Donally Ray Fjelland

Donally R. Fjelland, age 72, Clark, died in the Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls on Monday evening, March 28, 2011; his family was at his side. He had suffered an apparent heart attack on Friday evening at his home in Clark. Funeral services will be held on Friday, April 1, 2011 at 11AM in the United Methodist Church at Clark with The Reverend Dayne Zachrison officiating. The organist will be Dorothy Fuller with Robin Brown as the soloist singing "It is Well". Barb Fleshman and Robin Brown will sing "Come Home". The congregation will sing "How Great Thou Art" and "The Hymn of Promise." Honorary casketbearers will be Gene Mann, Arnold Paulson, Gaylon Bratland, John Penn, Marlin & Arnell Fjelland and Terry & Sterling Kloster. The active casketbearers will be Bob Schlueter, Don Syvertson, Harlan & Ronnie Sundvold, Greg Overby, Lowell Wahl, Doug Swanson and Rollie Foster. The ushers will be DuWayne Wallen and Allen Smith. A private family burial service will be held in the spring at the Clark Center Lutheran Cemetery near Clark. Visitation will be held on Thursday from 5-7PM with a sharing time at 6:30PM all in the Furness Funeral Home Chapel at Clark and after 10AM at the Church on Friday morning. He was born, Donally Ray Fjelland, on April 18, 1938 at Clark, SD, the son of Louie and Mabel R. (Kloster) Fjelland. Donally was baptized and confirmed in the Clark Center Lutheran Church near Clark. He attended the Wallen School in Garfield Township through the eighth grade. Donally then was enrolled in the Augustana Academy at Canton, SD for his first two years of high school then returned to Clark, finishing his high schooling in 1956. In 1956 he also joined the National Guard and was stationed with the unit in Clark for several years. Following graduation he worked on the family farm until his marriage to Bonnie Anderson on June 21, 1959 at St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark. The couple lived on a farm west of Clark for their first 7 years of marriage where he farmed. They then moved into Garfield Township where they lived and farmed until moving into their present home in Clark in 1985. In addition to farming, Donally worked at the Fairfield Products in Clark in the early 1970's. Two years prior to their move into Clark, Donally became the Executive Secretary of the South Dakota Potato Growers Assn., holding that position until retirement in 2001. Even after his retirement, Donally continued to assist the Potato Growers Assn. over the next few years. Donally was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark. Donally enjoyed being outdoors hunting (sometimes blocking!), whether it was pheasants, waterfowl or deer. He also was a lover of country music, watching rodeos and a favorite memory of his was going onto the stage at the Grand Ole' Opry. In later years he has enjoyed watching the food and travel network channels. Besides his family, second to none was his love of going downtown for coffee, visiting, telling stories to the guys and being a great historian. He enjoyed old tractors and machinery. Preceding him in death were his parents, a sister, Miriam Penn and a brother, David Fjelland. Grateful for having shared his life is his wife Bonnie of Clark, children, Tom Fjelland of Watertown, Douglas (Christy) Fjelland of Sioux Falls, Todd (Susan) Fjelland of Clark and Betsy Fjelland of Eden Prairie, MN, 5 grandchildren, McKenzie, Lauren, Sydnie, Turner and Ethan. He also leaves a brother-in-law, John (Nancy) Penn of Scottsdale, AZ. Arrangements are announced by the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com.