Cleo (Skalsky) Boeckel

Cleo and Gary Boeckel, of Stanton, ND passed away Sunday, March 30, 2025 and Monday, March 31, 2025. Services will be held at 10:00 AM CT on Monday, April 7, 2025 at Peace Lutheran Church, Hazen with Pastor Walt Wolff officiating. Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 PM CT on Sunday, April 6 at Peace Lutheran Church.

Cleo Mae Marie (Skalsky) Boeckel was born to Frank and Amelia (Keller) Skalsky on March 16, 1946 in Beulah. Gary Gene Boeckel was born to Herman and Elizabeth (Wolf) Boeckel on January 31, 1947 in Beulah.

Both attended rural school thru the eighth grade, later in life Gary continued his educated and received his GED. 

Both grew up on family farms in rural Beulah working next to their parents and siblings.  They learned the value of a strong work ethic and were proud of the hard work they did to help the families.  Both came from large families, Cleo (the baby of the family) grew up with five siblings, and Gary with nine siblings.

They met and were united in marriage in April 1972.  They started their family in Bismarck ND, later Gary built their home in Stanton ND. In 1985, they established their family farm in rural Hazen. 

The saying “opposites attract” could not be more true, Cleo was the small, content to stay at home, introvert and Gary was the big, larger than life extrovert, who could strike up a conversation and BS with anyone, anywhere.  Their love for each other was obvious to anyone who met them. In life they were inseparable, even in death they could not be apart, they had an everlasting love. 

Cleo was a homemaker, raising their children, always having a clean house and a hot meal on the table each night.  They built their lives on loving each other and their family through everything, they instilled the value of working hard and taking care of those that they loved.  Cleo eventually went back to work at Krauses Super Valu and later Hazen High school until she finally retired, after a lot of convincing from her daughters. Gary was a member of United Mine Workers of America and worked at the Glenharold Mine in Stanton ND. After the mine closed, he started his own cattle trucking business and continuing to farm until he decided to officially retire in 2010, selling all the cattle and finding projects to complete on the farm. To fill his time, Gary took up his love of working with wood, creating little ingenious objects that we found thru out the house.  He always found a way to get any task completed even with his limited mobility later in life.  Mom’s gift was with the written word, she spent her younger years reading, writing poetry and scrap-booking everything that was important to her.   She kept every card she ever received (boxes and boxes)!

They were very proud parents to four children, Stacy (Jayme) Kilwein, Michelle (Pete) Mechaley, Chris (Nathan) Rathjen and Tina (Dan) Anderson; proud grandparents of 12 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.  They always wanted to spend time with them and their doors were always open. The grandkids spent many summers growing and learning on the farm.  If you were a scammer and trying to trick them into a scam…you picked the wrong grandparents, cause that pissed him off! 

They were preceded in death by their parents; siblings, Leonard Boeckel, Ruth Hausauer, Leona Rueb, Gaylen Boeckel, Marjean Boeckel, Janet Morast, Irene Schaaf, Rudy Skalsky and Ernie Skalsky; and one granddaughter Susan Schneider.

They are survived by their girls; one son, Gary Gene; 12 grandkids; many great-grandkids; Gary’s siblings, Irene Fisher, Fern Schlender and Faye Horn; Cleo’s siblings, Maggie Obrigewitch and Leona Schaaf; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Arrangements are conducted by Barbot Funeral Home, Beulah and Hazen.

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