Travis Lynn Gudmunsen, whose full name was yelled very often by his saint-like mother, was born in Williston, North Dakota on August 23rd, 1983, to Robert and Lowaine (Loken) Gudmunsen. Travis spent his early years on the family farm south of Arnegard. As a child he was at one with nature, climbing any sort of tree that could be found. All sorts of scrap lumber that made up his early makeshift treehouses can still be found nailed to the poor trees that he called home early in life - if one knows where to look. He was fond of bringing any sort of critter into the house to show off to his family. This included a multitude of insects, frogs, and snakes and once, a small, scared rabbit.

As he continued to grow, he began his education in Watford City. He was a member of the Boy Scouts of America and achieved the honor of becoming an Eagle Scout. He had a love of the land and enjoyed helping on the farm. He competed in wrestling, was a member of the FFA, and performed in many different theater productions at Watford City High School. He loved playing in band, being around his friends, or in any class that was taught by Mr. P., Kent Pelton.

Travis attended university at Dickinson State and continued to be active with the drama department there. He was one of the few students whose main topics of study were welding, range management, and theater. But that was Travis. One of a kind. After completing his studies, he returned to Ellsworth township to help on the family farm.

He spent his life back in McKenzie County active with the Eagles club, serving a variety of roles including president, working tirelessly on projects that raised funds for so many things around the community. There is a lot of playground equipment and fire-fighting equipment in this community that were able to be purchased with the hard work from Travis and so many at the Eagles Aerie. He began to run cattle with his father also at this time. He was the life of the party, known to dress up flamboyantly for the entertainment of many folks. He used his social media pages mostly to sing happy birthday to any of his many friends.

Travis met the love of his life Lindsey when they were still students, but years later they crossed paths again and saw something in each other. This turned out to be a very good thing for Travis. He was head over heels in love with the person who finally “got” him. They were so at ease together and they loved each other’s spirit and outlook on life. They were united in marriage on September 24th, 2016, in Arnegard, North Dakota. Travis became a loving stepfather immediately to Kim, before welcoming his boys Eirik and Liam a few years down the line. There is not enough room in this obituary to list how much Travis loved his family. He would have walked through hell to protect any of them. None of us knows exactly what heaven looks like, but spending time checking cattle or in a tractor cab with his kids would have been the answer that Travis would have given.

In the final years of his life, he loved coaching gymnastics and volunteering with the Arnegard Rural Fire Department, both of which filled him with joy and purpose.

Travis left us as a result of a vehicle accident on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, a few months shy of his 40th birthday.

He is survived by his loving wife, Lindsey Gudmunsen; his children Kimberly, Eirik, and Liam of Arnegard; Father, Robert (Faye) Gudmunsen of Arnegard; brother Tom (Gloria) and their sons Trevin, Gatlin, and Morgan of Weatherford OK; brother Garrett (Jamie) Arnegard, their son Ayden and daughters Evelyn and Lauren; and numerous cousins, aunts, uncles, and an uncountable number of people who were family in Travis’s eyes.

He is preceded in death by his grandparents, Leonard and Dagny Gudmunsen and Kenneth and Lenora Loken; as well as his mother, Lowaine (Loken) Gudmunsen.

Memorial Contribution