John L. Haas, 91, of Richardton, passed away on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at Sanford Bismarck Medical Center. John’s Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 30, 2026, at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church, south of Richardton, with Fr. Thomas Wordekemper, OSB, as celebrant. Interment will follow at St. Stephen’s Cemetery. Visitation will take place from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church, followed by a Rosary and Vigil at 7 p.m., led by Deacon Bob Zent. Visitation will also be held one hour prior to the Mass on Friday.
John Lewis Haas, standing at 6’ 7”, was a soft, gentle giant. He was kind, loving and generous. He loved farming, flowers, birds, sunrises. He loved to read, beginning every day with the weather forecast (usually announced to the household at a high volume from his computer room), followed by the funnies. He was a craftsman who loved helping anyone who happened to need anything fixed, modified, or made. Through the years, John honed his carpentry skills to mastery level. If Ruthie wanted a cabinet, a set of shelves, a picture frame, a wooden doll for her kindergarten room, or even some buttons, he could (and would, and did) make them.
John was born on July 8,1935, in Richardton, to John F. and Carol M.M. Haas. He was raised on the family farm east of Lefor. He loved school, attending various one-room country schools through 8th grade, then becoming a very proud Mott Lincoln High School Cardinal. He went from Mott to North Dakota Agricultural College in Fargo, where he played basketball and graduated with a degree in Agricultural Education.
His first job was teaching vocational agriculture (for $400/month) in Bowman, where he met the bright-eyed smiling girl who would eventually become his wife for 61 years of blissfully contented marriage. John moved from Bowman to Velva, where, had he not resigned, his contract would have been non-renewed because he and another teacher were spotted drinking beer while washing their clothes at the local laundromat on a Saturday afternoon. From Velva, John moved home, where for some years he combined teaching with farming. He taught high school science in Taylor; his duties occasionally included kicking teenagers out of the laboratory when he caught them necking. John’s last teaching job was in Lefor. There, along with high school science, he enjoyed teaching the birds and the bees to junior high kids.
John L. married Ruth Mary Burns on September 18, 1965; while they raised their two children, John and Sarah, he farmed full-time. In 1984 he began working at Brehmer Bank in Richardton; some years later he moved to Dakota Community Bank in Taylor. This final of his three careers lasted until 2000, when he “retired at the end of the last millennium”. After retirement, John became a cook and baker, which—to be done properly—required a scale (set to weigh in grams), a tape measure, and a calculator. He also became a maker of intricate wooden toys. He delighted in giving them to children (especially those who gave him puppy eyes), and to a few lucky adults (some of whom were also not above giving puppy eyes).
John died on October 22, 2026, due to injuries sustained in a car accident. He was preceded in death by his parents, Carol and John; sisters, Carol H. Varner, and Penny H. Klewin; infant brother, David; his parents-in-law, Don and Happy Burns; brothers-in-law Bunky Lillibridge, Jack Varner, Ron Klewin, Dennis Thompson, and Bill Elliott; sister-in-law, Beverly Lloyd Haas; nephews, Jody Lillibridge and Eric Zimney; niece, Heidi Mickelson; and far too many of his friends.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth; his son, John (Shona Dockter); daughter, Sarah; grandchildren Johnny Luo and Sadie Miao; brother, CB Haas; sisters Sylvia Lillibridge and Ruth Johnson (Larry); brother-in-law Patrick Burns (Edie); sisters-in-law Rita Thompson, Donna Elliott, Marlys Wolfgram (Leonard), Sue Ann Clanton (Gary), and Margie Zimney (Dale); and many beloved cousins, nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Stephen’s Church, the Great Plains Food Bank, Catholic Relief, or a charity of your choice.
