Monte Jo Williams, 62, of New Rockford, ND, passed away peacefully during the early morning hours of Saturday, January 17, 2026, at Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, ND, after complications resulting from cancer and cancer treatment.

Monte was born on December 28, 1963, in Carrington, ND, to Merlin and Marlys (Haakenson) Williams. He spent most of his childhood on the family farm near New Rockford, where he milked cows and helped with other farmwork. He attended New Rockford Public School, where he enjoyed playing basketball. He was great at free throws and was skilled at the three-point shot even before it was established. Monte then attended Lake Region State College for automotive mechanics. His first full-time job was working as an automotive technician at Firestone/Bridgestone in Jamestown, ND, where he worked for 6 years, and he then worked at Walt Sanders in Jamestown as a service advisor/assistant manager for 3 years. He began working at Collins Aerospace in Jamestown in 1996 as an airplane cargo systems assembler, where he remained for 28 years until retiring in 2025.

Monte married Patty Kleingartner on August 18, 1990, and they made their home in Jamestown for many years before moving to Monte’s childhood farmstead near New Rockford in 1997. There, they raised two children, Jewel and Jake, whom he was very proud of.

Monte will be remembered as an avid outdoorsman and nature lover who spent much of his free time hunting, fishing, gardening (especially varieties of hot peppers), rock hounding and metal detecting, and watching his favorite TV shows about the supernatural (especially aliens, ghosts, and cryptids), historical mysteries, and food. He also enjoyed camping and going on trips to the mountains with his family, watching thunderstorms roll in, eating and cooking new recipes, watching football and the Vikings, and listening to music, mostly rock and country. Monte exemplified a strong work ethic and dedication not only through his career but also through his renovations and continuous upkeep of the family farmstead, which he deeply cared about. Although reserved, he was a great storyteller and had an infectious sense of humor that he shared with the people he loved. His family meant everything to him, especially his children, and he worked hard to ensure that they would have a successful future.

Monte will be deeply missed by his wife, Patty Williams; his children, Jewel Williams and Jake Williams; his siblings, Dennis Williams (Eileen), Rhonda Williams, and Meranda Williams (Jeremy Roberg); his niece, Samantha Olafson (Adam; children McKenzie and Adrian), and nephew, Ryan Williams (Darlene; child Bayley); and all his friends and extended family members, including Shannon Riggle, Patty Swift (Randy), Jason Clifton (Jen Bahnsen), and Scott Clifton (Amy Hoyt).

He was preceded in death by his parents, Merlin Williams and Marlys Williams, and grandparents, Maurice and Floreine Williams and Clarence and Emma Haakenson.

Monte’s Visitation will be Friday, January 23, 2026 from 1:00PM – 2:00PM followed by a Funeral Service at 2:00PM at First Lutheran Church, New Rockford, ND.

His Burial will be at Mose Cemetery, Binford, ND at a later date.