Horace Ooley, age 94, of Ada, MN, died Sunday, December 15, 2019 at Benedictine Care Community in Ada.

Horace Delbert, the son of Gale and Mary (Covell) Ooley, was born at home on the farm, near Granville, ND on April 16, 1925.  In 1934, when he was nine years old, Horace moved with his family to Ada.  Their home was tragically destroyed in a fire on Christmas Eve 1935, after which they built again and continued farming.  As a young boy, he attended country school and later continued his schooling in Ada.  Horace enlisted in the United States Army at the age of 18 and while he was traveling on deployment to the Philippines the end of World War II was announced.  Horace continued his service until December of 1946, when he was honorably discharged and returned home to Ada.  On March 2, 1950 Horace was united in marriage to Elsie Felske and they were blessed with one daughter, Kathleen.  Together they raised cattle and farmed their entire career. Although Horace never officially retired, he decided to rent his land to Skaurud Grain Farms of which his daughter and son-in-law are partners. Horace devotedly cared for Elsie as her health declined until her death in 2007.  He continued to live on the farm until February 2018, when he moved to Mission Court. In April of this year, he made the Benedictine Care Community his home.

In his younger years, Horace was an avid outdoorsman.  He spent many hours fishing, deer hunting and pheasant hunting.  His heart was always in farming and he loved to watch the fields change through the seasons.  He had a special place in his heart for animals and took great care of his cattle, pets, and any other little critter in need.  Horace was a founding member of the Norman County Sheriff Rescue Squad and was involved with the VFW and American Legion organizations.  His sense of humor and tender smile will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

Horace is survived by his daughter Kathleen (Perry) Skaurud of Gary, MN; three grandsons; and two great grandsons: David (Dominique) of Minneapolis, MN, Cory (fiancée, Nicole Weaver) and their son, Huxten, of Mahnomen, MN, and Brady (Haley) and their son, Briggson, of Fargo, ND. He was preceded in death by his parents, Gale and Mary; his wife, Elsie; and one infant brother, David.

A Memorial service with military honors will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, December 19, 2019, at Faith United Church, Ada. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, from 5-7 pm with a prayer service starting at 6:30 pm, all at the church.