Gene Emmet Warkenthien

Gene E. Warkenthien, age 80, Willow Lake, a former longtime Republican State Legislator, died in the Golden Living Center at Clark early Saturday morning, November 6, 2010 after a brief illness. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at 10:30 AM in the Willow Lake Evangelical Lutheran Church with the Reverend Mark Guthmiller officiating. The organist will be Aris Schmidt with the congregation singing How Great Thou Art #256, Amazing Grace #379 and What a Friend We Have in Jesus #411. Burial will follow in the Collins Cemetery at Willow Lake. Visitation will be held on Tuesday from 5-7PM at the Furness Funeral Home in Clark and after 9AM at the Church on Wednesday morning. Gene Emmet Warkenthien was born on February 28, 1930 on a farm west of Willow Lake, the son of Emmet and Clara (Peterson) Warkenthien. He attended country school mile north of the farm and then graduated from Willow Lake High School in 1947. On June 4, 1950 he was united in marriage to V. Delores Grigg at the Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ in Clark. The couple lived with his parents until November of 1950 when they moved to the farm site west of Willow Lake. They have lived and farmed there since. Delores died on February 6, 2007. Gene has continued residing on the farm until October of this year when he became a resident of the living center at Clark. Gene was a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church at Willow Lake where he had served in various capacities over the years including President of the board, he was a longtime board member of the Willow Lake School Board, the Willow Lake Elevator, the Clark Community Oil, a current member of the Lake Township Board and was an active part of the Republican Party. He has been a member of the Willow Lakes Lions Club for over 40 years. Besides his loved of the land and his cattle, he also enjoyed weekend boating activities, even before his lake home, enjoyed flying as a private pilot, and had sang at numerous funerals over his years. Grateful for having shared in his life are his children, Barbara (Brian) Thoreson of Knoxville, TN, Brenda (Thomas) Anderson of Camino, CA, Steven Warkenthien of Huron and Dwight (Kristi) Warkenthien of Willow Lake and 5 grandchildren, McLain, Lyndsea, Philip, Margaret and Megan. He also leaves siblings, Lavonne Brekke of Clark, Nola Tellinghuisen of Spearfish, Shirley (Vincent) Stroschein of Estelline, Loris (Harry Dean) Kannegieter of DeSmet and Gaylen (Larry) Grensberg and a sister-in-law, Bobette Warkenthien, all of Willow Lake. Preceding him in death were his parents, wife Delores, a sister in infancy, brother, Robert Warkenthien and brothers-in-law, James Brekke and Alan Tellinghuisen. www.furnessfuneralhome.com