Patrick Ashker, 45, of Columbus, ND (and resident of Hoopstad, South Africa), passed away on Friday, November 9, 2026, at the Trinity Hospital in Minot, ND.
Patrick was born on February 17, 1981 in the small town of Hoopstad, in the Free State province of South Africa, to Donald Ashker and Ella Petronella Van Der Wethuizen (Vet High zen). Patrick spent a lot of his young years on the farm in South Africa and that is where his love for ranching and cattle came into his life. Patrick may have only completed schooling through grade 9, but that did not stop him from learning how to do, fix, or build about anything he came across. Later in life he became a Certified Deisel Mechanic and was also certified for AC work. But his certifications should say that he was certified in every job there is but specializes in Ranching and Farming.
Patrick lived a life defined by hard work, loyalty, and devotion to those he loved. His work ethic was like no other. He believed that hard work was the only way to live life. Patrick was always willing to make the hard choices to make sure his loved ones could have the life he wanted for them. And when he couldn’t provide that life working is South Africa, he made the choice to come to the USA on a H2A farm visa to try and provide a better life for his children. He worked 1 year in South Dakota and then chose to find a different farm to work for and that’s when he came to North Dakota to the Hermanson Farm in Lignite, ND. He spent almost 10 years working for the Hermanson’s. And in those 10 years not only did this Farm become a place he loved and took pride in working it every day. He was very good at the farming side of his job. But his real love was his girls, the almost 500 head of cows that are on the Hermanson farm were his true love. And he was known as the Cow Whisperer. Cattle and ranching was his passion. North Dakota became his home and the Hermanson’s became family to him. He was not just a South African farm worker, in every aspect he became a part of the community and the local area.
In the last few years, Patrick had decided he wanted to work at getting his green card and stay in the US. He wanted to build a life here and hoped that one day his children would join him here as well. He lived in Lignite, North Dakota until he met his partner BreeAnn Blankenship in 2024. They began building a life together and he moved to Columbus with her and her children. They shared a love for farming and ranching, as BreeAnn also grew up in that life. Patrick became a huge part in the everyday life for her and the kids. He very rarely missed one of Teegan’s sporting events and Khambel shared the love of the farm life and cattle with Patrick and would go to the farm in Lignite and work with Patrick when whenever he could. Together they were able to reconnect to their faith and Patrick, BreeAnn, and the kids became members of the Faith Lutheran Church in Columbus.
Patrick was a healthy, energetic man, with a sense of humor that made everyone smile and laugh, he loved to dance, tell jokes, and made everyone smile just walking into a room. He was selfless to his core, and he would do anything to ensure the happiness and well-being of his family, friends, and loved ones.
Patrick was deeply loved and will be profoundly missed by his three children; Robert, RW, and Lea Ashker; his mother, Ella; his sister, Nadia, and their extended family; his partner, BreeAnn Blankenship; and her children, Dalton Dralle, Hayley Dralle, Khambel Blankenship, and Teegan Blankenship; and the many friends and colleagues whose lives he touched across South Africa and North Dakota.