Lloyd Howard Rasmussen or “Bud”, as most people knew him, age 91, was born on Main Street in Grenora North Dakota, on June 14, 1926. His parents were James and Laura (Waller) Rasmussen. He passed peacefully at home on Wednesday, May 23, with his wife by his side.

Bud’s home was on the same property where the old hospital stood. Bud would always say he was going to make a “round trip”, meaning he wanted to die on the property where he was born. He got his wish. Back in his early years he helped in the family coal mine and helped his Dad farm. He attended school through the eighth grade (and was able to skip a grade) at Sunny View School South East of Dagmar Montana. At age 17, he was drafted into the Army Air Corps, and was a WWII Veteran. He served in Okinawa and the Philippines. Following his time in the service, he ran a road maintainer for Williams County, ND. He married Everal Jacobson and to that union five children were born. After the first child, they lost the next two due to the Rh factor, and the last two had special measures to keep them alive. This marriage after several years ended in divorce.

Bud worked in the oilfield repairing Diesel engines for Waukesha. He later worked in several garages including the Ford Garage in Williston and the Chevy garage in Sidney. They moved to Miles City where he worked at the Chevy and Ford Garages as well as Northern Tank Lines rebuilding diesel engines. He also worked on several farms and ranches, living at the Brown Ranch near Sand Springs, MT until he was disabled. Bud was the type of guy who would wear a white shirt and jeans to work and come home without a speck of grease. He loved to hunt and fish and took several elk hunting trips to the mountains of Montana as well as fishing trips to the Northwest Territories of Canada, with his favorite being to fish on the Church Hill River.

He had a short marriage to Barbara Burley of Miles City, which also ended in divorce. In 1976 he met a lady several years his junior, Wanda Johnston. They dated for three years and on May 29, 1979 he asked her to move with him to a little house in Miles City. Bud and Wanda lived together for 16 years. In 1989 they moved from Miles City to Dagmar, MT, living on the Christensen Farm to help care for his brother-in-law, Ray. Bud and Wanda married June 5, 1995 and have really enjoyed their time together. In 1996, they moved into Grenora, ND and rented until their present home was purchased in 2001.

Bud loved Christmas and decorating. Each year his collection grew adding more animated musical stuffed toys. Several visitors have enjoyed them. They last totaled 67. Each year, for the past 20 years, Bud presented Wanda with a Valentine bear, which have been hung in their bedroom. Bud was known for having a nice yard and loved gardening. He also had a woodworking shop where he enjoyed making several clocks, frames and other small items for the home. He loved old time country music and was able to play several instruments, and enjoyed hosting jam sessions. He loved his family and was always happy to have them come visit. He also loved the neighbors from across the street, Josh and Lacy Buechler and their children Gracy and Draygen, and cherished the hugs and good times. His neighbor Barb Olson has also been a wonderful addition to his life as has Scott Soggy, whose visits would brighten his day and his childhood friend Edward Hoff and wife, Natalie.

The community of Grenora has proven to be more like family than friends and he loved them all. Following his stroke in 2015, he suffered from dementia and a favorite pastime was having Wanda drive him around Grenora, complaining if she drove too fast. He enjoyed seeing friends for congregate meals at the Senior Center.

Bud is survived by his wife, Wanda; son, Jack Rasmussen and grandsons, Brandon and Tyson; daughter, Denise (Tom) Kane, and grandchildren, Paula, (Jon) Syring and Cassidy and Shaylee, Lindsay (Eric) Woodin and Myiah, Alex and Eleanor, Tanner (Chris) Schweigert and Madison and Elizabeth; son, Wade (Connie) Rasmussen and granddaughters, Century and Maylana all from Billings; sister-in-law, Marian Rasmussen of Grenora; several nieces, nephews and numerous in-laws.

He was preceded in death by two infants, Danny and Kathy; parents, James and Laura. He was the last survivor of eight siblings, brothers, Dewel, Clarence and Gerald; and sisters, Alice Christianson, Pearl Peterson, Myrtle Groth, Mildred Christensen and infant Lila.