Alan D Schorg

Alan Dean Schorg, 65 of Selby, SD, passed away Wednesday June 7, 2023, in his home. He was recovering from a recent hip replacement surgery and was very much looking forward to feeling better and resuming the activities he hadn't been able to do for so long.

A visitation will be held at the Furness Funeral Home of Clark, SD on Sunday, June 18, 2023 from 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM and one hour prior to the service. Masonic Rites will be held at 6:30 pm. A funeral service will be held on Monday, June 19, 2023 at 2:00 PM at the Garden City United Methodist Church with a burial to follow at the Garden City Cemetery. Refreshments will be after at the Garden City United Methodist Church. Pastor Rob Salmonson to officiate. The service will be livestreamed on the Furness Funeral Home FaceBook page.

Alan was born December 2, 1957, in Faulkton, SD as the first child of six to Ronald and Evelyn Schorg of rural Clark.  Alan grew up on the family farm south of Clark with his younger siblings.

Alan attended Clark High School where he graduated with his diploma in 1976. Following his graduation, he started working with the Clark County Roads Department in May of 1976 and then went on to work for the John Deere dealership in Clark, SD.

In the winter of 1977, Alan was set up on a blind date with the woman that would later become his wife, Carmen Fletcher. Alan and Carmen were united in marriage on July 18, 1981, at the Garden City United Methodist Church in Garden City, SD. After marriage, they rented a converted one-room schoolhouse just north of Clark and spent their first summer together there before Carmen returned to college in the fall. She would come home on weekends to spend time with Alan before returning to school the following week. They welcomed their sons, James and Joshua, while living in that schoolhouse. James and Joshua added to their lives and filled that one room schoolhouse to the rafters with chaos and giggles. When Alan's employer, Greenline Equipment of Clark, burned to the ground, new employment became necessary, thus leading to a big change for the entire family.  Alan was offered a job in Selby, SD at the John Deere dealership and that meant a move for all of them.

With two little boys in tow, Alan and Carmen packed up everything and moved to Selby, SD in the fall of 1986.  They first lived in a small, rented home until they were able to purchase a home of their own.  Life got busy as the boys grew. Alan added many things to his days beyond working at Walworth County Implement in the parts department.  He served the community as a volunteer EMT and firefighter for over 30 years, was on the town board for a while, and grew a large garden on the edge of town from which many pumpkins were sold to benefit the Selby Good Samaritan Center and Selby United Methodist Church.

Al loved to hunt pheasant and deer! He was very proud of his albino pheasants and had them mounted in his home as some of his favorites.  His hunting was often done solo or in the company of his dog and sometimes a friend or two.  Much of the meat eaten in the Schorg home was wild game that Alan brought home in the fall.

Another of Alan's passions was rendezvous re-creation.  He really enjoyed dressing the part in his buckskins and attending weekend events living in a teepee as if it were the early 1800s.  This passion was fed by his immense love of history! Being a very quick and avid reader, Alan would read and re-read most all the history and fiction available about the Civil War, WWII, and about the fur traders and mountain men.  WWII details were also very ready in his mind for an impromptu story and history lesson to share with others.

Alan loved his grandchildren Jordyn Gardner, Ryan Wheeler, and Alexis Wheeler.  He really loved kidding around with them, razzing them, telling his ridiculous "dad" jokes, and generally just being around them.

Finally, there's the love Alan had for the cars he's had, the dogs he's cared for and hunted with, the motorcycles he's driven, the people he's kidded with (annoyed?), and the places he's driven.  He really enjoyed getting in a pickup and driving away from all the people in the world and seeing places that were truly wild!

And if you really knew Al, you know that he usually had a number of possible plans set out ahead of himself.  Plans A, B, C …. and sometimes out to Z!  Keep following all those dreams and plans, Alan!

Alan is survived by his boys, James (Jackie) Schorg of Selby, SD; grandson Ryan Wheeler of Abilene, TX; granddaughter Alexis Wheeler of Shephard, TX; Joshua (Julie) Schorg of Aberdeen, SD; granddaughter Jordyn Gardner of Aberdeen, SD;  father Ronald Schorg of Clark, SD; sister Pam (Gene) Cole of Willow Lake, SD; sister Christine (Vernon) Tarbox of Bradley, SD; sister Cheryl Schorg of Aberdeen, SD; sister Mary Lentz of Sturgis, SD; brother Lonnie Schorg of Clark, SD; mother-in-law Joann Fletcher of Garden City, SD; brother-in-law Evan (Mona) Fletcher of Garden City, SD; and sister-in-law Crystal (Stuart) Roemmich of Eden Prairie, MN; along with many nieces, nephews, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife Carmen of 41 years; mother Evelyn Mae (Temple) Schorg; father-in-law Wayne Fletcher; maternal grandparents Anton and Gladys Temple; paternal grandparents Realto and Twyla Schorg; and great friend Tim Miklos.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in memory of Alan to The Masonic Temple of Mobridge, The Selby Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Service, or Aspire Inc. of Aberdeen, SD.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Furness Funeral Home of Clark, SD where there is an online registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com.