Justin Theodore White, 75, Bismarck, formerly of Velva, died Sunday, August 10, 2008, in a Bismarck Care Center.

Justin was born April 18, 1933, in Williston, ND to Theodore and Stella (Pierre) White.  He was raised in Williston and following his formal education was employed in the stockyards.

He enlisted in the US Army on January 16, 1951, and served his country until being honorably discharged on May 23, 1952. 

Justin was united in marriage to Betty Lou Torgerson on June 13, 1951, at Oak Valley Lutheran Church in Velva, ND.  They made their home in Williston, where he began employment with the Great Northern Railroad. He was employed as a fireman for several years. He retired from the railroad in 1963 and  went into business for himself calling his company, "White's Excavation and Building".

Justin became employed in the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay, AK, in 1967, before the general public became aware of Arctic drilling. He was employed by Nabors Drilling, a Division of  Atlantic Richfield, and worked on Atlantic Ritchfield's "Discovery Well'', a fact he was quite proud of. Performing various positions, he moved his family to Fairbanks in 1969, when he was promoted to Personal Manager for Nabors. Although he had held many positions for Nabors, his stories told of a love of the adventures of the land, arctic wildlife and other pioneering, kindred, spirits. He worked in Alaska off and on,  interspersed by his own small business enterprises, until 1989.

Justin and his family moved to southern MN in 1972, where Justin worked with his step-father, Walter Mercer, building grain elevators for Jacobson and Sons Construction. Later the family moved to the Detroit Lakes, MN area where Justin tried dairy farming and then started another construction company, "White's Construction".  They  moved to Velva, in 1989.

Betty Lou died on September 14, 2000.  Justin resided in the Souris Valley Care Center for 4 years, until he moved to Missouri Slope in July of 2008. 

He was a member of the Alaska Teamster's Union. 

Justin invented and worked on patenting a construction tool which he called the "educated chalk-line", as well as a truck that separated frozen mud from oil that was drilled from the Alaskan tundra. It was his life's dream to get the latter working on the north slope.

Justin's loved telling stories: of Alaskan wildlife, of the Alaskan winters, of his childhood animal pets, of his childhood. He loved building things, welding things together, tinkering in his garage, riding his lawn mower, laying cement foundations, and in his last years, just being taken out on a car ride with his  'girls'.

Surviving family includes:  Daughters:  Cynthia White, Minneapolis, MN, Sheryl Fitch, Velva, ND, Patrice White, Mandan, ND, and Kim (Tim) Selzler, Velva, ND; Grandchildren:  James (Libby) Darnell, Freemont, Ne, Tara Taxis (Chad Olheiser), Mandan, ND, Jonas Taxis, Mandan, ND, Jared Selzler (Crystal), Minot, ND, Shanna (Jarrod) Harding, Niceville, FL, Jordan Selzler (Robi), Beulah, ND; Great Grandchildren:  Kadin Selzler, Mandan, ND, Destiny Harding, Niceville, FL, Jersey Selzler, Velva, ND, Berkley Selzler, Velva, ND, Aubrie Selzler, Beulah, ND, Jace Taxis/Olheiser, Mandan, ND, and Morgan Darnell, Freemont, NE.

Justin was preceded in death by his parents and wife, Betty Lou

Funeral:  A private service will be held by family invitation

Interment:  Velva Community Cemetery, Velva, ND;

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