Creating an estate plan is one of the most important and meaningful gifts you can give to yourself and to your loved ones. Choosing the right estate planning attorney to work with the first step toward creating your plan. At the German Law we are dedicated to helping our friends, neighbors, and associates in the Devils Lake, North Dakota community with all of their estate planning needs and we would be honored to be chosen to help you create an estate plan that reflects your needs and wishes, both now and in the future.
History of Devils Lake, North Dakota
The city of Devils Lake, North Dakota, takes its name from the lake by the same name. The area where Devils Lake is located was once territory of the Dakota people. The name “Devils Lake” is an approximate translation of its Lakota name, Ble Waka Sica (“blay wah-kahn shee-chah”; literally: “Lake of the Spirits”). In 1867, one of the many treaties entered into with the United States resulted in the Sisseton, Wahpeton, and Cut-Head bands of Dakotas to relocate to the Spirit Lake Reservation. Other Dakota tribes were forcibly relocated to Crow Creek Reservation in what is now called South Dakota. The Dakota called the lake mni wak’áŋ chante, which separately translate as mni (water), wak’áŋ (literally “pure source” but often translated as “spirit” or “sacred”), and chante (heart). Early European settlers, however, misconstrued this name to mean “Bad Spirit Lake”, or “Devils Lake.” The “bad” referred to the high salinity of the lake, making it unfit to drink, and “spirit” meant the mirages often seen across the water. Consequently, what was known as Lake of the Spirits to native tribes became Devils Lake to settlers.
European settlers did not begin making Devils Lake home until the end of the 19th century. The first post office was established in 1882. At that time, the town was originally named Creelsburg, after its founder, Lieutenant Heber M. Creel, a West Point graduate and topographical engineer stationed at nearby Fort Totten. After Creel resigned from the U.S. Army he surveyed and established the townsite. The surrounding Creel Township remains named after Creel. When the Great Northern Railway made its way to the area, Creelsburg grew and was renamed Creel City. In 1884 the name changed once again to City of Devils Lake and the town became an incorporated village. The name was eventually shortened to its current name — Devils Lake.
A period of increased rainfall, beginning in the 1990s and unprecedented in the history of the state, caused the nearby lake, which has no natural outlet, to rise. The surface area has quadrupled, and the higher water has resulted in the moving or destruction of over 400 houses.[14]
Devils Lake, North Dakota Today
Located in the northeastern portion of the state and covering just over 6.5 square miles, Devils Lake can be found in Ramsey County where it is the county seat. As of the 2010 Census, approximately 7,000 people call Devils Lake home with just over 12 percent of those being of Native American decent. Visitors and residents to Devils Lake can experience some of the most beautiful natural scenario left in the U.S. During the fall, don’t miss the City Plaza Festi-Fall. If you are a rodeo lover, Devils Lake also sponsored rodeo events throughout the year. If a small town atmosphere is what you are looking for, either to relocate or just visit, then Devils Lake, North Dakota is the perfect find.
German Law in the Devils Lake, North Dakota Community
The attorneys and staff at the German Law are proud to serve the residents of Devils Lake and the surrounding area. We have devoted our practice to helping people just like you to create an estate plan that reflects their unique estate planning goals and objectives. Our own goal is to ensure that our friends and neighbors in the Devils Lake, North Dakota community have an estate plan in place that helps manage and grow their assets, protect them and their loved ones, and provide for the people they care about after they are gone. We would be honored to help accomplish these goals for you within your estate plan.
Because estate planning is not something that is ever truly finished, creating ongoing relationships with our clients is important to us. Once you have an estate plan in place, that plan should be reviewed and revised throughout your lifetime as events transpire that should warrant changes to your plan. We hope to be there with you for all those important events to help ensure that your estate plan accounts for those changes. Marriage and/or parenthood, for example, may bring with it the need to include a trust in your estate plan along with incapacity planning strategies and probate avoidance tools. As the value of your estate grows, you may need to consider adding asset protection strategies into your plan. Your retirement plan will also need to be merged with your estate plan to ensure that the two plans work in harmony with one another. Finally, as you look toward your “Golden Years,” the need to include Medicaid planning and funeral planning to your comprehensive estate plan should be discussed. At the German Law, we are committed to being with you throughout your life journey to ensure that you, your assets, and your loved ones are protected.
Contact Us
If you have additional question or concerns regarding estate planning in the Devils Lake, North Dakota area, contact the experienced estate planning attorneys at German Law by calling 701-738-0060 to schedule an appointment.
