Donald Gabriel Syvertson

Donald G. "Don" Syvertson, age 83, Clark, died peacefully in the Avera McKennan Hospital at Sioux Falls early Saturday morning, January 31, 2015 after a brief illness. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, February 3, 2015 from 5-7PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 at 11AM in the St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark with the Reverend's Gary Anderson and Roger Shepherd officiating. The organist will be Dorothy Fuller. The coffee group from the Corner Diner and the Clark Rotary Club should consider themselves as honorary casketbearers. Serving as active casketbearers will be Nick and Tom Borns, Andy Wookey and Mike Stolen. Burial with full military rites will be held in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark. He was born Donald Gabriel Syvertson on March 11, 1931 near McHenry, ND, the son of Gabriel and Martha (Olson) Syvertson. Don began his schooling at age 5 in the Paradise #1 school near McHenry and finished high school at McHenry in just three years graduating in 1947. That same year he moved with his family to Huron, SD and Don began college at age 16. He spent two years at Huron College and then finished at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and following it with a Juris Doctor degree from the school of law in September of 1952. In March of 1953 he joined the US Navy, went to officer candidate school and served his country honorably until May of 1956, being discharged with the rank of Lieutenant. He returned to Huron and it was soon after his return to Huron, that he met and dated Lois "Sandy" Sandman, a student nurse from Volga who had cared for and befriended Don's mom in Huron. The couple continued dating while she attended college in Huron and Don began a career in Clark, serving this area since January of 1957. Don and Sandy as she became known were married at the First Lutheran Church in Volga on June 13, 1959. D.G. Syvertson as he became known in the legal profession was elected Clark County States Attorney in January of 1959 and held that position for the next 26 years. He had partnered his business in 1981 with John Flemmer, 1991 with Randy Bingner and in 1995 with Richard Neill, all of whom moved from the community to further their career. After Mr. Neill left the firm in 2004, Don continued operating the business until retiring in 2006, selling the firm to Chad Fjelland. In 2002, Don received his 50 year award from the South Dakota Bar Assn. His office then became his away from home office! During his free times, he enjoyed times at the lake with his family, especially fishing off the dock, traveling to Norway and many other areas of the world. His love of fishing and hunting will long be remembered by many in the area. Second to none though was his love of spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren and now his great-grandchildren. Don was a longtime member of the Clark Rotary Club, a Paul Harris Fellow, The Masonic Lodge, Clark American Legion, Clark County Pro Pheasant, Ducks Unlimited, was a member of the Baptist Church and also often attended church at St. Paul Lutheran with his family. Preceding him in death were his parents and a brother-in-law, Irving Stolen. Survivors include his wife Sandy of Clark, daughters, Kim (Dr. Ted) Warkenthien and Cindy (Dave) Borns all of Clark and Greg Syvertson of Arlington, TX. He leaves 7 grandchildren, Allyson, Kelsey and Jill Warkenthien, Nicholas (Kari) Borns and children, Alexa, Aubrey and Ashlynn, Holly (Andy) Wookey and children Kooper and Kaden, Thomas (Tori) Borns and son, Logan and Heather Borns. He also leaves a sister, Vivian Mae Stolen of Wessington Springs, SD. Memorials to St. Paul Lutheran Church or The First Baptist Church both of Clark would be preferred in lieu of flowers. Furness Funeral Home of Clark is service the family where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com