Garrett Bruce Hoelscher was born August 30, 1997 to Bruce and Carmen (Redding) Hoelscher in Minot, ND. He was baptized at Augustana Lutheran Church in Minot with godparents Noel & Marla Zingg and Ryan Redding. He attended Peace Lutheran Church in Burlington and received his first communion there.

In 2000, Garrett was blessed to gain a third loving parent when Carmen married Jeff Ruud. In 2001, when his new baby brother, Jace Jeffrey, was placed in his arms he said, “Can we keep him?” and thus began Garrett’s journey as an awesome big brother. In 2004 he gained double fun when Logan Adam and Alex Austin were born.

Garrett attended elementary and high school in Stanley, ND graduating in 2016. He played football and wrestled. He qualified for and competed at state wrestling three times in the heavy weights. He was involved with FFA, 4H and competitive shooting. He was equally accurate shooting both left and right-handed. This really helped him to be an excellent hunter both with a gun and a bow. When he was eight, Garrett got his first buck, with a bow. Throughout his life Garrett did a lot of hunting. There are multiple mounted deer heads with big stories of how they were harvested. There are lots of fun stories told with laughter of hunting trips with family and friends from Colorado to Wyoming, Montana to Canada and all-around ND. In 2020, Garrett bagged a once-in-a lifetime ND bull moose. Each fall he went elk hunting with Grandpa Steve, Uncle James and Cousin Jason. He had plans to go bear hunting with a friend in the near future, too. Easter was usually spent target and skeet shooting and comparing new guns purchased in the past year.

Garrett attended Dickinson State University in the Farm & Ranch Management Program and competed on the Rodeo Team. He was a Steer Wrestler & Team Roper and was tasked with hauling the barrel racers. His horse, DumDum, was the 2017 Men’s Great Plains Region Horse of the Year. He was part of the Ross Ranchers ranch rodeo team and they won a couple and contributed their entry fees at more. At the NDSF when Jeff had roped a steer and someone had heeled it but it wasn’t down yet...Garrett ran straight at it and knocked it over like nothin’. He was all heart.

He’s done a lot of fishing on Lake Sakakawea and other watering holes, including a trip to Alaska fishing for halibut with Bruce. There are whopper stories there, too.

Garrett is the godfather to Cooper Glen Guttormson. He’d been asked to help teach him how to be a good man. He was the perfect role model for this.

Garrett has been ranching alongside Jeff & Carmen and had recently established his home place with a small house on land just south of theirs. He was good with cattle and horses and farming. He’d run his first branding day earlier this spring and with the help of a bunch of great friends, it was a success.

He could fix almost anything and was generally just “damn handy.” He was good at almost everything, except getting up early.

Garrett was patient, gentle, kind, a great storyteller and a friend to all. He was a Great Listener. He’d do anything to help out another and was known for “checking in” on others to make sure they were ok. He always stopped to shake hands and say hello. He was a Teddy Bear. Gave GREAT bear hugs. Tough. Soft on the inside. Big Hearted. Relaxed. Calm. His big hands could do the hard work and also carefully hold a new baby or pet his loyal pup, Jim. We all felt better just being in his presence.

He was lovingly called by many names including GareBear, GarrettCarrot and Cowboy. (Some friends lovingly called him G-Hole.) On the day of their passing, Garrett & his brother Alex were moving equipment to keep the haying season going. Garrett and his brother Alex Ruud passed away on Monday July 5, 2021.

Garrett is survived by his parents, Bruce Hoelscher and Carmen & Jeff Ruud; brothers, Jace & Logan; grandparents, John & Clara Hauck, Ernest & Shirley Hoelscher, Budd Redding, Carmen Redding and Steve & Karen Ruud; many Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and special friend, Jami Ostberg and many lifelong friends also remain.