Pastor Bud, Byron Jarvis Ling, 92, of Spring Butte Township, ND, passed away on May 11, 2025, at the West River Hospital, Hettinger, ND. A simple graveside service took place on May 13, 2025, at the Union Cemetery in Spring Butte Township, ND, with a Memorial Service planned for June 14, 2025, at 11 a.m. CDT at the First Baptist Church in Hebron, ND.

Byron (Bud) Jarvis Ling was born on December 7, 1932, to Byron Louis and Verna Opal (Jarvis) Ling in Carlinville, IL. From an early age, Bud spent summers with his maternal grandparents, Bill and Emma Jarvis, of Gillespie, IL. He remembered fondly the train ride from Pekin to Gillespie "all by himself," under the watchful eye of the conductor, of course. Those years traveling by train gave him a deep enjoyment of trains, and in his retirement, he built a model train village on the front porch of his home north of Lemmon. Life changed dramatically on Bud's 9th birthday. While listening to the radio broadcast, The Shadow, the program was interrupted by the announcement of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and of the United States declaring war on Japan. Those years of World War II propelled Bud to join the Navy after high school.

While stationed in Boston for ship repairs, Bud met a young Italian girl, Rose Marie De Chiara, and after spending the evening eating pizza and dancing, Bud proposed, first asking Rosie if she believed in "love at first sight." Thinking he could not be serious, Rosie told him that she would "give him an answer tomorrow." He walked her home, and the evening ended. The next day, when she arrived home from work, he was sitting on her front stoop and proposed for the second time. They were married two weeks later, on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1952. While stationed in Newport, RI, their first two sons, Byron and John, were born. Following his discharge from the Navy, Bud and Rose moved back to Bud's hometown of Pekin, IL, where three more sons were added, Robert, David, and Paul.

Life changed dramatically once again when, at the age of 29, Bud accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Faith Baptist Church became the center of this young family's life. Bud's love for God and desire to learn more about Jesus propelled him to study the Bible as often as possible, which led him to surrender to become a pastor. The family moved to Pontiac, MI, where Bud attended Midwestern Baptist College, graduating in 1974. Bud, Rose, and the three younger boys moved to Hettinger, ND, while he pastored the NAB churches of Hettinger and Lemmon, SD. Bud and Rose would also serve churches in Bison, SD, Wenatchee, WA, Heron,MT, and St. Maries, ID. They retired in 1994 to a small farmstead north of Lemmon, SD. Bud continued to serve wherever needed as pulpit supply and interim pastor in Mott, ND, and Glen Ullin, ND.

Life changed once again when Rose Marie passed away after a courageous fight with cancer. Rose died on November 27th, 2004, the couple's 52nd anniversary. In 2005, Bud married a childhood friend, Gloria Fitzgerald. The couple spent their winters in Florida and Georgia, and their summers in Lemmon, SD, until Gloria's health no longer allowed her to travel. Bud continued to make the trip to Lemmon to "check on" Bob and John, who were living on the homestead north of Lemmon, and be near David and his family, who were living in Hebron,where David is pastor of the First Baptist Church. As Bud's health declined, he was unable to travel to Georgia to be with Gloria. On May 11, 2025, Bud went home to be with his Lord and Savior.

Bud is survived by His wife of 20 years, Gloria Ling, a sister, Bonnie Nimmo of NC, his sons Byron and Donna, of Holly, MI, John and Robert of Spring Butte Township, ND, David and Patty, of Hebron, ND, and Kathy, the wife of the late Paul of Wenatchee, WA. Grandchildren: Byron, Joy, Kirk, Kyra, Jennifer, Rebecca, Kristen, Stephanie, Joshua, Deanna, Nathan, and Libby. Great Grandchildren; Caleb, Aaliyah, Kaylei, Isaac, Jasper, Liddon, Traevon, Natalia, Keagon, Jaxson, Lilliana, Aria, Kinsley, Hudson, Zachary, Parker, Judah, Micah, Astrid, Elias, Clara, Samuel, Dorthy, Boaz, Alaina, Jameson, Elinor, Silas, Isla, Callahan and Henry. Great Great Grandchildren: Ezra and Ayliana. He was preceded in death by his parents, Byron and Verna Ling, his wife Rose, sister Alice Demarest and her husbands Carlos Dearest and James Tometich, Brother-in-law Edward Nimmo, and Great-Granddaughter EmmaLynn Rose Ling.