James R. Lyng

   James (Jim) Roydean Lyng, 78, was born Jan. 25, 1943 in Mayville, N. D., the fourth son of Oscar and Alice Lyng.  He died March 1, 2021 in Sanford Medical Center in Mayville after being hospitalized with pneumonia.

   Jim attended elementary school at Blanchard #4 and graduated from Mayville High School in 1961.  He graduated from the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton in 1965 with a major in auto mechanics.  He married Ida Mae Pederson and they later adopted Michael and Michelle.

   Jim worked at Tastad Motors in Mayville and at Miles City Motors in Miles City, Mont., before moving to Bemidji, Minn., where he was an auto mechanic at Spaulding Motors and later at Wolds Wayside Service and Dick's Northside Shell.  In 1972 he and Ida Mae went their separate ways and in 1974 he married Linda Stebe. They had a daughter, Kimberly.

   In 1975 they moved to Mayville, where Jim started work at Mayville State University as a custodian in the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse.  His work was much more than custodial, since he was in charge of site preparation for campus athletic events and also had to make repairs or adjustments to athletic equipment and/or facilities.  He developed his organizational and management skills as he supervised work-study students who helped with some of the janitorial cleaning and event set-up.  Jim guessed that over his 32 years at the college, he supervised approximately 2,000 student workers.  In 2019 he was awarded the Mayville State University Distinguished Service Award for his dedicated and exemplary service.  He retired in 2007 after both Linda and Kim passed away from cancer.  Jim said that he didn't miss his job, but he missed his friends and students at the college.

   After retiring, Jim went back to MSU in the summers to mow grass.  He enjoyed fishing at Swan Lake near Fergus Falls, Minn.; hunting; building eagles; woodcarving; gardening; and mowing grass.  He said that a person can do a lot of thinking while riding on a lawn mower

   Jim was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Linda; daughter, Kimberly; brothers and sisters-in-law Orlin and Margaret and Duane and Eileen Lyng; brothers-in-law Gary Stebe and Tim Abbott; sister-in-law Jinann (Allen) Stebe; and father-in-law and mother-in-law Don and Betty Stebe. He is survived by his brother, Merwin (Myrna) of Mayville;  brother-in-law Allen Stebe; sisters-in-law Georgia Christianson, LuAnn Stebe, Phyllis (Tim) Saga, Sharon Stebe, Mary Pederson, Connie Abbott, Shelly Fear and Dawn Stebe; many nieces and nephews;  many dear and cherished friends; and “best buddy,” Steve Christianson.

   Jim was a life member of the North American Hunting Club.

   Jim deeded his body to the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences with the hope that doctors can find cures for diseases that take so many lives. 

   A memorial service will be held at Mayville Lutheran Church, 24 Third Ave. S. E., Saturday, June 26, 2021 at 11:30 a.m.