Victor Bachmeier

Victor Bachmeier passed away peacefully Saturday, Nov.18, 2023, when his weak heart failed him. We will miss him gracing the head of our Thanksgiving table this year, but we are very thankful for his full 96 years of life.

He was born to Ladislaus and Asteria (Wingenbach) Bachmeier, who immigrated from Krasna, Ukraine, in 1908. He was the youngest of 10 children. Dad loved telling the story that when his mom announced that she had to go back to the house while she was helping his dad plow the fields because she was going into labor with Vic, his dad asked if she could just make one more lap around the field before going in. His parents’ determination to survive the hard times as homesteaders in Selfridge, North Dakota, instilled in him a strong work ethic, dedication to and love of family, loyalty to friends, love of his country, and commitment to his beliefs in the Catholic Church. He was one of The Greatest Generation. He had grit until the end, never complaining about the cards he was dealt with aging.

Dad enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1946, and was honorably discharged in 1948 as a staff sergeant. He was trained in search and rescue at the School of Aviation Medicine in San Antonio, Texas. He was later stationed in Fairbanks, Nome and Barrow, Alaska, as an airplane mechanic.

He met the love of his life, Eleanor Marie Staudinger, in Bismarck, North Dakota. He always had a twinkle in his eye and a smile that lit up the room, which surely was what captured our mother’s heart. They were married on July 7, 1952. The couple moved to Beach, North Dakota, to begin their life together, one that would last 68 years. They later moved to Billings, where his career had him working at Garrett Freightlines, and owning a small dairy farm and some apartments.

Vic was an avid fisherman and game hunter. He loved making sausage each fall from his family’s old world recipes. Other hobbies included golfing with friends Steve, Walt and George. Dad always brought salted nut rolls for the group’s sustenance for the round until they made it to the 19th hole, where liquid refreshment rounded out their camaraderie for the day.

He couldn’t wait to plow the soil each spring for his large and prolific garden, providing a bounty of produce to keep Mom canning all summer long for them, and still had an abundance of produce to share with other friends and families! Growing up as a child of the Depression, he reduced, reused and recycled long before it was fashionable to do so. He always kept a meticulously organized and well-stocked garage, equipped with the essentials for any repair. He also loved playing and watching baseball. He recently successfully bet against his oldest daughter on the Texas Rangers to win the World Series. He was always up for a wager.

He had a great love for the outdoors! He LOVED our family’s summer weekends and vacation weeks in the high mountain lakes of the Absoraka and Beartooth ranges. That time included hiking, camping, RVing, boating, backcountry jeeping and fishing, traditions that his children and grandchildren treasure to this day. He also loved fishing for Walleye in the lakes of North Dakota and Minnesota.

Later as a couple,  Vic and Eleanor enjoyed traveling to Alaska, Nashville, the east coast, Hawaii and, most memorably, trips to Canada and Germany, where they met with relatives who had been to the Bachmeier World Reunion in 1993 in North Dakota. Dad remained fluent in German throughout his life, which was fun for him while visiting with relatives.

Our parents also spent many Saturday evenings with friends playing pinochle, whist, canasta and poker in the basement of our home.

Forever sharp, Dad had an ironclad memory for current events, the history of the world, and the remote and recent history of his immediate and extended family.

He was close to and proud of all of his eight grandchildren: Amber (Bart), Cavin (Karly), Tim (Lindsey), Michelle (Gary), Tyler (Heidi),, Josh, Eric and Alex. He also had 15 great-grandchildren who delighted him beyond measure: Harper, Morgan, Nolan, Kaleb, Abry, Elise, Evan, Bentley, Beckam, Brystin, Bowie-Blue, Azi, Gibson, Ellie and Maddie.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Eleanor; and is survived by his three children, Deborah (Sid) Green, Darrel Bachmeier and Cynthia (Dallas) Steiger.