Harvey M. Held, 92, of Cando, ND, formerly of Perth, ND, passed away peacefully from this life to his Father in Heaven on the evening of Sunday, June 28, 2026 at Towner County Medical Center in Cando, ND. Catholic Rite of Committal will be held on Saturday, July 25, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at the Holy Rosary Catholic Cemetery in Bisbee, ND with Fr. Tom Graner Celebrant. 

Harvey grew up on the family farm near Perth ND and attended Howell Rural School up to 8th grade and graduated from Bisbee High School in 1952. He attended NDSU (at that time it was North Dakota Agricultural College) until 1954 when he enlisted in the Army. He served 18 months with the U.S. 7th Army, 1st Chemical Battalion, 7th Chemical Company, in Baumholder West Germany. During his service he was able to connect with relatives while he was enlisted there. He returned to college and graduated in 1959. During this time Harvey met his future wife Clarice “Cookie” Savageau Held at a local coffee shop. They were married on November 7, 1959 at Saint Benedict Catholic Church in Horace, ND.

One of his fondest memories of his youth was his first time shooting an Ithica double shotgun, which had been in the Held family for years, at his Uncle Ed and Aunt Joyce’s house. Uncle Ed set a can on a post for Harvey to practice on; Harvey didn’t remember if he hit it, but he got a good lesson in physics that day. He said he eventually shot the gun so much that the barrels separated, the repair turned out so well that it is now a “show gun”. So began his passion for hunting and collecting guns.

Harvey was an excellent trap shooter and won many trophies over the years. He was especially proud of a competition at the Turtle Mountain Trap Club, where he hit the most birds (clay pigeons) of anyone at the shoot that day. He cast his own bullets and could spend hours studying reloading manuals. He enjoyed deer hunting with his friends, especially joining everyone for supper and conversation after the hunt.

He often took his children down to the farm’s coulee to hunt gophers; teaching them patience, due to the skittish nature and small size of a 13-lined gopher. He also spent many memorable hours with the family fishing at Bisbee Dam and Snyder’s Lake. Though occasionally he had to remove a fishing hook from someone’s head or coax them into putting their first worm on the hook. He showed an appreciation for nature and wildlife; nothing ever went to waste, even the gophers were brought back to the farm to help feed the most recent batch of kittens. In later years he would target shoot .22 rifles with the grandchildren at the farm when they came to visit in the summer.

Harvey was an active member of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Bisbee. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and a Religious Education Teacher for many years. Harvey took over the farm from his dad after college and later ran the farm with his wife Cookie. He often said that he just enjoyed watching things grow. This included having a large prolific garden and often shared his produce. Harvey was very involved and active on many of the boards in the community, including the local elevator boards. After retiring at the age of 62, Harvey turned over the operation of the farm to his son Jeff, but he continued to help around the farm well into his late 80s.

Harvey was preceded in death by his dear wife Clarice, his parents William and Kathryn and his sister Dorothy Held Rader. He is survived by his children Jeffrey, Perth ND: Susan (Vern) Meidinger, Zeeland ND, William (Bonnie) Held, Salt Lake City UT; Julie (Mike) Polzin, Ogden UT and Renae (John Jr.) Rebar, Camden Delaware; his 5 grandchildren John Meidinger, Stephanie and Christopher Held, and Nicholas and Benjamin Polzin. He is also survived by a number nieces and nephews who have stayed in contact and visited throughout the years.

Harvey’s family would like to extend a special heartfelt thank you to all the staff at the Towner County Living Center.