Donald "Dunk" Bjerke

Donald "Dunk" Bjerke, age 85, Watertown, died February 4, 2019 at his home in Watertown after a lingering illness.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, February 9, 2019 at 3PM in the Mt. Olive Lutheran Church at Watertown with The Reverend Iver Possehl officiating.  The organist will be Sharon Falk with a sister-in-law, Pam Van Gilder, being a soloist.  Honorary urn bearers will be his coffee buddies from the Roadhouse Café in Watertown.  Burial will be at a later date in the Prairie Hill Cemetery at Bradley.  Memorial visitation will be one hour preceding services at the Church in Watertown.

He was born Donald L. Bjerke on January 24, 1934 at Crocker, SD, the son of Carl and Olga (Warwick) Bjerke.  He attended school and graduated from Bradley High School in 1955- with a story behind it, he had been dating Elva Van Gilder and her Dad, George said, if you are going to marry my daughter, you will graduate from high school – so he did!

The couple was married at the Bradley Baptist Church that fall, on September 4, 1955.  They lived in the area and various other South Dakota communities where he drove truck, helped build the Oahe Dam and other projects.  In 1964 they moved to Crown Point, IN where "Dunk" began a career in the steel mills as an ironworker.  Another project he was involved in building was the famous Sears Tower, known now as the Willis Tower, in Chicago, a 110 story skyscraper.  If anyone every shook his hand, he had a grip of a steel worker-strong!  In 1993 the couple moved to Watertown where they retired.

In his pastimes he thoroughly enjoyed going to auction sales, even in Indiana, tinkering, and coffee with the boys.  Being a Bjerke, it was also bred into him, the sport of baseball!- nothing more need be said.

Dunk was a member of Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Watertown.  He had been baptized and confirmed in Crocker.

Preceding him in death were his parents, brothers, Little Joey Bjerke, Jim Bjerke, and Kenny (Nelda) Bjerke, sisters, Faye (John) Johnson and Becky Schaefbauer and a brother-in-law, John Gross.

Grateful for having shared in his life is his wife Elva of Watertown, children, Vickie Bjerke of Watertown, Steven (Beth) Bjerke of Superior, CO and Donelva (Boyd) Dunham of Parker, CO, 4 grandchildren, Lance and Colton Bjerke, and Stephanie and Kendra Dunham and 3 great-grandchildren, Aria, Aven, and Cedar.  Dunk is also survived by siblings, Dorey Gross of Clark and Roxy (Dale) Streckfuss of Mansfield and in laws, Sharon Bjerke of Clark and Bill (Evie) Schaefbauer.

Funeral arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home where there is an on-line registry at the www.furnessfuneralhome.com