Malcolm Stuart Tweten, Co-founder of NoKota Packers, Inc. passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 14, 2013. He was 88.

The industry pioneer was born April 30, 1925, in rural Reynolds, North Dakota and after his father’s death in 1948, Malcolm farmed with his brothers Obed and Kenneth. On June 16, 1951, he married June Gjelsness and together they raised seven children. They moved near Buxton, ND in 1954, where Malcolm continued farming, raising small grains and potatoes. Malcolm and June moved to Fargo in 1994.

Malcolm and his brother-in-law Maurice Gjelsness founded NoKota Packers, Inc., in Buxton, North Dakota in 1979. The company specializes in washing, packing, and storing table stock potatoes, and still continues as a family business.

Malcolm also gave his time to state and local organizations where he served in the North Dakota State Legislature from 1973 to 1988 on both the Senate and House Appropriations Committees. He was a State Director of Farm Bureau, member of the Red River Valley Potato Growers’ Association, and chairman of the 20th District Republican Party. In addition, Malcolm was very involved in Highland Lutheran Church, Cummings, ND, and later at Messiah Lutheran Church in Fargo.

Malcolm was a visionary and his curiosity pushed him to explore innovations in farming, education, technology, and health, and he pursued each area with vigor.

After he retired from farming and politics, Malcolm put his energies toward supporting the mission of Oak Grove Lutheran School, serving as a member of the Oak Grove Board of Regents.

He is survived by his wife June (Gjelsness) Tweten, seven children: Steve (Kelly Eggen), Erik (Carol), Bill (Deb), Liz (Bernard) Sanborn, Margaret (Greg) Asheim, Dan (Annetta) and Jon (Jessica), 20 grandchildren, 8 great–grandchildren, sisters Marian Knudsvig and Erlys (Dell) Hedlund, brothers-in-law Ernest Gilbertson and Clark Tufte, and a sister-in-law Carol Tweten.

Malcolm was preceded in death by a grandson Christopher Sanborn, twin brother Obed, brothers Harold and Kenneth, and sisters Beryl Gilbertson and Harriet Tufte.

AndNowUKnow would like to extend our deepest condolences to Malcom's family and friends.