Former Longtime Walsh County Sheriff Dies at 73

GRAFTON, N.D. (KVRR) — The former longtime sheriff of Walsh County has died at 73.

A Tollefson Funeral Home obituary shows Lauren Wild died on Thursday, February 20, just a week after his February 14 birthday.

Wild started with the county sheriff’s office in 1989.

He was the target of a recall election in April 2011 after he fired Deputy Sheriff Ron Nord who ran against him in the 2010 election for sheriff.

Nord was fired the day after the election.

Wild won the recall election with 50% of the vote to Nord’s 36%.

He served a total of 28 years as sheriff.

Memorial services will be Friday, March 7 at 10:30 A.M. at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church of Grafton.

Visitation will be from  9-10:30 A.M. at the church.

Inurnment will be at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan and military rites will be provided by Grafton American Legion Post #41 and North Dakota National Guard Honor Guard.

The service will be live streamed on the Tollefson Funeral Home website.