Dewey Witzel

Dewey Lee Witzel, 93, passed away October 22, 2025, at Langdon Prairie Health.

Dewey was born December 12, 1931, in Langdon, ND, to Harry and Hedvig (Harmel) Witzel. He grew up on the family farm one mile south of Mount Carmel, ND, and attended school in Mount Carmel through 8th grade. After that he continued to help on the farm during the summer months but spent winters in Worthington, MN, with his older brother, Walter, from whom he learned mechanics.

On January 20, 1951, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corp and was deployed to Korea in July of 1952, where he worked as a mechanic during the Korean War. He then returned to the US in July of 1953. During his military service he was awarded the Korean Service Medal (with two bronze stars), the United Nations Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal.

He took military leave and married Dorraine Mutcher on November 14, 1952, at Dresden, ND, and they lived in Santa Ana, CA, until Dewey’s honorable discharge from the Marines on January 19, 1954. They moved back to North Dakota to a farmstead two miles west of the current farm site where Dorraine’s parents were living at the time. When her parents retired from farming and moved to Grand Forks in the fall of 1956, Dewey took over the farm, and he and Dorraine moved onto the current farm site. They eventually had three children.

In addition to farming, Dewey was an exceptional mechanic and did all his own repairs and repairs for many customers. He also worked as a welder at the Nekoma missile site for a few months in 1973. He and Dorraine were members of Stilwell Community Church, Emmanuel Evangelical Church in Langdon, and the Langdon Curling Club. Dewey was a longtime member of the American Legion and the Langdon Eagles Club. He retired from farming in 2005 but remained on the farm, tinkering in his shop, gardening, going to farm toy shows, and selling American Legion tickets. In March of 2022, he moved to Osnabrock Community Living Center.

Dewey was a loving, devoted husband, father and grandfather and a friend to all. He loved cats, babies, Mollie B. Polka, brandy coke, and chocolate – not necessarily in that order. Always a jokester, he loved to laugh and to make others laugh. He was a simple man, but he was always ready to help anyone in need and was extremely proud of having been a Marine.

Dewey is survived by daughters Judy Simmons of Grand Forks and Sandra (Daniel) Kudrna of Grand Forks; son Randy of Auburndale, FL; grandchildren: Matthew (Nicole) Neumiller, Mitchell Neumiller, Nicholas (Carrie) Neumiller, Levi (Jennifer) Kudrna, Isaac Kudrna, and Wiley Witzel; great-grandchildren: Erick, Kyra, Bryce, Natalya, Kathryn, Lauryn, Darion, and Caela; and brother Kenneth of Minneapolis, MN. He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorraine; parents; brothers: Walter, Cecil, Sterling, Ralph, Myron, and Norris; and sisters Marion and Betty Ludke.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 31, 2025, at Emmanuel Evangelical Church in Langdon, ND, with visitation from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 30, at Brooks Funeral Home in Langdon. Burial will be at Lebanon Cemetery in Langdon.