Steven Mark Axness, 67, of Leeds, ND passed away peacefully Sunday, March 1, 2026 at his home in Leeds, due to natural causes.  Visitation will take place Friday, April 24, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Nelson Funeral Home in Leeds.  Food and beverages will be served at the Leeds Community Center during this time. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Leeds Ambulance Service: P.O. Box 361, Leeds, ND 58346 or to the Leeds Fire Department: P.O. Box 91 Leeds, ND 58346.

Steve was born December 5, 1958, in Rugby, ND, the youngest child of Erling and Sharleen (Halvorson) Axness. He was raised in Leeds, baptized and confirmed in the Leeds Lutheran Church, and attended Leeds Public School. His earliest job was working for his dad at the Axness Standard gas and service station, sometimes even helping out during the school day! They operated the station together until Erling sold the business and retired in 1993. Afterward, Steve attended UND-Lake Region (now Lake Region State College), earning an Associate's degree in information technology. Following his degree, he first worked for Spirit Lake Casino programming gaming machines. He then moved on to N.E.T. Computers in Devils Lake, building and supporting computers for homes and businesses, and later to the IT support department for the Devils Lake Public School system until retirement. Steve enjoyed his retirement years by listening to Afternoons Live on KFGO, watching western and war movies or sports. Steve was a member of the Leeds volunteer fire and ambulance departments for many years, helping people from inside and outside the Leeds community.

On August 20, 1976, he married Diane Randle at the Church of the Brethren in rural York, ND, and they remained married until 1996. Together they had three sons: Mitch, Aaron, and Tyler. Many fall Friday nights found him on the sidelines watching Mitch or Tyler playing football for the North Central Benson (NCB) Raiders. He helped advocate for his son, Aaron, who had special needs that required much medical and financial support. He was proud of them all as they continued to grow in their careers and personal lives. Steve also loved his grandchildren, and was eager to hear about everything they were up to and how much they had grown during weekly calls.

For his whole life, Steve loved the outdoors. He was an avid deer, duck, and goose hunter for decades, until a back injury he suffered in his late teens from a fall while working for Baker Electric limited his ability to walk the fields and shelter belts around Benson County. During the spring, summer, and fall seasons of his retirement, he liked taking his "country cruises" around Benson and neighboring counties, occasionally ending up at restaurants far from Leeds.

Steve is survived by his mother Sharleen of Leeds, ND; sons Mitch and Aaron of Fargo,ND; and Tyler (Karlee Gronos) of Harwood, ND; granddaughter Morgan Axness of Fargo, ND, and grandson Andrew Axness of Hillsboro, ND; sister Kathy (Jodey) Jenssen of Leeds, ND; niece Stacy (A.J.) Benz of New Rockford, ND; nephew Jason (Andrea) Jenssen of Devils Lake, ND; uncle Curtis Nordhougen of Moorhead, MN; and many cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his father Erling; infant brother Daniel; grandparents Bernt and Svanhild (Sandven) Axness, and Theodore "Ted" and Clara (Olson) Halvorson; many aunts and uncles, and several lifelong friends.