By In the farm country of northwestern North Dakota, where harvest season rarely waits and neighbors still do, an entire community turned out to finish a job left painfully undone.
Randy Fyllesvold, a husband and father of two young boys, was killed in a car crash in September, leaving behind his wife, Kharra, and a farm with 1,400 acres of corn and soybeans still standing in the field. With grief weighing heavily and winter closing in, the task was more than the family could face alone.
They didn’t have to.
Two of Fyllesvold’s close friends, Wyatt Thompson and Andy Gates, quietly put out the word. The response was anything but quiet. More than 75 people arrived from surrounding towns, bringing with them 12 combines, seven grain carts, more than 40 trucks, and enough equipment to turn loss into motion. Working in tight coordination, the volunteers finished the entire harvest in just a few days.
For Kharra Fyllesvold, the sight was overwhelming. She later described it as “nothing short of breathtaking,” saying she felt deeply blessed by the support during one of the hardest moments of her life.
Those who came said they were there because of who Randy was.
“To know Randy was to love Randy,” said buddy Wyatt Thompson told local station KFYR. “..The reach that he had was kind of endless.”
In a Facebook post shared after the final combine rolled through the field, Kharra reflected on the moment with raw gratitude and memory.
“As I stood in the shop and looked around before the final Randy Fyllesvold corn harvest started, I was flooded with memories we created with all of you,” she wrote in a heartfelt Facebook post.
“The day was full of emotion, but I found so much peace in watching it unfold … but from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I will always remember this and Randy would be so proud.
“God Bless all of you and the boys and I love each and every one of you. 12 combines, 7 grain carts, over 40 trucks all for you Randy.
“I know you are smiling down.”
In Antler, the harvest ended as it always does — not just with grain in the bins, but with a reminder that in North Dakota’s farming towns, loss is met not with words alone, but with work, presence, and a community that shows up when it matters most.
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