Ulric Peter “Pete” Ficek, 84, Glendive, Mont., formerly of the Dickinson area, died Tuesday, September 2, 2014 at the Billings Clinic, Billings, Mont., from complications of pneumonia. Ulric’s funeral service will be at 11 a.m., Monday, September 8, 2014 at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson, with Fr. Francis Schreiber officiating. Interment will follow at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Dickinson. Military honors will be provided by the Dickinson Honors Team. Visitation will be on Sunday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., with the family present to greet and visit with friends and family, at Ladbury Funeral Service. Visitation will continue Monday from 8 a.m. to service time.
Ulric was born January 2, 1930 in Dunn County, to Peter F. and Anna P. (Jirges) Ficek. He grew up on the family farm, attended elementary school in New Hradec, and high school in Dickinson.
Serving in the North Dakota Army National Guard, he and his younger brother Mojmir were activated and deployed to Korea, Ulric as a sergeant in a transportation company and Mojmir as a sergeant on the front lines. Ulric returned; Mojmir didn’t and is recorded in writing by Ulric to have been buried in a makeshift grave in or near the DMZ, an event that impacted Ulric all his life and one reason for his strong sense of duty. Among other efforts he quietly kept Mojmir’s military picture in his wallet until the day of his death.
