Chris Stanger

RIP. Just found out my good friend Chris Stanger passed away today. He was doing what he loved to do. Living life on the edge - snowmobiling over open water. Sounds crazy to many but pretty normal to anyone that knew Chris. Love you Chris! I had a rough couple of days when I first found out. I had never really lost anyone that I had been close to for so many years. We had started hanging out when I was a freshman in high school. We partied all of the time. There were a goup of us that always hung out. We for the most part have all stayed in touch too even though some have moved far away and some stayed close to Ladysmith and Hawkins. Chris had moved to Somerset. We had visited him there several times. Apple River was always a big hit and since it's in Somerset we stayed at Chris's house. Living in North Dakota it wasn't as easy to see everyone as much as I wanted to. It just happened to work out though that Chris was working in ND for the last couple years ish I would say. We didn't hang out a ton or anything but we still texted quite a bit just for the fact we were living in the same state most of the time. I had felt closer to him more recently since high school. He was workin up in Minot a while ago and came down to Bismarck to party with my friends and I. We went out Fri night and got pretty drunk and then Saturday we hung out all day just like we've been hanging out for years. We caught up on things and ate lunch and he did his laundry. We went out to eat for supper with more of my friends and he ended up getting to know them and then rode with them to the next bar. I just loved that about him. He had JUST met these people and already said hey I'm riding with them. We partied all night and then when we came home he was passed out in the back of Floozy's car. He wouldn't get up but he gripped his iPhone with his life. After making fun of him and taking some pics of him we finally got him up and into the house and onto the couch. The next day was fun too. We hung out again and brough him garage saling. He hated it. The entire time he was there that weekend he was calling and texting his brother Adam the entire time. It was so funny. Just funny to see how close they had become. It reminded me a lot of my sister and I. So close in age and just act like friends rather than siblings. Chris ended up leaving Sunday afternoon to get back to Minot to work on Monday. What a fun weekend - one of the ones I remember so clearly and actually hung out with just him and I. .... The other more recent visit of Chris was when he had started workin Fargo. I was so excited to hang out with him. We were both pretty busy during the week so we didn't see each other for a couple weeks and then he had texted me one night that him and his brother Adam were going out to eat at BWW but I was so exhausted that I declined (wish I wouldn't have now) but that weekend I had to work until 9 and then I met up with some friends at the Hub. Chris and his friends finally made it there too. Before we had met up I was asking him if he needed a ride and what he wanted to do. He kept saying he just wanted to hang out with me and my friends and didn't care what we did. That really meant a lot to me. He had all of his other friends there but chose to hang out with me. That's just the kind of guy Chris was. Very caring whether he would ever admit it or not. I love seeing old friends and living in ND I don't get that opportunity that much. Chris meant a lot to a lot of people. He was never really mean or hurtful. He was just always up for a good time...especially looking for babes and drinking vodka redbull. He would probably kill me if he ever read this, but even when he came to Bismarck a couple years ago he had went out with my roommates and at the end of the night ended up sleeping in BranDee's bed. He asked her if he could kiss her. She declined! But really, how often does a guy ask permission. I thought it was cute. Also I was trying to hook him up with one of my friends here in Fargo and she even said she liked him because he didn't try so hard to hook up with her - he was just out to have a good time. He ended up sleeping on her couch that night. Those are just some recent memories I have of him. Such a sad sad situation but everything happens for a reason - just not quite sure what it could possibly be yet. We actually have a really good time at his funeral as terrible as that sounds. It was the most bad ass party the night before and then the funeral was just as bad ass. Very sad during the ceremony but afterwards my friends Adam and Tony actually got to drive and ride the hearse down the cemetary. His brothers had his truck and snowmobile in the back and were spinning tires and so they did the same with the hearse and everyone swerved the whole way down there. Just amazing and Chris would have wanted it to be exactly that. Crazy to even think he is really gone. But I guess we'll just see ya on the other side Chris! Love you and miss you every day!