Robert (Skinny) Pochant, age 90, died September 2, 2024, at Missouri Slope Nursing Home under hospice care.
Services will be held on Monday, September 9, 2024, at 11 a.m. at Augustana Lutheran Church in Underwood, ND. Family will greet guests one hour prior to the service at the church. Lunch will be served after the service and burial will follow at Coleharbor Cemetery.
Skinny was born June 7, 1934 in Coleharbor to Harry and Esther Pochant. His mother died when he was 3. He was raised by his dad for a few years until Harry married Ilora and the family continued to live near Coleharbor. He was given the nickname “Skinny” by his dad when he was young and it stuck throughout his life. He attended school in Coleharbor. At the age of 18, he enlisted in the US Army during the Korean war. He liked to tell that the day before he was to be sent overseas, they withdrew his papers because they didn’t want brothers going together. He was sent to many different bases throughout the US, but mainly in Alaska. He was very proud of his military service.
When he returned home, he married Geraldine Jesser in 1958. Skinny farmed and worked many different jobs. He and Geri built their home in Pick City. They adopted a daughter, Toni Rae, in 1964. Geri died in 1985.
Skinny married Gloria Holst in 1988. They lived in Pick City and Skinny continued to farm. Gloria died in 1991.
In 1994, Patricia Liska of Pick City became part of Skinny’s life. Together Pat and Skinny farmed, tended their large garden and yard and traveled many winters to the warm southern states. They loved the occasional casino run, camping and visiting with the many friends they had. Pat died in 2023.
Even though Skinny had many different jobs throughout his life from picking potatoes in Florida to managing a bar during the time the dam was being built to working on the dam construction, his main love in life was farming. Even to the end, he loved to look at the crops, discuss crop prices, and basically discuss anything farming. He was also very proud of his involvement in developing Pick City and couldn’t imagine there was a better place to live than Pick City. Skinny was also very generous to his community and felt it important to support the Riverdale-Pick City Ambulance and the Pick City Fire Department. He loved going to the bar to shake dice with “the guys” and catch up on the latest happenings. He was lucky to have lived in his home until he turned 90. His goal was to make it to his 90th birthday and he thoroughly enjoyed his birthday party in June.
Skinny is survived by two grandsons, Joshua and Andrew. He is also survived by brother Harry (Jr) (Virginia) Pochant, sisters Marlene Molzahn and Lois Hummel, sisters in law Sallie Pochant and Florence Brunner. He also has many nieces and nephews who were an important part of his life.
Skinny is also survived by the Liska family: Penny and Mark Natwick and family, Pam and Curt Bethke and family, and Shanon and Tom Bogren and family.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Harry and Esther, stepmother Ilora, wives, Geri and Gloria, companion Pat Liska, daughter Toni Rae and brothers and sisters in law: Henry (Hank) and Ruth, DuWayne (Dukes) and Joan, and Alden (Myrt), and brother in law Ron Molzahn.
The Pochant and Liska families would like to give a special thank you to all of the Pick City friends who have helped so much to keep Skinny in his home. Thank you also to CHI Hospice who came into his home and to the staff at Missouri Slope South Campus who kept him comfortable. Thank you also to the Sanford Oncology Department and infusion center who have taken such good care of him over the past several years.
Memorials are preferred to the Pick City Park Board or Pick City Fire Department.
Skinny will surely be missed by many, but as he told us “I’ve had a good run”.
To plant Memorial Trees in memory of Robert “Skinny” Pochant, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.
