Orrin "Bud" Davis

Orrin “Bud” Davis, 102 years

Orrin (Bud) Davis, age 102, passed on to the next world on Thursday, July 25th, 2024 leaving a legacy of a life fully lived. Bud shared his life with wife Catherine (Kit), eleven children, 15 grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren, as well as his community of neighbors and friends. 

Bud was born in Elk River, Minnesota, the eldest son of Andrew and Olive Davis, and graduated from Elk River High School. He lived a hard scrabble life as his father's right-hand boy but also a care free life herding cattle on a Mississippi River island during the great depression. While farming with his father, Bud met and married Kit Schwinghamer, a teacher at the Otsego school district. Together they farmed 7 years in Elk River, MN until moving to Lake Park in 1951. The couple raised eleven children, fostered high expectations and sent each to college while running a farm. 

Bud and Kit operated a grade A dairy and grain farm in Atlanta township from 1951 to 1985. They won multiple awards over the years for their innovative, conservation minded farming techniques. Bud often reflected that he felt extremely lucky and grateful to be able to farm independently, while raising his family with Kit. He lived his dream. 

Among his friends and neighbors, Bud was known as Mr. Fix-it as he could repair pretty much any piece of equipment. He was an accomplished welder and did many welding repairs for neighboring farmers for the price of the welding rod. Bud’s passion was designing and creating equipment to increase efficiency such as a cabbage shredder, a potato masher mounted in a milk bucket, a wood burning furnace, and a sunflower combine attachment. Bud was a mechanical engineering genius with dozens of unpatented designs. 

During his lifetime, Bud was involved in community service. He served as: Treasurer of Atlanta Township for many years; Board of Directors of Cenex Community Co-op of Lake Park for 19 years; Cormorant Watershed Board for 11 years as well as cared for Cormorant Recycling Shed site for 15 years. While a member of St. Francis Xavier Church Council, he was instrumental in the fundraising and building of the current church and rectory. In 2008 Bud and Kit gifted funding to the LPAHS Dollars for Scholars fund, creating the Orrin & Catherine Davis Family Scholarship, and annually participated in award grants. 

At age 56 Bud obtained his private pilot’s license. He was a member of the Hawley Flying Club and served as President of the Flying Club for 3 years. He enjoyed repairing, repurposing, recycling, solving problems, woodworking, welding, lapidary, flint napping, wagon and boat building, cooking maple syrup, fishing, gardening, cutting fire wood, deer hunting (65 career), playing mouth organ and visiting with neighbors. He had a great memory for past events making him a talented story teller; he even remembered the names of his classmates at the age of 101. Bud was a guy who always had to have a project going or a project in the design stage and was happiest when in the middle of said project. It brought him immense joy when something was built or started working again. 

In 2005 a life biography, compiled by daughter Elaine Davis, was published as ‘Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do: 80 Years of a Minnesota Farm Family’. 

Bud is survived by: Sons Gary (Rose), Hastings, MN; Tom (Steve Boyle), Minneapolis, MN; Tim (Gail, deceased), Edina, MN; Bill (Nancy), Bismarck, ND; Daughters: Mitzi (Glenn Warner), Pomfret, CT; Nita (Tom Sletten), St. Anthony, MN; Becky (Mark Beeksma), New Brighton, MN; Grandchildren: Wanda Davis, Susan Williams, Colin & Nathan Davis, Paul & Lukas Warner, Diana Gregory, Cassie Koroma, Andrea Inneo & Matt Jensen, Josh, Jake & Jordan Davis, Casey & Justin Beeksma; Great grandchildren: Ceonni & Isaiah Williams, London & Maya Davis, Colin Warner, Nolan & Jaxson Gregory, Joe & Idris Koroma, Max Inneo, Revel Jensen, Isla & Hudson Davis, Audra, Adalynn & Clara Davis and Orrin, Annalise, Isabelle and Thaddeus Davis.

Bud’s deceased siblings were: Marion Davis (Phoenix, AZ), Ruth Davis (Kalispell, MT), Gordon Davis (Zimmerman, MN), Richard Davis (Monticello, MN) and Andrew Davis (McGregor, MN.) Bud is predeceased by his wife Kit Davis, sons Dan, Russell, daughters Elaine, Cathy and great grandchild Elijah. 

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at the Lake Park American Legion on Sunday, August 18th, 2024 at 2:00pm with food and refreshments served following the service. Friends and family may gather from 1pm to 2pm. Memorials are suggested to the Lakes Crisis and Resource Center, Detroit Lakes, MN, a place for which Bud had great compassion.