Melvin "Mick" Ommen

Melvin "Mick" Ommen, age 91, passed away the morning of Sunday, December 19, 2021 at Prairie Lakes Hospital in Watertown, SD.

Visitation will be held at Furness Funeral Home on Wednesday, December 29, 2021 from 4-7 PM and one hour prior to service.

Service will be held at St. Martins in Watertown, SD on Thursday, December 30, 2021 at 10:30AM with a lunch to follow in the church fellowship room. Burial will follow at Lorinda Cemetery in Henry, SD.

Melvin "Mick" Ommen was born in Hawarden, Iowa on June 14, 1930 to parents; Freida (Popken) Ommen and John Ommen.

He was united in marriage to Jelaine (Johnson) on December 27, 1951 in Pipestone, MN. To this union two daughters were born, Glenda and Deborah. The couple lived and farmed near Garden City. In 1965 they bought a farm near Henry where they had lived and farmed. Jelaine passed away in 2014.

Melvin joined the US Army in 1951 and honorably served during the Korean War. After finishing his schooling around the fifth or sixth grade; Melvin knew he wanted to be a farmer. Although he wasn't as educated as most, Mick knew every detail that needed to be done around the farm starting at what the appropriate chemicals were that needed to be used on the property to the vaccinations for the animals. He could remember every turn that was necessary to take you to where you were going without a map.

In 1988, Mick was diagnosed with Ataxia and was told that within 2 years he would be in a wheelchair. That was when he decided to retire from farming. Even with this diagnosis that didn't stop Mick; he was an avid fisherman who never missed a Lion's fishing Tournament (he did this for 31 years) fishing with grandsons and friends, and even had a trailer at Bob's Resort for these events.

Mick never ended up needing a wheelchair and was very active in the Clark American Legion for 60 years, never missed coffee at the Elevator or lunch at the Double Barrel. He loved spending time with his family, riding with Heath in the combine, cheering on the grandkids at sporting events and really enjoyed the trips that he took to Arizona with Glenda.

Mick is survived by daughters, Glenda Kittelson and Deborah Hallauer of Henry; grandchildren, Heath (Jami Williams) of Henry, Travis (Leah) Kittelson and Matt (Brandi) Kittelson of Henry, Laura (David) Leheska of Chamberlain, Melissa (Jerome) Nesheim of Clark, and Michael (Jessica) Rawlins of Henry; great grandchildren, Wyatt, Madeline, Colton, Cooper, and Clayton Kittelson, Tyler, Luke, Sienna, and Grant Leheska, Kaiden and Trevor Rawlins, and Kamryn and Alex Nesheim, his brother, Donald Ommen of Idaho; and special caregiver, Dorene Foster.

Mick was preceded in death by his parents, Freida (Popken-Ommen) Gillum and John Ommen; maternal and paternal grandparents; his wife Jelaine Ommen, siblings, Vera Paswalk, Bernice Henricks, Hank Ommen, and Ervin Ommen; and son in-laws, Ken Kittelson and Bob Hallauer.

Arrangements are by the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line obituary at www.furnessfuneralhome.com