Ryan Ronald Edward Mountain, a beloved son, brother, father, and friend, unexpectedly left us

to explore the spirit world on Saturday, September 11, 2021 at the age of 40.

Ryan was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota on October 20, 1980 to Michael (Tubby/Captain)

Sabin and Olive May Houle (Mountain). Ryan spent his childhood days camping and playing

with his older brother, Joseph Mountain. As Ryan grew older, he fell in love with art and drew

many intricate works and began to learn how to tattoo. In 1996, Ryan moved in with Shirli

Jacquemart along with their daughter, Monica. Ryan and Monica had many adventures together

throughout Ryan's life and saw Monica as his sister and "guardian angel."

Ryan enjoyed cooking, and was a cook for Grand Forks restaurant staples such as Northside

Cafe, Blue Moose, Texas Roadhouse, and Muddy Rivers. Ryan also painted and did drywall

work when he was needed, but his real passion and career was tattooing people from all over

the area. Ryan was very talented behind the tattoo gun and started his own business by the

name of NV ME Tattoos where he would tattoo customers in the comfort of their own home.

Ryan lived a nomadic lifestyle and traveled the area often, even living in Kansas for a while

where he married Lannette Mountain on September 11, 2010. While living in Kansas, Ryan

enjoyed travelling to the Denver Colorado area and briefly attended the Haskell Indian Nations

University in Lawrence, Kansas. Ryan briefly moved back home to Grand Forks before serving

time in federal prison in Florence Colorado and Phoenix Arizona. During the years Ryan had

served, he had devoted his time to drawing, tattooing, getting his GED, and keeping in touch

with his close friends and family via telephone, emails, and letters. Ryan was also a great role

model for younger inmates whom he helped out and cared for very deeply. Ryan was

discharged from prison in October of 2019 after filing an appeal for being wrongly sentenced for

too long and returned to Grand Forks where he spent time with his friends and family and

immersed himself again in tattooing.

Ryan's spirit and memories continue through his surviving family; mother Ollie (Olive) Mountain;

foster mother Shirli Jacquemart; older brother Joseph and wife Kelli Mountain; younger sister

Monica Jacquemart; loving siblings and friends Josh & Carrie Jacquemart; loving friends

Michael and Jen Bremseth, Nikki Shilling, Brandi Lund; daughters Presley Chandler (21),

Mercedes Hillier (20), Olivia Mountain (18); sons Joseph Lee Risberg (11), Kingston Yazzie (8);

and many nieces and nephews.

Ryan was a loving, goofy, free spirit who genuinely connected with everyone around him

wherever he went. His spirit will forever live on in the lives of the people he loved, and the

memory of him will forever be written in stone.

You can never move a Mountain.