RAY, N.D. (KFYR) – The wildfires that ripped through parts of northwestern North Dakota last weekend not only claimed tens of thousands of acres of land, livestock and outbuildings, but also killed Florida farmer Johannes Nicholas.・It also took Mr. Van Eeden’s life. South Africa.
On Saturday, a fire ripped through a pasture in Ray, North Dakota, and the Walla family called Nicholas Van Eeden multiple times, but there was no answer. It was later determined that he died from injuries sustained during the fire.
Van Eeden will be remembered as a man with a great work ethic and an even bigger heart.
His high school classmates from South Africa’s Western Cape province said he was a very good and honest person.
“He was a go-getter and did what we needed to do to the best of his ability,” Dewett-Gunter said.
Van Eeden’s coworkers at Walla’s farm and ranch said he would be greatly missed, adding that Van Eeden had gone from being a coworker to a friend and eventually a brother.
“He was one of those guys who always wanted to put in hours of time and effort to get the job done. Even when I tried to slack off, he was like, ‘Listen, no, let’s do this.’ told me. He was my support on this side. It’s tough now that he’s gone. It’s not easy,” said colleague Jack Nell.
Mr Van Eeden was due to return to South Africa in three weeks to be with his wife during the birth of their child.
The Ray, Alamo and Tioga fires in Williams County are 90% contained. Crews are actively fighting the flare-up.
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