Lyle Dennis Brenden

Lyle D. Brenden, age 86, Clark died peacefully with family at his side on Monday, July 15, 2013 in the Golden Living Center at Clark where he had resided about three weeks. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 17, 2013 from 5-7PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark and will continue on Thursday morning at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Clark after 9AM. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, July 18, 2013 at 10:30AM in the St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark with The Reverend Robin Schaunaman officiating. The organist will be Dorothy Fuller with Roger Nordhus as soloist. A reading will be done by grandson, Mark Brenden. All of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be considered as honorary casketbearers. The active casketbearers will be Jason Pommer, Megan Madsen, Mark Brenden, Lauren DeLay, Blair Arne and Larry Dreher. Burial will be in the Pleasant Lutheran Cemetery at Vienna. He was born Lyle Dennis Brenden on August 12, 1926 at Vienna, SD, the son of Sigurd M. and Jenny (Jorgensen) Brenden. Lyle attended school in the Pleasant County School through the eighth grade and then Vienna High School. He started helping on the family farm at a young age and continue that occupation nearly 70 years. On September 8, 1945 he was united in marriage to Florence Gustafson in the parsonage of the Lutheran Church at Vienna. They left the Vienna area and purchased farmland in Fordham Township, south of Raymond, SD. He farmed with his parents for the next two years and after their retirements, he and Florence continued living and working the land in Fordham Township until moving into Clark in 1981. Even while living in Clark, Lyle continued making his daily trips to the farm working the land and in later years, "checking" the land. He was a member of the Pleasant Lutheran Church near Vienna and since the early 1960's an active member of St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark. His Church home was very important to him, having served as head usher for some 16 years, church council for several terms and will long be remembered by many, not only at St. Paul Church, but to the community, as chairperson of the lutefisk at the annual lutefisk supper. In the community Lyle was also very active having served as a 4-H Leader for 25 years with the Fordham 4-H club, being chairperson of the Clark County Republican Committee, the Clark School Board for some 24 years, the Clark City Council for 14 years and the Clark Industrial Development Board. In his free time in years past he thoroughly enjoyed hunting pheasants, playing fast-pitch softball and bowling. Family was extremely important to him as well, taking an active part in the annual "Brendenfest" held each August for the past 17 years, a gathering of his entire family for a great weekend of family activities. Preceding him in death were his parents, his 3 Angels (Pink roses on piano in memory of) baby sister, Ruby, daughter, Cheryl Ann and granddaughter, Nichole. Other siblings preceding him in death were Melford, Ivan, O'Dean and Dick Brenden, Juliet (Larry) Batty, Arlene (Rodney) Kvernevig and Doris Forest. Grateful for having shared in his life is his wife of some 67 years, Florence of Clark, children, Dennis (Margy) Brenden of Brookings, Roxy (Larry) Jensen of DeSmet, Jean (Scott) Rogers of Lennox and Lori (Bill) DeLay of Orono, MN; 8 grandchildren, Megan (Shane), Mark, Jason (Kari), Josh (Kasey), Renee' (Stephen), Jeremy, Lauren and Taylor; 6 great-grandchildren, Elijah, Ben, Gage, Brady, McKenna and Brayden. He also leaves siblings, Ellsworth (Genny) Brenden of Watertown, Inez (Melvin) Lambert of Lake Havasu, AZ and Larry (Shirley) Brenden of Clark. A brother-in-law, Robert Forest of Clark, sisters-in-law, Florine Brenden of Washington, Mavis Brenden of Watertown and Barb Brenden of Clark also survive along with numerous nieces, nephews and in-laws. Funeral arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com