Doug Pekas, age 61, of Mott, ND, passed away peacefully at his residence in Mott on Wednesday, April 22, 2020.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, October 24, 2020 at 10:30am at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mott, ND with Pastor John Amundson officiating.  Burial will follow at Sunnyslope Cemetery in Mott.  The service will be lived streamed and available for viewing on our website at www.evansonjensenfuneralhome.com

Doug was born in Elgin, ND on June 10, 1958 to Lawrence and Leona (Stevahn) Pekas and was raised on a farm east of Mott, ND.  He was baptized and confirmed in the Trinity Lutheran Church in Mott.  Doug attended school in Mott and graduated from Mott Lincoln High School in 1976. After high school, Doug attended Bismarck Jr. College, and completed the auto mechanics program in 1977.

After college, Doug moved to Hettinger, ND, and worked at Fitch Motor Company as a mechanic. On August 31, 1979 Doug joined the Army National Guard, and went to basic training in Fort Leonard Wood, MO or as he liked to say "Fort Lost in the Woods". He served in the National Guard until February 2, 1985.

He married Jody Coe on March 18, 1983 in Mott and from this union four children were born: Jennifer, Megan, Michael, and Darren. Doug worked in Mott as a farm hand for several years after he returned from basic training. He purchased the family farm in 1984 as a third generation rancher. Alongside his ranching, Doug worked at the Burt Birdsall Elevator, Mott Equity Exchange, and New Leipzig Grain. Doug was the final person to manage the Birdsall Elevator in Burt when its doors closed in 1994. Doug spent 30 years working in grain elevators until he retired in December 2018.

Doug loved fishing, camping, and life at the lake.  He spent many summer days with his family and friends fishing, and many winter days ice fishing at Lake Tschida. Along with his love for fishing was his love for football, and his favorite team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He was an early riser and spent his mornings drinking lots of coffee and watching his shows. He loved the game show network, MASH, fishing shows, and "Al Bundy".  He also loved to play cards. He enjoyed playing pinnacle, pitch, and Rook, but had a reputation for not being much of a gambler during the game.  Doug was known for his love of all things ice-cream, macaroni, knoephla & sauerkraut, and cucumber salad. He loved Fleetwood Mac, but mostly just Stevie Nicks.  Doug was teased by his kids for being the weatherman, as he always checked the weather in all of their locations and gave them a heads up. He was also everyone's go-to person for information and dates because his memory was so great. Doug loved going for drives to check out the countryside and cattle.

Doug will always be remembered for his fun, easy-going personality and great big heart. He loved his family, especially his children and grandchildren. Doug loved family gatherings; it warmed his heart to see everyone together, having fun, enjoying food, and visiting with each other. Doug made lots of memories with his friends and family and will be greatly missed by so many.

Doug is survived by two daughters Jennifer (Raymond) Brunson, Ozark, AR;  Megan (Ted Fetch) VanLishout, Mott, ND;  two sons Michael Pekas, Rapid City, SD; Darren Pekas, Rapid City, SD;  seven grandchildren Blake, Joe, Whitley, Makenna, Jaycee, Tucker, and Vada;  mother, Leona (Norbert) Amann, Dickinson, ND;  siblings David (Karen) Pekas, Hettinger, ND; Julie (Ron) Fischer, Carson, ND; Janelle Binstock, Dickinson, ND;  Joleen (Donald) Kilzer, Bentley, ND; mother of his children, Jody (Coe) Pekas, Rapid City, SD; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, and uncles.

He is preceded in death by two grandchildren Robert Douglas & Ella Brunson, father, Lawrence Pekas,  grandparents Louis & Ella Pekas and Reinhold & Ida Stevahn, nephew Shawn Johnson, brothers-in-law Rob Johnson & Darryl Binstock, and many aunts and uncles.

Due to the current events with the COVID-19 virus, a celebration of Doug's life will be held at a later date. It was important to Doug that his family and friends stayed safe and healthy during this time, so the family is going to honor those wishes.