Mark Ceisel

Mark Ceisel, age 76, died at Avantara in Clark, SD with his wife; Karen; present at his bedside on Saturday, September 17, 2022.

Visitation will be held at the Furness Funeral Home in Clark, SD on Thursday, September 29, 2022 from 4:00 - 6:00 PM and one hour prior to service. Services will be held at the Furness Funeral Home in Clark, SD on Friday, September 30, 2022 at 11:00 AM.

Mark's funeral service will be live streamed via Facebook on the Furness Funeral Home Facebook page.

Mark Stephan Ceisel was born on April 8, 1946 in Madison, Wisconsin, to parents Ernest and Colia Ann (Martin) Ceisel. The family moved to Niles, IL where Mark attended St. Juliana school and graduated from Notre Dame High School in 1964. Mark went away to college, but returned home to care for younger siblings when his mother died unexpectedly in 1965.

In his youth, Mark took dance and art classes. Along with his siblings, cousins, and friends, he embarked on many adventures that they all; surprisingly; survived.

Mark joined the Army in 1967, serving in Korea and finishing at Fort Sheridan, IL. He retired from the Army in 1969.

He joined the Mt. Prospect Fire Department around 1974 and stayed committed to this career for 25 years, retiring from the fire department in 1999. During this time, Mark also worked for the family construction company.

Mark's first marriage ended in divorce, but his two children, Amy Lynn and Mark Nicholas, were his gift. They enjoyed many trips together and he valued every opportunity he had to spend time with them and every phone call made. Mark was very proud of his children.

While teaching a CPR class for the fire department, Mark was drawn to one student. Mark asked Karen out for coffee after class on January 22, 1986, Friday, he asked her to marry him, and Sunday they picked out their rings. On February 7, 1986 they were married in Niles, IL. Both families felt that 3 weeks was not enough time to decide to marry someone, but Mark and Karen were together for over 36 years. During their time together; Mark and Karen became CPR instructor trainers and taught together for many years.

Mark continued with the fire department, Karen quit her teaching job and they established their own construction business. Over the course of 15 years, they bought and rehabbed 4 houses. They were employees of the Avis Rent A Car business at Chicago O'Hare airport doing a variety of small repairs that big companies didn't want. Mark was their hero when he figured out how to keep the water in the car wash from seeping into the office next door, as the professional architect had failed.

Mark did not enjoy formal education and got caught trying to skip kindergarten, but he was brilliant, often using words that no one had ever heard of. He was an avid reader of Scientific America and The Smithsonian . There were few projects Mark wouldn't tackle. His attitude was that if he got it correct, he could get paid for learning, if he struggled to get it right then he paid for it, but he still learned something. Either way the project was finished correctly.

Mark was a "Big Kid" at heart and was most likely found chasing after the little kids, making giant soap bubbles or having water fights. He had a great sense of humor and a knack for building a story. He loved fishing, swimming, and sailing his Sunfish. He loved camping and adventure.

Mark was a boy scout, boy scout leader, and served on other committees and boards. In Arkansas he joined the Lions Club, Volunteer Fire Department, and was on the planning and zoning board for Marian County.

Marks dream after retirement (1999) was to move to Arkansas. Together, Mark and Karen, found a partially built structure off the shore of Bull Shoals Lake. They enjoyed the beautiful landscape and peaceful surroundings until 2008, when Mark suffered a debilitating stroke. Karen returned with him to Clark, SD, where Mark, Karen, and Karen's mom; Alma, shared life for 14 years. Alma at 105 entered heaven in July of this year (2022) and Mark, after many medical issues and declining health, went to heaven on September 17, 2022; this was the same day as his parent in-laws' anniversary.

Mark held to his belief that the stroke was a blessing as it brought him to his knees at the "feet of Jesus Christ his Holy Lord and Savior." He maintained a cheerful smile, words of Blessings to everyone he encountered. He listened to the entire Bible on tape at least a dozen times. Mark looked forward to morning prayers with his brother John. All phone calls or visits concluded with "The Lord's Prayer". Mark was God's servant and would want to be remembered for the strong faith he loved to share with others.

Blessed to have shared his life are his wife (Karen), daughter; Amy (Marco) and granddaughter Maddie, his son; Mark Nicholas, his 9 siblings; Steve, Colia, Mike, Patrice (Ron), Lynn (Mike), John (Jaikie), Alan (Anne), Beth, and David (Alexandria), brother in-laws; James, Jeff, and Alain, sister in-law; Kedrin, and his aunt Dorothy, plus a host of relatives and friends.

Preceding him in death were his parents. His step mother Joan, 2 uncles; Joe and Eddie, and an aunt Celeste. A brother in-law; Patrick, his father in-law, and recently his mother in-law, an aunt Thelma, and a sister in-law JoAnn.

Memorials may be made to:

The Clark Boy Scouts: PO Box 6 Clark, SD 57225

The Clark American Legion: c/o Bruce Brekke 1034 N Smith St Clark, SD 57225

Funeral arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com