Ted Renner, formally of Dickinson, passed away at home in Bismarck on November 28, 2023 at the age of 90 surrounded by his wife and children. Ted’s Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m. CT, Monday, December 4, 2023 at Church of Corpus Christi, Bismarck with Msgr. Patrick Schumacher as celebrant. Interment will take place at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan with Military Honors provided by the Mandan American Legion. Visitation will be on Sunday from 2 p.m. CT to 3 p.m. CT at the church with a Rosary and Vigil at 3 p.m. with Deacon Randy Frohlich presiding. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the Mass at the church on Monday.
Theodore Francis Renner was born January 10, 1933 in St. Anthony to Valentine and Catherine (Bender) Renner. He attended Catholic boarding school in St. Anthony, and later attended Mandan High School graduating class 1951. He joined the US Air Force in 1951 and was stationed at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois as an Airborne Electronic Instructor.
On September 6, 1951 he married Marie Magdelyn Kopp, daughter of Leo and Eva (Kautzman) Kopp of Mandan. In 1953 he was sent overseas on active combat duty during the Korean War. Upon completion of his tour of duty he transferred to the 924th Air Force Reserve Recovery Squadron. During his years of service in the military he served as North Dakota’s Civil Defense Liaison Office, earned the Meritorious Service Medal Award, and was commissioned to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
When he returned from Korea, he was co-owner of RK Electronics Service in Mandan. Aside from being a business owner, he pursued a degree in teaching in Secondary Education from the University of Mary. Ted was one of the first male graduates from the Catholic university in Bismarck in 1967. He then began his teaching career in Braddock as a High School science teacher. He taught there for one year and then moved his wife and seven children to Dickinson to instruct Electronics and History at Dickinson High School. After two years of teaching, he became the Vocational Director of Dickinson Public School District. He held this position for four years. His next position was with the ND State Board of Education as a Coordinator of a Special Project. Over the next thirty years, he was involved with many special projects for ND. He developed low-income housing projects for the elderly in western ND, designed long distance education interactive television projects for school districts all across ND, implemented advanced technical career training courses and equipment for state-wide distribution for school districts, wrote grants and curriculum for the ND Department of Commerce, ND Department of Career and Technical Education, ND Job Service, and the ND Petroleum Council. He held many positions on state boards and served as Governor Schaefer’s appointee to the ND Council on Vocational Education.
Although Ted was dedicated to teaching and training the youth of our state, he was first a dedicated father to his eight children. He provided them with many learning opportunities by taking them hunting, camping at Lake Tschida, and involving them in his hobby farm which included raising chickens, growing acres of potatoes, pumpkins, and garlic.
Ted is survived by his wife of 72 years, Marie Renner and his eight children, David (Jill) Renner, Mandan, Michelle Butz, Bismarck, Kathy Thompson, Zimmerman, MN, Michael (Collette) Renner, Bismarck, Theodore Jr. (Kim) Renner, Belfield, Mary (Luis) Mercado, Cibolo, TX, James (Michele) Renner, Mandan, and Jodi Renner (Laura McCarthy), Front Royal, VA. He is survived by 13 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. Ted is also survived by sisters-in-law, Louise Hatzenbihler, Mandan, and Cecelia Kopp, Auburn, WA; and numerous nieces and nephews that would admit to calling him their favorite Uncle Ted.
He was preceded in death by a very special grandson, Victor Mercado; and great-grandson, Dean Smeltz, two sisters, and eight brothers.
In lieu of flowers donations in memory of Lt Col (Retired) Theodore F. Renner may be made to ND Veterans Cemetery or your favorite Veterans organization.
