Prairie Public NewsRoom
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

More than 1000 attend Stenehjem funeral

Dave Thompson, Prairie Public

More than a thousand people attended funeral services for former North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem.

Stenehjem died Jan. 28th in Bismarck. He was North Dakota’s longest serving Attorney General, having been elected in 2000. Before that, he served in the North Dakota Legislature.

The funeral service was held at the Bismarck Events Center Exhibition Hall.

His sister — Peggy Stenehjem-Titus — gave one of the eulogies. She said Wayne Stenhejem's philosophy of life was to live with integrity.

"A commitment to live honestly, to say whet he meant, and to have his words mean something," Stenehjem-Titus said. "To share his vision, and treat others — even political rivals — with dignity and respect, even when he wasn't always afforded the same consideration."

Former North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jim Poolman said in his eulogy that Stenehjem leaves an incredible legacy of public service.

"He teaches us that truly good people make the best public servants," Poolman said. "He was truly exceptional."

Poolman also said Stenehjem's wit, wisdom core convictions and strength of character made him one of the finest public servants North Dakota has seen.

North Dakota’s Attorney General is the state’s top law enforcement officer. And the funeral service ended with an “end-of-watch roll call.”

A number of state and local law enforcement officers attended, along with some Attorneys general from other states.

Related Content