HAZEN - Jeffrey W. "Gusto" Gustafson, 35, Hazen, passed away Nov. 26, 2006, at St. Alexius Medical Center, Bismarck, after a long valiant battle with cancer. Services will be held at 10 a.m. MST Thursday, Nov. 30, at Immanuel Baptist Church, Beulah, with the Rev. Rod Poppinga officiating. Another service will be held at 11 a.m. CST Friday, Dec. 1, at Calvary Lutheran Church, Grand Forks, with the Revs. Rod Poppinga and Jennie English officiating. Burial will follow in the Sunnywood Gardens Cemetery, Grand Forks.Visitation will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. MST Wednesday, at Seibel Funeral Home, Hazen.Jeff was born April 29, 1971, to Dennis and Mary (Johnson) Gustafson in Grand Forks. He grew up in Grand Forks and graduated from Central High School in 1989. He attended the University of Minnesota Crookston, graduating in 1991, with a degree in Natural Resources and Wildlife Management. He had various jobs in the field, including working for Wright County Parks and the city of Monticello, Minn. He married Noelle Ferch May 17, 1997. They have three children together, Tyler, Anna and Gretchen. They moved to Hazen in 1999, where Jeff took a position as Hazen Parks and Recreation Director and High School Hockey Head Coach for the Hazen-Beulah Northstars. He loved the sport of hockey and played throughout his high school and college careers. He brought his hockey team to state two years in his six years of coaching.Jeff enjoyed hunting and fishing, spending time with his family and watching his son play hockey. He was confirmed at Calvary Lutheran Church, Grand Forks, and was a member of Immanuel Baptist Church in Beulah.Jeff is survived by his wife, Noelle; one son, Tyler; two daughters, Anna and Gretchen, all of Hazen; his parents, Dennis and Mary Gustafson, Grand Forks; sisters, Stacie (Corey) Petterson, Clearbrook, Minn., Katie (Jason) Krogstad, Grand Forks, and Kristy Gustafson and her special friend, Jason Fuchs, Tucson, Ariz.; and nephews, Tanner, Austin and Caleb Petterson.He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Carl (Shorty) and Olga (Johnson) Gustafson; and maternal grandparents, Louis and Helen (Kvaal) Johnson.In Jeff's final parting words, he asked that his family thank the communities of Hazen and Beulah for giving him a chance to prove himself as a rookie in both positions as head coach/hockey coordinator and parks and rec. director. Though he knew he made some mistakes, (none of which he couldn't live with) he hoped both boards learned from them. He said both communities were awesome in supporting him and his family, not only with his career, but also through his battle with cancer which finally claimed his life.In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to the Gustafson Children Memorial Fund at Union State Bank, P.O. Box 468, Hazen, N.D. 58545.
