Irene Dewald; uncles William “Bill” Gregory, Emil Gregory, Alfred Dewald Jr., and Arron Dewald; and aunts Donna Nagle and DeEtta Crawford. He most recently lost a good friend, Ryan Provancher to an oilfield accident.
Joshua is survived by his parents, Steve and Myra Gregory, Belfield; his sisters Sarah (Joshua) Johnson, with nephews Carson and Aiden, South Heart, and Jillian Gregory, Belfield; uncles Marvin (Betty) Gregory, South Heart; Anthony Dewald, Lehr, Arlo (Lisa) Dewald, Battle Ground, Wash., and Adrian (Maryann) Dewald Wishek; aunts Linda Gregory, Fargo, Bernette (Maurice) Obrigewitch, Belfield, Cheryl Dewald, Fargo, Bonnie Dewald, Wishek, Norma (Bruce) Smith, Fargo, and Verna (Lee) Metzger, Fargo; and numerous cousins. Joshua leaves behind so very many important good friends. Would like to mention Alex Klym, whom Joshua’s family relied on through thick and thin. As we have since found out all of you are there for us, and we so appreciate it.
