James "Jim" Dean Fiedler

James Dean "Jim" Fiedler, age 75, longtime Clark area teacher and coach, died at his home early Tuesday morning, December 8, 2015 of a sudden illness.

Visitation will be held Friday, December 11, 2015 from 5-8PM at the Furness Funeral Home Chapel at Clark and will continue after 9AM at the church on Saturday. Funeral services will be held Saturday, December 12, 2015 at 10AM at the St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark with The Reverend Mindy Ehrke officiating. Burial will follow at the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark.  The organist will be Dorothy Fuller with special music by Dale Fiedler and Kim Phillips.  The Clark Lion's Club members, all former teachers, coaches and students should consider themselves as honorary casketbearers.  The active casketbearers will be Dale and Lance Fiedler, Roger Chapin, Sam and Chris Hartley, Terry Kary and Wayne Winter. Jim was born on a farm near Java, SD on April 16, 1940, the son of Oscar and Olga (Schnaible) Fiedler.  He attended the East Ryan Country School near Java and then Java High School, graduating in 1958.  While in high school he was active in several sports, a true Java Jet, and also was homecoming king.  Following high school he attended and graduated from Northern State College in Aberdeen with a degree in Education. On September 10, 1961 he was united in marriage to Darlene Schuh at Bowdle.  Jim finished his degree at Northern and then in the fall of 1962 they moved to Clark.  He taught and coached at Clark for nearly the next 40 years, mentoring hundreds of students over the years, and actually began with the third generation of students.  He coached in the Junior High and the High School at Clark, coaching track, cross country, basketball, football and life!  During his tenure at Clark, he returned to his education and earned a Master's Degree in Counseling from South Dakota State.  Among subjects he taught was history, government and social studies.  He also was a class advisor and C-Club advisor, a Clark Comet, although his Java Jets or his sons, Dell Rapids Quarriers, were never far off of his mind.  During the summer months, he enjoyed painting and actually had continued painting home interiors until just recently. He was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark where he had served on the council and as an usher.  In the community, he was an active member of the Clark Lions Club and had served on several committees. In his free time he enjoyed playing cards, fishing, bowling, pheasant hunting, and coaching – yes a hobby.  Jim also enjoyed in recent years trips with family to Disneyworld, Las Vegas and was looking forward to a trip to Mexico in 2016.  Second to none though was his love of attending sporting events throughout the years, especially following his three grandchildren in all of their events, from football to dance! Preceding him in death were his parents and his wife Darlene in January of 2003 and sister and brother in law, Delores & Orville Walz. Grateful for having shared in his life are his children, Todd Fiedler of Clark, Doug (Mary) Fiedler of Dell Rapids and Lori Fiedler of Sioux Falls, his three grandchildren, Josh, Haley and Hannah Fiedler all of Dell Rapids and two brothers, Oscar J. (Carol) Fiedler of Aberdeen and Arlyn (Sylvia) Fiedler of Bowdle and nieces and nephews. Memorials would be appreciated in his memory in lieu of flowers to the Clark Lions Club %David Warkenthien, Clark, SD 57225 or the Clark Sports Booster Club % Dave Boehnke, Clark, SD  57225  Please honor the families requests. Thank-you. Funeral arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home of Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com