South African farmhand dies during fire in Ray

RAY, N.D. (KFYR) – The wildfires that ravaged sections of northwestern North Dakota this past weekend not only took out tens of thousands of acres of land, livestock and outbuildings, but they also took the life of Johannes Nicolaas Van Eaden, a farmhand from South Africa.

As fires tore through pastures in Ray, North Dakota, on Saturday, the Wolla family tried to call Nicolaas Van Eaden numerous times with no answer. They later discovered he had died from injuries sustained during the fire.

Van Eaden will be remembered as a man with a big work ethic and an even bigger heart.

His former high-school classmate from Western Cape, South Africa, said he was a very good and honest man.

“He was a go-getter and went above and beyond to do what was necessary,” said Dewet Gunter.

A co-worker of Van Eaden’s on the Wolla’s farm and cattle ranch said he will miss Van Eaden dearly, adding that he had gone from a co-worker to a friend and eventually a brother.

“He was one of those guys that always wanted to put in the hours and the time and the effort to get the job done. Even when I tried to slack, he would tell me, ‘Listen, no man, let’s do this.’ He was my support, this side. Now that he’s gone, it’s tough, you know. It’s not easy,” said co-worker Jacques Nel.

Van Eaden was scheduled to fly home to South Africa in three weeks to be with his wife during the birth of their child.

The fires in Ray, Alamo and Tioga in Williams County are 90% contained. Crews are actively fighting flare-ups.

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