Daniel Gordon Faust passed from this life on May 3, 2024, at 89. He had lived at The Glenn of Minnetonka since March of 2023; however, Dan mainly resided in North Dakota. He was born near Valley City on the homestead of his grandparents. Dan went to a country school in Hobart township and high school in Valley City, followed by what was then a college and seminary at Augsburg in Minneapolis. Upon graduating from seminary in 1960, he was ordained at Pontoppidan Lutheran Church of Fargo in June 1960.

Dan married the love of his life, Beatrice Nash, on August 10, 1957. Dan and Bea raised six children while serving in Lutheran churches in Saskatchewan, Canada, and Eastern North Dakota, including Drayton, Hastings, Harwood, Rutland, Dazey/Rogers, and Oriska. Dan’s ministry and community service were marked by his creativity. He wrote and directed plays, planted flowers, led youth trips, dramatized stories about birds in “Wington” and Bible characters, utilized farming illustrations for sermons, and never stayed behind the pulpit or read his sermons. Many people have commented on Pastor Dan’s positive impact on their lives.

Dan officially retired in 2002 but continued to preach until Fall 2022. He also raised vegetables to donate to food shelves in retirement, starting a “Squash Hunger” program. During the 11 years of that initiative, Dan donated over a million pounds of vegetables. He enlisted the help of
volunteers and VCSU students to harvest multiple semis-full of vegetables per year. Dan was always ready to help anyone in need, regularly opening his home and offering what was in his wallet. He also loved to give away his woodworking creations and the abundance of their prolific
canning, which continued until 2022, when they moved into assisted living.

Dan is survived by his wife of over 66 years, Beatrice (Nash) Faust, 6 children: Marco (Naomi) of Montpelier, VA, Timothy (Jan) of Park River, ND, Monica (Doug) Cox of Chaska, MN, Nathan (aka Nate) of Fargo, ND, Jonathan (Lisa) of Plymouth, MN, and Clinton (Audrey) of Plymouth, MN, 15 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, multiple nieces, nephews, cousins, other family, and friends. Dan was the last living member of the 9 children in his family. He is preceded in death by his parents, siblings, James Faust, Marcia Robert, Jean Nash, Grace Beck, Dorothy Farland, Lois Swanson, Mary Nash, and Dave Faust, parents-in-law, all of his sisters and brothers-in-law, and several nieces and nephews. He will be greatly missed.

Funeral services will be held at St. Barnabas Lutheran Church in Plymouth on Thursday, May 9, with visitation at 10, service at 11, followed by lunch in the church hall. Faith Lutheran in Valley City, North Dakota, on Saturday, May 11, with visitation at 10, service at 11, followed by lunch
and burial at Hillside Cemetery.

Local arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Oliver-Nathan Funeral Chapel, Valley City. An online guestbook is available at www.olivenathanchapel.com