Les M. Colebank, 87, of Williston, North Dakota, passed away on Thursday, August 26, 2021, at the CHI ST. Alexius Health Hospital in Williston, ND.

Leslie (Les) was born June 16, 1934, on the family farm, 17 miles west of Williston in Round Prairie Township. He was the tenth of ten children born to Noah and Lena (Ramey) Colebank; his father delivered him.

The family moved to Williston when Les was 10 years old, after their farm home burned to the ground. While in grade school he was a member of Boy Scouts and he graduated from Williston High School in 1952.

In 1954, Les joined the North Dakota National Guard and started working as a roughneck in the oil fields.
On March 12, 1955, he married the love of his life, Mabel Bratlien, at First Lutheran Church in Williston. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith in 1960. Together, he and Mabel had four children – Wayne, Kim, Kris and Brenda.

In August of 1955, he went to work for Schlumberger Well Services and worked there for 31 years until his retirement in 1986. After his retirement, he took a job as Mabel’s lefse turner, and they worked alongside each other to make dozens of rounds of lefse and flat bread.

Les was a 4-H leader, along with Mabel, for several years in the 1970s. In 1976 they began playing in a band with JoAnn & Lee Arends called the Country Squires, Les played lead guitar and they played together for the next 13 years. Their band played for many 4-H dances and wedding dances for several former 4-H members and played several times at the Moose Club. In the years to follow he played music with his son, Wayne, Mabel, a nephew – Jerome Holm and Mike Keller and called themselves ‘Just Country’. They played at Bethel Nursing Home for several dances, at the Senior Center and also the Moose.

Music was always a big part of Les’ life and he also enjoyed camping, fishing, and playing softball and horseshoe, which he played in leagues for many years. In the last several years, he and Mabel also spent a lot of time together on the golf course, golfing with family and their many friends (he had 2 holes in one). He also enjoyed cheering on his kids, grandkids and his great grandson in every activity they were in.

After retirement Les took up oil painting and woodcraft work, mainly scroll sawing and he could fix just about anything with a little dab of JB Weld! He made a lot of gifts for his family members and friends and was also a right-hand man to his son, Wayne, on many building projects.

Les was a member of the Moose Lodge, the Elks Lodge and First Lutheran Church. He worked at many lutefisk and meatball dinners at his church and was a regular blood donor at the blood drawings.

He is survived by his wife of 66 ½ years, Mabel; children, Wayne (JoAnne) of Williston, Kimberly Winden of Scottsdale, AZ; Kristi (Gordon) Lindholm of Mesa AZ and Brenda Colebank of Englewood CO. Grandchildren, Eric and Jeff Winden of Colorado, Tyler Colebank, Brett (Amanda) Colebank, Tess (Ian) Anderson, his great grandson, Everhett Ziebarth, and a new great grandbaby to be born in September, all of Williston. His is survived by two brother, Raymond of Montrose CO and Kenneth (Barbara) of Nashville, TN and many, many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Noah and Lena, three sisters – Mable Wilkens, Pansy Vannest, Ethel Brooks and four brothers – James, Wilbur, Robert and Gene.