Kenneth A Pommer

Kenneth A. Pommer, age 89, Willow Lake, died peacefully in the Parkview Care Center at Bryant early Wednesday morning, November 20, 2013. Visitation will be held on Saturday, November 23, 2013 from 5-7PM at the United Presbyterian Church at Willow Lake and will continue at noon on Sunday in the Church. Funeral services will be held on Sunday, November 24, 2013 at 1:30 PM in the United Presbyterian Church at Willow Lake with The Reverend Dr. Lois Aroian officiating. The organist will be JoLayne Symens with Lucas Anderson as soloist. A barbershop quartet will also provide special music. Burial with full military rites will be held in the Collins Cemetery near Willow Lake. Military rites will be by the American Legion Post #113 of Willow Lake and the South Dakota Army National Honor Guard. All of his great-nieces and nephews as well as the residents and staff of the Roetell Senior Housing should consider themselves as honorary casketbearers. The active casketbearers will be his nieces and nephews; Ron Meester, Connie Sawinsky, Jeannette Brannan, Jerry, Donald, Mikel and Jim Pommer, Julie Ramey and Lorraine Nelson. He was born Kenneth A. Pommer on September 10, 1924 at Willow Lake, the son of Fred and Myrtie (Mennenga) Pommer. He grew to adulthood at Willow Lake graduating with the class of 1942. Following high school he attended Huron College before going into the United States Air Force in June of 1943 and served his country honorably until March of 1946. He had served in the Asiatic Pacific Theater and also in the Marianas. On Monday, August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, took off from Tinian, a North Pacific island in the Marianas, 1,500 miles south of Japan. Kenneth was there that day and often told the story of watching that plane get loaded, not knowing at all the mission that was about to happen. After his discharge he returned to the Willow Lake area. He worked for Community Oil in Clark and Willow Lake for some 13 years. On February 1, 1962 Kenneth began work as a Cashier at Citizens State Bank, later becoming Vice-President and Cashier in January of 1974. On April 1, of 1979 he became Vice President and Branch Manager of Citizens State Bank in Willow Lake. Kenneth retired in December of 1997. He also had served on the Board of Directors of Dacotah Bank. He lived with his sister Eunis Meester for many years until becoming a resident of the Roetell Senior Housing at Clark 11 years ago. He has been a lifetime member of the Presbyterian Church, had served as Treasurer of the Church in Willow Lake and had also taught Sunday School. He was a member of the American Legion Johnny Fonken Post #113 at Willow Lake and was a Charter member of the Willow Lake Lions Club. In his free time he thoroughly enjoyed singing, participating in different Barber Shop quartets over the years, singing at funerals in the community, various choirs and the Pommer Quartet. He liked cars especially keeping them clean and hunted pheasants over the years. Some of his fondest moments were spent though taking the nieces, nephews and especially the great nieces and nephews to places whether it be the zoo or to get an ice cream cone. He thoroughly enjoyed the company instead of being home by himself. Preceding him in death were his parents, a brother, Ervin Pommer, a sister Ruth Pommer, niece Patti Pommer and a nephew LeRoy Anderson. Also preceding him in death were his brothers-in-law, Herman Meester and Lloyd Anderson. Grateful for having shared in his life are his sisters, Eunis Meester and Ardis Anderson, sister-in-law, Donna Pommer all of Willow Lake and many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. www.furnessfuneralhome.com for an on-line registry.