David Veeder

David Veeder passed away on February 1, 2025 at the age of 85 due to complications from a fall.  David came into this world in Watford City, North Dakota on June 13, 1939 as the third of four children born to Agnes and Sidney Veeder. He was raised with his two brothers, Larry and LeRoy, and his sister, Rosalie, on a farm 17 miles east of Watford City, ND. David went to school in Watford City from the first grade through high school. David was a track, basketball, baseball and football player for the Watford City Wolves. He also excelled in academics and performed with the band. David graduated from high school in 1957 as the class valedictorian.

David then went on to the University of North Dakota and graduated with a bachelor’s degree, with honors, in Chemical Engineering in 1961. During the time he was a student at UND he was awarded various undergraduate scholarships. While at UND, David met his wife, Linnea Kranzler. They were married on December 23, 1961, in Lehr, North Dakota.

David began his engineering career in April of 1962 as a Pilot Plant Engineer for UOP in Des Plaines, Illinois. This job involved research and development work in the petroleum refining industry, including the development of small-scale petroleum refining units called Pilot Plants. In 1963, David and Linnea’s first-born child, Jolane, was born at MacNeal Memorial Hospital in Berwyn, Illinois. In 1965, the family left Illinois and hit the road because David’s work included start-up work on commercial petroleum refining units in the midwestern and eastern United States, Sicily, Italy and Puerto Rico.

David, Linnea and Jolane then moved to Billings, Montana in 1965, where David became employed with Conoco at its refinery in Billings. He started as a Process Engineer and then moved on to Operations Superintendent.  David and Linnea’s second child, Bradley, was born in Billings in 1966. In 1968, the family moved to Lakewood, Colorado where David worked as Operations Superintendent and Process Superintendent at the Conoco refinery in Denver. In 1969, the family moved to Ponca City, Oklahoma for several months where David was the Manager of Refinery Economics and Development.  The family then moved back to Lakewood.

While David was working as an engineer for Conoco in Denver, he enrolled as a student at Denver University Law School. He worked full-time for Conoco during the day and attended DU at night. He graduated with a Juris Doctor of Law degree, with honors, in 1972. The family then moved to Billings, Montana in June of 1972, where David became employed by the law firm of Kurth, Davidson & Calton, P.C. Their daughter Anne was born in Billings in 1974.

Throughout the years, the law firm changed names and partners several times until 1993, when David had his own firm called Veeder Law Firm, P.C.  Jolane, a law school graduate of Arizona State University in 1989, joined her father’s firm in 1994 after practicing law in Phoenix for 5 years. David and Jolane practiced law together for almost 20 years.  Their law practice involved a wide variety of matters, including transactional work (corporate formation and representation, real estate, oil and gas, taxation, environmental matters, OSHA and other administrative law cases) and civil litigation (including breach of contract, employment disputes, personal injury, foreclosure of real property, quiet title, partnership and other business disputes).

In the mid-1970s, David came to realize that exercise was the key to good health. He began jogging in 1978, and thereafter ran 13 marathons and many other shorter races. He ran the Boston marathon in 1985.  David also liked to follow the stock market, develop commercial real estate, travel and read.  He was an avid wine connoisseur, amassing an extensive wine collection.

In 1987, David and Linnea became equal owners with Bud and Joanne Leuthold in the Cream of the West cereal company.  During that time, they were instrumental in changing the visual appearance of the boxes to make them more appealing to customers.  They owned that business until it was sold in 2002.

David was fascinated with construction and was the general contractor for several large projects both before and after he retired from the practice of law in 2014.  David purchased a warehouse on the west end of Billings that had previously been used by Cream of the West and renovated it into office space.  David and a partner built the Residence Inn by Marriott in Billings in 2007.  David also purchased the Red Lion Helena Colonial in 2012, did extensive renovation work on the hotel, and transformed it into another Marriott product, the Delta Hotels Helena Colonial.  David also bought the Carmike theater building on Overland Avenue in Billings and renovated that building as an event center.  Most recently, he built the Courtyard by Marriott hotel on Overland Avenue in Billings.

David was predeceased by his parents, Sidney and Agnes Veeder, and his brothers, LeRoy and Larry.  David is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Linnea, his children, Jolane (Brian), Bradley, and Anne (John), and his grandchildren, Christian, Daniel and Addison Dunlap.  David is also survived by his sister, Rosalie Veeder.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at King of Glory Lutheran Church, Billings, Montana.

If you wish to honor David’s memory, donations may be made to the David A. Veeder Scholarship Endowment, UND Foundation, 3501 University Ave, Stop 8157, Grand Forks, ND 58202-8157, or King of Glory Lutheran Church, 4125 Grand Ave, Billings, MT 59106.