Ernest H. Stanhope Jr., age 74, of Waubun, MN, died Monday, April 7, 2008 at his sister's home in Waubun, under the care of Hospice of the Red River Valley after a courageous battle with cancer.

Ernie was born November 10, 1933, in Becker County, Minnesota, the son of Ernest H. Sr. and Margaret (West) Stanhope. Growing up in the 1930's, the family moved often to accommodate working conditions. Upon settling in the Waubun area, Ernie attended country school and later graduated from Mahnomen High School. Following graduation, Sonnie helped on the family farm and worked seasonal construction as a heavy equipment operator. In 1954 he entered the United States Army, where he served as a helicopter mechanic. Upon an honorable discharge in 1956, Ernie returned to the Waubun area and began working for the Otis Elevator Company.

On January 30, 1960, Ernest was united in marriage to Donna Fleisher at Trinity Lutheran Church in Waubun. The couple made their home east of Waubun and were blessed with the birth of their son, Ed. After 37 years of dedicated service with Otis, Sonnie retired in 1994. After his retirement, he kept busy helping Skarud Grain Farms during fall harvest and spent time traveling. He enjoyed all of his trips, especially the ones to Alaska, Texas and the Southwestern United States.

Ernest was a community oriented individual who would do anything to help anyone in their time of need. You could often find Sonnie socializing whenever the opportunity presented itself. Ernest was an active member of Lake Grove Lutheran Church, rural Waubun, its church council and cemetery board, and he held a membership with the Waubun Wildlife Club. Being an avid outdoorsman, Sonnie spent much of his free time hunting and fishing. He took pride in tending to a large and plentiful garden and would share the fruits of his labor with family and friends. Other activities that Ernie loved were dancing and playing cards; even though the hand he was dealt was not ideal, Sonnie kept a positive attitude through it all.

Ernest will greatly be missed by many, including his son, Ed (Angel) Stanhope, Bismarck, ND; three grandchildren: Jameson and Jackson Stanhope, Bismarck, ND; Kera Stanhope and great-grandson Draeke, Waubun; two brothers, Don (Caroline) Stanhope, Rochester, IL, and Rick (Mary) Nemec, Detroit Lakes, MN; three sisters: Betty (Lloyd) Benson, Waubun, MN, Joyce (Don) Dunham, Roy, UT, and Shirley (Dan) Lujano, Reno, NV; sister-in-law, Chris Nemec, Osage, MN; and brother and sister-in-law, Delmar Jr. (Lynda) Fleisher, Waubun, MN; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. In addition to his wife, Donna, Sonnie was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Larry Nemec and Paul Stanhope; and one sister, Darlene Dodge.