Clayton Quinnild

Clayton Levi "Quinn" Quinnild, age 96, of New London and formerly of Fargo, ND., died Monday morning, July 17, at Glen Oaks Care Center in New London. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Friday, July 21, at the Riverview Place Chapel in Fargo, ND., with Rev. Wayne Quibell officiating. Interment will be in North Pleasant Cemetery near Hickson, ND. Military honors will be provided by the American Legion Post #2 of Fargo, ND. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the chapel on Friday. Funeral arrangements are with Peterson Brothers Funeral Home of Willmar, MN. (320) 235-1651.
Clayton was born on January 31, 1910, in Hickson, ND., the son of Ole and Anna (Smerud) Quinnild. In 1928, he graduated from the Academy High School in Fargo . In 1933, he graduated from NDSU with a double major from the college of Agriculture in botany and agronomy and began employment in the soil conservation service in Lisbon, ND. In 1938, Clayton went to work for the U.S. Forest Service at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and was later employed by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture in the Soil Conservation Service division. On December 20, 1941, in Steele, ND., he was married to Marion Olson and they made their home in Steele. On September 19, 1942, he entered into the U.S. Army and served in India during W.W. II. as Tech Sergeant with the 47th Air Depot Group of the Army Air Corp. Following his discharge on November 14, 1945, he returned to work as an engineer for the Soil Conservation Service and they lived in Mc Intosh, SD. Clayton traveled with is work and they lived in Finley, Dickenson and Bismark, ND. In the mid 1960's, he became the North Dakota State Range Conservationist while working in Bismark. Following his wife's death in 1977, Clayton moved to Fargo to be closer to his family. In 1983, he received the Range Society's Scientist of the Year award. He was recognized several time for other contributions to Range Management from the Society and the Northern Great Plains Section of the Society of Range Managements. After Clayton and Dr. Warren Whitman of NDSU had retired, they worked together on various consulting jobs. They helped to insure proper range management on most of the Indian Lands in North Dakota. Clayton was a member of the NDSU Herbarium Endowment Committee which helped endow the NDSU herbarium. NDSU will always appreciate his contributions in this area.
Clayton was a Past Commander of the American Legion Post in Finley, member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, member of the V.F.W., past member of Toast Masters and the Elks Lodge in Dickenson and member of the Society of Range Management. Clayton was also an avid supporter of all NDSU programs.
He is survived by two daughters, Sherry (and Jeff) Colehour of Willmar, MN., and Susan Quinnild of Richmond, VA.; six grandchildren, Scott (Alix) Colehour of Minnetonka, Steve (Jenna) Colehour of Minneapolis, Brad (Ann Marie) Colehour of Mt. Prospect, IL., Dan "Bucky" Colehour of Willmar, Jeff Erickson and Jayelyne Erickson, both of Richmond, VA.; and six great grandchildren, Kate, Emma and Torrin Colehour, Alex Nelson, William Stephens and Courtney (and Ryan) Dirks, besides other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Marion in 1977; three brothers, Abner, Raymond and Gordon; and four sisters, Irene, Luverne, Genevieve and Amy.