JoAnne Rademacher, Northern Sentry Contributor

Much has been written and told about Ernie Hoelscher’s heroism and strength during his service with the U.S. Army in Korea. He deserves the accolades tenfold. It is not, however, the whole story. Ernie was a family man, farmer, historian, and fixture in the neighborhood. Best of all, he was our friend.

Ernest Rudolf Hoelscher was born July 24,1930 in Minot, North Dakota and grew up on his family farm in rural Foxholm. After finishing 8th grade, he worked for a few years on the neighboring Yuly farm. The Army drafted Ernie into service 23 October 1952. He spent thirteen months in Korea, completing his two years in uniform in the mountains of Colorado. While on the ship coming home from Korea, Ernie was informed his mother had died. He was able to go home to North Dakota upon arrival in California before returning for duty in Colorado. Ernie told me, “Other guys were getting out early when they got home from Korea. I don’t know why they sent me to climb mountains in Colorado until my full two years were up.”

He was finally able to marry his sweetheart, Shirley Wherley, on March 1, 1953. They made their home on the rural Foxholm farm and were inseparable until her death in 2023. He told me he had a difficult time transitioning back to normal life after the war. He often contemplated just walking off with his gun and ending his suffering. Then, one day, Shirley told him he needed to pull himself together because he wasn’t doing either of them any good the way he was. He decided she was right and so began his efforts to live beyond the trauma of war. The farm became a place of refuge and joy as they raised their three sons and a daughter while working with horses, cattle, and milking cows.

They were both involved in their community and church. Ernie was on the board of directors for the Carpio Fire Department while Shirley served as treasurer. Ernie also joined the American Legion, first in Berthold, and later, in the Minot Post. Shirley was the Kirkelie Township treasurer for many years, and I was fortunate to serve as township clerk with her for over twenty of them. They always came to the meetings together and I so enjoyed the time I spent with them.

Ernie loved his horses. For many years, he planted twenty acres of corn on his farm with a 36” two row horse drawn planter. His draft horses, Pete and Pancho were his able partners in the endeavor.

Ernie spent many hours restoring antique tractors and wagons. He fully restored four or five tractors which he gave to family members when he moved to the North Dakota Veterans home in Lisbon.

He and his friend, Lee Vigestol, restored a civil war freight wagon using original blueprints from the National Archives. The surviving pieces were rescued from a pile of rubble. Ernie said they had an Amish craftsman cut the wood planks and make the wooden wagon spokes so there would be no modern cutting marks. It had to be true to the era, including paint colors, tools, and methods used. When they finished the restoration, it looked exactly as it would have in the 1860’s. Ernie also became a Cavalry Teamster and was instrumental in restoring a couple of the Company’s army wagons.

During the United States Bicentennial in 1976, Custer’s 7th Cavalry North Dakota Memorial Regiment Company M (for Minot) was founded. Ernie included his horses in these historic activities, so it was a perfect fit for he and Shirley. Ernie rode as a mounted trooper in the early years, then joined the cannon crew as a cannoneer for about the last fifteen years.

Company M ‘s Kenny Yuly and Russ Volmer found an 1863 cannon barrel in a junk pile while on National Guard duty. They restored it and built a caisson (wheeled platform carrying two ammunition chests) for it. The National Guard contacted Company M, claiming ownership of the cannon. Cheryl Stein, another member, took a picture of the restored cannon and sent it to them. General Melhoff was so impressed with the restoration, he decided it should stay with Company M so gave them a deed of ownership. To fire the cannon, it was loaded with gun powder and a couple heads of cabbage. BOOM and you have coleslaw!

Shirley was active with Ernie in the Cavalry. She was a seamstress, making period costumes for herself and other ladies in the group. She showed me some of the details of those dresses. Some of them had “boning” stitched into the seams which are very stiff, unbending supports designed to hold in the waist and abdomen. I’m very glad that trend was left by the wayside! Shirley also made many quilts for family and quilt tops she donated to her church quilters for completion. Shirley was also a talented baker. Her chocolate cake was a treat, and I’m told she even made apple pie in a cast iron Dutch Oven over the campfire at Cavalry events.

Ernie was passionate in his love and respect for fellow veterans. He served on Honor Guard at over 300 of their funerals. Ever the patriot, Ernie and other American Legion members respectfully burned thousands of worn-out American flags at his farm in the fall of the year.

In the few years before moving to Lisbon, Ernie spent many a summer’s day traveling the neighborhood on his trusty red four-wheeler. We all enjoyed those visits. Ernie was always cheerful, with a laugh so contagious, you couldn’t help but laugh with him.

There was another side of Ernie I grew to love and learn from. He started talking about his experiences in Korea. The stories were bone-chilling and raw as he told them. I understood how traumatized he had to be when he came home. I’ve often thought about how he must have struggled and what enabled him to live a full and productive life going forward.

The first thing is obvious. Shirley’s love was fierce and complete. She loved him and nurtured him and their relationship, enabling them to raise three sons and a daughter while making their mark in the community. They set an example for us all.

I’ve experienced great loss and trauma in my own life, so I study closely the attitudes and actions of others who have gone through similar traumatic events. I want to learn and emulate the good I see in them. In Ernie, I saw his humor, humility and gratitude for every morsel of joy in his life. Through war and personal losses including an infant son, his adult daughter Sheree, young adult grandson Garrett, and Shirley, he always found his way back to a smile, giving encouragement to others with a grateful heart. I will remember how he deflected the slings and arrows of life with gratitude and that smile, his gift to us all.

So, what made Ernie Hoelscher an extraordinary man? Let’s go back to his experiences with the Korean Conflict and his decision to make his life count for more than that. There was no fanfare for Ernie or his fellow veterans when they returned from Korea. Ernie was brought back to California, then had to make his own way back to North Dakota. He told me he never even got paid for his service. He also said he had been told that his chances of survival upon coming home, were greatly reduced because so many of those young men would be haunted by the memories and succumb to suicide.

The evils of war never left him. To the end of his days, the horrors returned in his dreams and stole the peace of the night. Ernie’s therapy for those moments was to retreat to his recliner and snuggle under one of Shirley’s quilts with one shot of whiskey. Then he could sleep.

When Shirley challenged him to start living in the present, he chose life. He could have become a bitter, tragic ghost of a man, or just ended it all. Instead, he chose to live to his potential. He chose to be a husband, father, and community leader. He chose happiness, dignity, and gratitude. Life was never perfect, and he endured more than his share of grief. He made his life the best it could be in the place that gave him peace and contentment. Ernie made the love of his family, the heart of his life.

The choices Ernie made in the face of the evils forced upon him, made him a truly extraordinary man!

Writer’ Note: Many thanks to Cheryl Stein for the picture of Shirley quilting and many details about Custer’s 7th Cavalry North Dakota Memorial Company M.

Read the Full Tribute to Service feature: https://northernsentry.com/3d-flip-book/tribute-to-service-2026/