Donald Z. Warkenthien

Donald Warkenthien, age 88, of Willow Lake died Saturday evening, February 10, 2018 at the Clark Care and Rehabilitation Center of Clark, SD.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, February 15, 2018 from 2-4PM at the Furness Funeral Home in Clark and will continue after 9AM at the Church on Friday.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, February 16, 2018 at 10:30 AM in the Grace Lutheran Church at Willow Lake with The Reverend Bryan Taffe officiating.  The organist will be Dorothy Fuller.  Special music will be by the quartet of Kirstin Vandersnick, Melanie Schmidt, Matt Vandersnick and Curtis Lamb. Honorary casketbearers will be his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  The active casketbearers will be Kim Warkenthien, Arlin Dean Waldow, Mark & Larry McHenry, DuWayne Bauman, Lynn Kruse, and Craig VanderLinden.  Burial will follow in the Collins Cemetery at Willow Lake.

He was born Donald Zane Warkenthien on July 30, 1929 near Willow Lake, the son of Harry and Martha (Waldow) Warkenthien.  Don attended rural school for eight years.

Following his schooling, Don farmed alongside his father and brothers until 1990.  He loved his Oliver tractor and did most of the cultivating.

He was united in marriage to Helen Loewen in Sioux Falls on January 8, 1956.  To this marriage three daughters and a son were born.   Over the years, he also worked for a few local farmers around Willow Lake besides working at the sale barn.  For many years, he could be seen all over Willow Lake, mowing lawns with his John Deere mower.

In the community he was a long time Willow Lake Lions Club member and had received the Henry Baker Fellow Award in 2009.  Don was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith.  He was a member of the Grace Lutheran Church at Willow Lake where he had served on the council and was a devout usher.  Don will long be remembered for his jovial laugh, his willingness to work hard, and his offering of a helping hand where needed.

He enjoyed bowling, being on the farm, and visiting, especially with his family and friends.  The Minnesota Twins were a favorite of his, watching on the television or any baseball game in person. In other free moments, he enjoyed playing cards.

Donald is survived by his wife Helen of Willow Lake, daughters, Cheryl (Richard) Glidden of Benkelman, NE, Donna Williams of Willow Lake, Gail (Mark) Muehlethaler of Eagle, CO; nine grandchildren, Sara (Kyle) Mossman, Alison, Kyle (Brie) and Kendal Glidden, Nicholas (Nicole) and Jillian Williams,  Ben, Megan, and Bryce Muehlethaler; four great-grandchildren, Kenton and Braxton Mossman, Nicholas, Jr. and Noah Williams; three sisters, Kathleen McHenry and Alma Bauman of Clark and Wilma (Robert) VanderLinden of Sheldon, IA, and a sister-in-law, Donette Warkenthien of Clark.  He also leaves many nieces, nephews, and a host of friends.

Preceding him in death were his parents, a son, James, four brothers, Marvin, Martin, Roger, and Lyle Warkenthien, two sisters, Violet (Walter) Kruse and Fern (John) Loewen and brothers-in-law, Charles McHenry and Robert Bauman.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials in his memory to the Prairie Lakes Hospice or the Willow Lake Ambulance.

Funeral arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home of Clark where there is an online registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com .