Bryce Kawasaki
Bryce Roy Kawasaki, 57, of Dunn Center, N.D., formerly of Gallatin Gateway and Wolf Point, died Nov. 1, 2020, in Fargo, N.D.
He was born on Oct. 29, 1963, to Robert “Bob” Kawasaki and Jennie Kawasaki, the youngest of seven boys.
He grew up hunting, fishing and riding horses and rodeoing in eastern Montana. After graduating from Wolf Point High School, he attended Miles City Community College on a rodeo scholarship and continued his education and rodeo career at Montana State University. He rode bulls and saddle broncs at a collegiate and professional level. He later graduated with an agricultural teaching degree.
He was an individual that did his best work today and tried to do it better tomorrow. In 1994, he graduated from Montana State University Horse Shoeing School. He owned his own farrier business called BK Forge. He was the president of the Montana Professional Horse Shoers Association for six years and sat on the board of directors for the farriers association for the same six years. He became the Montana State University Farrier School director in 2012-2019.
He was a teacher and a mentor to many students, passing along not only shoeing knowledge but life lessons to his students as well.
He was a kind man with a big heart who didn’t know a stranger. He handled himself and friends the way he handled horses — with respect and understanding. He understood that a horse was being as honest as he could, and the defenses that were built could be helped with leadership and trust.
In 2019, he made a major life change and moved to Dunn Center, N.D., to go to work in the Bakken oil fields for a lifelong friend. Though, he was only in North Dakota for a year and a half, he made an impact in his community, making many friends there along with working in the oil field and continuing to shoe horses. He was an individual that had a knack for seeing good in everyone and never turned a blind eye to those in need.
He is survived by his brothers, Bert Twitchell, Ortie Twitchell, Dave Twitchell, Allen Kawasaki, Jerry Kawasaki and Casey Kawasaki.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, a service will not be held at this time. A celebration of life will be held in the spring of 2021 in Dunn Center, N.D., Bozeman and Wolf Point. The dates will be announced at a later time.
