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Dan & Jean Feist · Inducted in 2019
Dan Feist was one of 15 children born to Frank and Catherine Feist on a family farm near Karlsruhe, North Dakota. Not far from the Feist family, Jean Merck was one of 15 children raised in in the home of Jacob and Regina Merck. The Feists and Mercks were neighbors and close friends.
After graduating from high school, Dan went on to serve in the Marines, spending three years in Trinidad during the Korean War and receiving a meritorious promotion for outstanding Marine. Upon completion of his service, he spent two years in the California construction industry before returning to Minot.
On February 4, 1958, Dan and Jean were married at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Karlsruhe, making their home in Minot, Dan continued his career in construction and real estate, and Jean worked at First National Bank.
Dan and Jean welcomed three daughters and three sons to their home. In the years that followed, they celebrated six Bishop Ryan graduations, and their family grew to include:
-Kathy and her fiance, Darcy
-Karl and his children, Ashley (Aaron), Zachary and Jacob, and granchildren Seth and Blade
-Karen and her husband, Dennis
-Diana and her husband, Al, and their son, Clayton
-Dean and his wife, Kristi, and their children Ethan, Cody and Gracie
-Danny and his wife, JoLee, and their children JaDee and Gage
Along with his professional accomplishments, Dan was also involved in many community and business organizations like the Minot Rotary, Investors Real Estate Trust (IRET), the Minot Chamber of Commerce, and the Knights of Columbus, to name a few.
But the center of their lives revolved around their faith, and that kept them heavily involved as members of St. Leo the Great Catholic Church and as parents at Bishop Ryan, where Dan spent 14 years on the school’s Board of Directors, earning the Bishop Ryan “R” Award for his service.
Dan passed away on December 18, 2017, and he is missed. Jean says that Dan would be very pleased and honored to be counted among the Bishop Ryan Hall of Fame family.
Jean also credits their wonderful family and success to Jesus Christ, the head of their home, saying, “He always has been and always will be.”