Elwood Loren Warkenthien

Elwood L. Warkenthien, age 77, lifelong resident of the Willow Lake community, died peacefully at his home on Thursday, January 16, 2014 with his wife and a granddaughter near his side. Visitation will be held on Sunday, January 19, 2014 from 4-6 PM at the Furness Funeral Home in Clark and will continue on Monday morning in the funeral home chapel. Funeral services will be held on Monday, January 20, 2014 at 11:00 AM in the Furness Funeral Home Chapel at Clark with The Reverend Dick Poppen officiating. The pianist will be Rhonda Michalski with special music by Elwood's granddaughters and Greg Furness. The honorary casketbearers will be Bob Schmidt, Duane Seefeldt, Alan Hamre, Kerwin Kannegieter, Bob Syring, Rick Flatten, Dwight Warkenthien and John Cypher. The active casketbearers will be Alex & Eric Warkenthien, Aaron Nelson, Andy and Adam Van Den Oever, Drew Edleman, Mark Jacobsma, Blake Hojer, Jared Grassel and Jonathan Moe. A dinner will be served in the funeral home fellowship area following the services. Burial will take place in the spring in the Collins Cemetery at Willow Lake. He was born Elwood Loren Warkenthien on November 1, 1936 near Willow Lake, the son of Raymond Arthur and Minnie Elizabeth (Knocke) Warkenthien. Elwood attended country school near Willow Lake and then Willow Lake High School graduating in 1954. While in high school he was very active in sports, playing football, basketball. After high school he continued being an avid sports fan and also enjoyed participating in league softball. Some of his fondest moments were spent coaching the Jr. Legion and Amateur baseball teams. He was a very loyal fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and often being asked who would win the World Series, he would answer "Well a National League team, isn't that the only league!" Elwood also enjoyed bowling, bowling on several teams over the years in different leagues. On June 24, 1956 he was united in marriage to Barbara June Pommer in Willow Lake. He was a member of the Congregational United Church of Christ in Willow Lake, a long-time member of the Willow Lake Lions Club, was instrumental in working on the committee to construct the Willow Lake pool, was a past board member of the Clark Community Oil Co. and had also served on various church boards over the years. Second to none though was his love of the land, farming in Lake Township his entire life. He raised cattle and many acres of small grain. Elwood was extremely proud of his 1957 Oliver which he bought new and still has at the farm. Preceding him in death were his parents, a son and daughter-in-law, Loren (Charlene) Warkenthien, a brother Elver Warkenthien, sisters, Elwanda Moore, Phyllis Hanson, Arlys Almont and Marlene Kannegieter. Grateful for having shared in his life are his wife of over 57 years, Barbara of Willow Lake, a daughter Laurie Nelson of Sioux Falls, a son, Laine (Darla) Warkenthien of Miller, 10 grandchildren, Amber (Mark) Jacobsma, Aaron Nelson, Jennifer (Blake) Hojer, Kayla (Drew) Edleman, Rebecca (Jared) Grassel, Alex Warkenthien, Eric Warkenthien, Andy Van Den Oever, Ashley (Jonathan) Moe & Adam Van Den Oever; 7 great-grandchildren, Jarek, Trevan, Bailey & Brayden Jacobsma, Jace Hojer, Rylan and Jalyn Grassel; a sister-in-law, Roberta Warkenthien of Willow Lake and a brother-in-law, Clifford Kannegieter of Watertown. Furness Funeral Home of Clark is serving the family where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com