Paula Veit

Paula Veit, 78, of Bismarck, ND, passed away April 4, 2026 at her home surrounded by her family and Sanford Hospice care.

A Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 AM CDT on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at Inspire Family Fellowship, Bismarck, ND. Burial will be at 12:00 PM MDT, on Thursday, April 9, at the Isabel Cemetery, Isabel, SD.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, April 7, 2026 from 6:00-7:00 PM CDT at Bismarck Funeral Home.  Visitation will continue at the church one hour prior to the service on Wednesday.

Paula Miechelle Veit was born on December 16, 1947, to Paul “Jack” and Alberta (Hayes) Strong at the hospital in Dupree, South Dakota. Her parents came to South Dakota sheep herding in a wagon with her two older sisters, who were 14 and 11 years her senior. When Paula was born, the plan had been for a son named Paul—thus the name Paula—but her sisters fondly recall that Jack carried her on his hip, calling her the best Christmas present he had ever received.

Paula grew up as her dad’s sidekick, a true horsewoman who rode alongside him and learned the finer things of life from her mother to include her beautiful singing voice. She rodeoed, was crowned Miss Faith Stock Show, and often spoke of her favorite buckles, including her 1965 All-Around buckle and a cherished barrel racing buckle she once gave away to encourage a young girl who was struggling.

She attended grade school and high school in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, where she met Dan. Through his persistent “pestering” in study hall, the two became a couple. Paula graduated from Cheyenne River High School in Eagle Butte.

Paula and Dan Veit were united in marriage on August 27, 1966, and attended Black Hills State College of Business. They welcomed their son, Matt Justin, on May 22, 1967. The couple spent the early years of their marriage ranching in various locations before purchasing their place east of Faith, where they established their horse training barn and raised cattle and pigs from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s.

During that time, they welcomed their daughter, Penny Lee, on January 8, 1973—the first baby born in Ziebach County that year, a distinction Paula fondly remembered along with the blessing of extra supplies that came with it. Those years were filled with countless miles on the road attending SDRA, NRCA, 4-H, and SDHS rodeos. Paula served as a timer alongside Pauline Davis and was an active member of the Faith Stock Show Committee.

In 1984, the family moved to Williston, North Dakota, where their children continued rodeoing through the NDRA, RRA, and ND High School Rodeo associations. Paula’s greatest joy was being a rodeo mom—supporting her children, celebrating their accomplishments, and valuing both who they were becoming and the importance of their education. Matt went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from Dickinson State University, and Penny earned her bachelor’s from North Dakota State University, her master’s from the University of North Dakota, and her doctorate from the University of South Dakota.

Paula often reflected that her life had three distinct seasons, guided by one of her favorite scriptures, Ecclesiastes 3:1–8: “For everything there is a season.” Her first season was ranching, which defined much of her childhood and early married life. Her second season was in banking, where after moving to North Dakota, she began working at American State Bank in the bookkeeping department and eventually advanced to manager of operations. Her final season spanned the past twenty years at HIT, Inc., where she worked at Dakota Pointe, Mandan, ND, as a restorative therapist serving individuals with traumatic brain injuries. She also periodically led Bible studies—work that truly filled her cup. In her final days, she reminded those around her to continue to “Walk on Sunshine.”

Paula’s greatest joy was her family. She treasured time spent supporting her children and grandchildren in their many activities and never missed an opportunity to cheer them on. She will be remembered for her kindness, generosity, listening heart, and unwavering faith. Through every season stood her steadfast partner of nearly sixty years, Dan. Together, they found no greater joy than in their grandchildren. They treasured every opportunity to travel to Montana to fish, hunt, attend football games, and share in life’s special moments with their grandsons. Closer to home, Paula cherished “Grandma days” with her granddaughters, making each one feel deeply loved and special. She rarely missed an event—whether a concert, basketball game, orchestra performance, youth rodeo, or local archery competition. They even attended national tournaments, and one of her favorite memories was traveling to an international tournament in Calgary, followed by a trip through Glacier National Park.

She loved to tell the story of being the overzealous grandma at a national archery tournament, binoculars in hand, stepping out onto the FITA field to get a closer look—prompting the director of shooting to come over the loudspeaker reminding spectators to stay off the field.

Above all, Paula was a woman of faith. A prayer warrior. When she learned of her illness, she didn’t respond with fear, but with peace—saying that Jesus was her friend and would hold her hand. And He did. If Paula left us with anything, it’s this: Be kind. Be present. Be a believer.

She will be deeply missed, but her legacy lives on in the lives she touched, the family she loved, and the faith she carried so beautifully. She left handwritten messages for all of us and the biggest take away was to keep believing to be able to meet up again in the promise land as well as enjoy the smaller moments as they often turn into some of the best times. This is truly the day the Lord has made.

Paula is survived by her husband of nearly 60 years, Daniel Veit; her son Matt (Kendra) Veit of Malta, Montana; her daughter Penny (Lee) Hetletved of Bismarck, North Dakota; her grandchildren Nathan (Mariah) Veit of Malta, Montana; Reed (Hannah) Veit of Roundup, Montana; Kinley Hetletved and Hatley Hetletved of Bismarck, North Dakota; her sister Lois Bennett of Texas; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Paul “Jack” and Alberta Strong; her in-laws, Roy and Irene Veit, Dupree, SD; her sister and brother-in-law Betty Lou and Anton Kost; her brother-in-law Jim Bennett; sister-in-law Linda Veit; brother-in-law Jerry Veit; brother and sister-in-law Frank and Brenda Veit; brother-in-law George Lafferty; her niece and dear friend Cheryl Hamilton; and her special cousins Ralph and Buck Scheele.

In lieu of flowers, Paula has asked that any memorials be given to the youth ministry of Inspire Family Fellowship Church of Bismarck, ND. She admired their dedication to youth and believed that the seed of faith has to be planted in young people.