Harlan Dale Spieker

Harlan Dale Spieker, age 82, died October 8, 2014 at his home in Watertown as a result of pancreatic cancer diagnosed in June 2013. Visitation will be held on Monday, October 20, 2014 from 5-7PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark and will continue on Tuesday morning after 9AM in the funeral home chapel. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at 11AM in the Furness Funeral Home Chapel at Clark with Pastor David Jones officiating. The soloist will be Joy Jones with Dorothy Fuller as pianist. The casketbearers will be his grandson, Zac, Tyler, Jesse & Cody Dreaden and Dan, Bob, Jared, James, Dathan & Damon Spieker. His granddaughters, Ashley Citterman and Erin, Sarah, and Briana Murphy. Burial will follow in the Collins Cemetery at Willow Lake. Following the interment, everyone is invited to the fellowship area of the Willow Lake Presbyterian Church for a dinner and a time of fellowship. He was born on a farm northeast of Willow Lake on May 9, 1932, the middle of five children of Fred and Bertha (Symens) Spieker. After attending several country schools as well as in Erwin, he graduated valedictorian of his class in Willow Lake in 1950. He served in the U.S. Army in Europe from the fall of 1952 until the fall of 1954. On November 26, 1954, he was united in marriage to Janice Joan Edleman whose family had long been friends of the Spiekers. After living in Willow Lake that first winter, they moved in March 1955 into their home that Harlan and his dad had remodeled from the Rosedale School south and west of Willow Lake where they lived and farmed until their retirement in the spring of 2010. Harlan spent the majority of his life on the farm southwest of Willow Lake that he worked with his father, brothers, sons, and grandsons. He so enjoyed working the land, planting and harvesting many good crops throughout the years with his family by his side to share in the prosperity of his labor. Also, many years were spent in the dairy industry with countless hours in the barn giving him the time and the opportunities to teach his children countless life lessons. He grew up in the Presbyterian Church and later became a member of the Worldwide Church of God and United Church of God, serving as an elder in all three. On September 2, 2012, he married Claudia Harris Brunick of Watertown. Preceding him in death were his wife Janice Edleman Spieker (in 2010), youngest son Mark (in 1991), parents Fred (in 1991) and Bertha (in 1973) Spieker, and his older brother Edgar (in 1986). Surviving him are his second wife Claudia Brunick Spieker of Watertown, SD, children Sandra (Art) Dreaden of Crestview, FL, Susan Spieker of Greeley, CO, John (Marlene) Spieker of Bryant, SD, David (Dawn) Spieker of Willow Lake, SD, and Ann (Doug) Murphy of Omaha, NE; grandchildren Dr. Zac Dreaden of San Antonio, TX, Dr. Tyler (Jenny) Dreaden of Gainesville, FL, Jesse (Shea) Dreaden of Douglas, GA, Cody (Kimberly) Dreaden of Ottumwa, IA, Dan (Meghan) Spieker of Severance, CO, Bob (Kelly) Spieker of Watertown, Jered (Aimee) Spieker of Great Lakes, IL, James (Janessa) Spieker of Afghanistan and Bryant, Dathan (Kami) Spieker, Ashley (Shane) Citterman, Damon (fiancée Jessica Simon) Spieker, all of Aberdeen, SD, Erin, Sarah, and Briana Murphy of Omaha; and great-grandchildren Kim, Colin, Emma, Jakob, Kylee, Mason and Ella Spieker, with another due in February. Also surviving him are his brother Dr. Clifford (Dorothy) Spieker of Watertown and sisters Elvera Jean Hicks (Ken) Brown and Irma Fenno of Minneapolis, MN, sister-in-law June (Huon) Newberg of New Ulm, MN, brother-in-law Myron (Ann) Edleman of Watertown and many nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be announced by the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com