Ralph Seibel, 95, of Fort Benton, Montana, passed away on February 15, 2026. Ralph was born October 29, 1930, in Harvey, North Dakota, to Samuel and Mary Seibel. He was the fourth of six siblings. He grew up on the family farm, learning the hard work of milking cows, raising pigs, and farming the land, developing a lifelong love for it. He completed the 8th grade before becoming a full-time farmer on the land that raised him.
In 1951, Ralph began his military service in the U.S. Army. He served active duty as a medic in the Korean War after the one and only boat trip of his life on the U.S Naval Ship Marine Lynx. After active duty, he served in the Army Reserves until he was honorably discharged in 1959.
After the military, Ralph returned home and purchased the farm in 1960, only to be uprooted by the North Dakota State Water Conservation. Ralph then moved to Cut Bank, Montana, where he worked various jobs, including line cook at the Legion Hall and machinery mechanic, all while awaiting an opportunity to farm again.
In 1978, Ralph purchased Hidden Valley Farm on Pablo Island Trail in Fort Benton, Montana, where he continued cultivating the land he loved. He always said, “I looked down on that place and thought it was the prettiest country I have ever seen.” His small parcel was labor-intensive, and Ralph was known to irrigate from sunup to sundown, claiming to lose 20 lbs a season from the manual labor. His hard work and success as a farmer were well known and led him to expand when his neighbor leased him their land upon retirement.
Ralph retired from farming and spent many years enjoying his land on the Missouri River. Ralph was very loved and a member of many families where he spent holidays, brandings, harvests, and in the driver’s seat of wagons working teams of horses. Ralph will be remembered for his hard work, twinkle in his eye, and contagious smile. As he would say to the very end “I’m still a farmer”.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Samuel and Mary (Marie) Seibel, and his siblings Archie, Wesley, Elsie, Janice, and LaVella.
There will be a funeral service at Benton Funeral Home on February 24th at 11:00 am, followed by a burial at Riverside Cemetery.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, click here to visit the Benton Funeral Home website.
