Donald Leonard Givens

Donald L. Don Givens, age 73, Clark, died peacefully on Friday evening, May 28, 2010 at his home in Clark, surrounded by his family. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, June 1, 2010 at 10:30 AM in the St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark with the Reverends Robin Schaunaman and Roger Shepherd officiating. Burial with full military honors provided by the Smith-Cagley American Legion Post of Clark and the South Dakota Air National Guard Honor Guard will be in the Mt. Hope Cemetery at Watertown. Music will be provided by Rosella Hanson as organist with Robbyn Givens as soloist. The bugler will be his grandson, Darian Givens. The honorary casketbearers will be Jerry Olson, Doug Hansen, Cliff Hartman, Jim Fournier, Walt Gehrke, Tony Terrill, Jim Orris, John Gottsleben, Vern Sjoberg and all other friends and relatives. Active casketbearers will be his grandchildren, Tom, Steve, Darian, Prescott, Kaitlyn, Jennifer and Jeffrey Givens. Visitation will be held on Monday, May 31, 2010 from 6-8PM at the Furness Funeral Home in Clark and after 9AM at the Church on Tuesday. He was born Donald Leonard Givens on August 29, 1936, the son of Clayton R. and Elsie (Cornelius) Givens. He grew up in Watertown and attended Watertown High School. In 1954 he served his country in the United States Army and was stationed in Germany until 1958. During his time in Germany, he was united in marriage to Helga Reiser. To this union three sons were born, H.R. Butch, Ronald and Roger. The couple later divorced. On May 17, 1980 he was united in marriage to Dianne Jungers Langerock at the St. Paul Church in Clark, SD. After his discharge he returned to Watertown and worked as an auto body repairman. In 1960 he moved to Clark and worked for Olson Motor Company as a body repairman. In the late 1960s he started his own flying company. He did all types of flying including aerial spraying, served as a flight instructor in both single and multi engine aircraft and also he delivered new aircraft all over the United States. Flying was his true love, logging over 14000 hours in the air. Don also enjoyed several years of employment with C & W Enterprises operating heavy equipment, he operated a push cat. Some of the community organizations Don was involved in was the Smith Cagley American Legion Post #60 of Clark and was a former member of the Clark Jaycees and the Clark Lions Club. He was a longtime member of the St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark where he has served on the Church council in various capacities including Council President. His hobbies included hunting and fishing and woodworking, in fact, building his own casket that we are using today and various other projects including building model airplanes. He and Dianne also enjoyed countless hours of motorcycle riding. Another fond moment he had was at a Watertown Air Show a few years ago when he went for a ride in a P51 Mustang airplane. In writing his obituary he made note that he was very grateful to his wife, Dianne and his sons, Heinz Butch, Ronald and Roger. He thoroughly enjoyed his grandchildren as well. Survivors include his wife Dianne of Clark, sons, H. R. Butch (Jody) Givens of Chaska, MN and Ron (Robbyn) Givens of Watertown, a daughter-in-law, Lisa Givens of Watertown, 7 grandchildren, Tom, Steve, Darian, Prescott, Kaitlyn, Jennifer and Jeffrey and a great-grandson, Drey. He also leaves his step-children, Jacque Langerock of San Ramon, CA, Lynn (Carmen) Langerock of Watertown, Jamie (Nancy) Langerock of Aberdeen and Gary Langerock of Watertown and his fianc Kim Evans, 6 step-grandchildren, his mother-in-law, Ruth Jungers of Watertown, the boys mother, Helga (Tom) Myers of Henry and a brother, Lon (Vivian) Givens of Antioch, CA. He also leaves his best friends, his dogs, Emma and Abby. Preceding him in death were his parents, his son Roger and son in infancy, Leonard Givens and his father-in-law, John Jungers. an on-line registry and guestbook is available at www.furnessfunerlhome.com