October 6, 1970 – January 10, 2026 ________________________________________________ Kristi Lynn Lensegrav Birkeland left this world on January 10, 2026.
Celebration of Kristi’s life was held on Friday, January 16, 2026 at the Dupree School. Rev. Shawn Olsen officiated.
Kristi was born on October 6, 1970, to Dave and Rhonda Lensegrav of Meadow. She joined older brother Ken and later welcomed two more brothers, Jesse and Taylor. Kristi’s grade school and middle school days were spent at Progress Country School. She then attended Lemmon High School, graduating in 1988.
Kristi grew up a cowgirl. Her rodeo career started around five years old when she competed in PeeWee Rodeos at Black Horse Arena at Athboy.
She won the first of more than 15 saddles in 1988 when she was crowned the South Dakota High School Rodeo State Champion Goat Tyer. Kristi attended Dickinson(ND) State University, competing for the Blue Hawks rodeo team, before transferring to National College in Rapid City, where she graduated in 1992.
While competing in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, Kristi was a three-time Great Plains Region Goat Tying Champion, finishing as high as fifth at the College National Finals Rodeo. She went on to find much success in the arena, competing in the South Dakota Rodeo Association, Northwest Ranch Rodeo Cowboys Association, Mid-States Rodeo Association, and the North Dakota Rodeo Association, racking up 18 championships overall.
Kristi made her home near Meadow (later Dupree) where she joined her parents’ cattle operation on the family ranch.
In 1994, Kristi married Daryl Ferguson, and their daughter, Sidni Shay, was born in 2002. Sidni was Kristi’s “mini-me” and her pride and joy.
In 2009, Kristi married Jace Birkeland. But it was in 2008 that the couple received one of the biggest surprises in life: Kristi was expecting identical triplet boys. Fletcher Coy, Tee Remington, and Cruz Duke were born with blazing red hair in June of 2008.
In 2024, the Lensegrav Ranch was honored at the Casey Tibbs Rodeo Center Tribute Dinner. During her remarks, Kristi said, “Our family’s foundation has been built around raising livestock and caring for the land that God has graciously provided us, and along with that, a profound love for rodeo. God bless cowboys, cowgirls, and ranchers.”
More important to her than any accomplishment in the arena or on the ranch was her love for family and friends. She never met a stranger she didn’t like.
As brave and tough as Kristi was, she was equally classy and stylish. She could go from chore clothes to a night on the town with ease.
She was a “foodie.” The first question she asked before any trip, big or small, was, “Where are we going to eat?”
True to the many layers of the onion that Kristi was, this past year and a half she became a bus driver for her “Bridger Kids,” who affectionately called her Krispy Chicken. Even then, it was never a direct route. Joy was to be chased, as she would drive them out of the way for Christmas light tours, happily repeating the same route at their request, even though it made for a longer day after an already long one.
Kristi was welcomed to heaven by her dad, Dave Lensegrav; father-inlaw, Neil Birkeland; grandparents, Ken and Esther Elson; and grandparents Olav and Edna Lensegrav.
Kristi leaves behind her children: Sidni, Fletcher, Tee, and Cruz; husband Jace Birkeland; mother Rhonda Lensegrav; brothers Ken (Kim) Lensegrav, Jesse (Dorena) Lensegrav, and Taylor (Kayla) Lensegrav; nieces Katie (Bryce) Dibbern, Kelsey (JD) Fear, and Gretel Lensegrav; motherin- law Vickie Birkeland; sisters-in-law Darci (Brian) Harper, Kari (John) Gray, Kelli (Brad) Leonard, and Jacki (Reggie) Kennedy; and their children, Dace (Jodi), Jade (Katy), Jess and Drew Harper; Reece Leonard; Sam, Tristan and Tel Kennedy; and countless members of her rodeo family across several states.