Merritt August Seefeldt

Merritt August Seefeldt, age 74, rural Clark, a faithful servant of the land, was harvested to his heavenly home on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2017.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 from 5-7 PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark and will continue after 12 noon at the Church in Clark on Thursday.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, December 28, 2017 at 2PM in the St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark with The Reverend Mindy Ehrke officiating. The organist will be Dorothy Fuller with Duane and Char Peterson providing special music.  Burial with full military honors will follow in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark.  The honorary casketbearers will be the members of the Clark Lions Club, with the active casketbearers being Jeremy, Cedric, & Zach Seefeldt, Andrea & Brook Begeman, Terry Schlagel, Gail Smith, and Ron Lamb.

He was born in Salt Lake City to Merritt August and Edna (Peterson) Seefeldt on April 18, 1943.  After the war, his parents returned to Clark, where he graduated from high school in 1961.  He was active in FFA, receiving the State Farmer Award among others. He was an Eagle Scout, and received the For God and Country Badge.

He graduated from SDSU in Agronomy and joined the National Guard.  After college and basic training, he returned to farm with his grandfather August, his dad, and soon, his brothers.

He married Linda Barbknecht March 21, 1970. Seven years later, they and their families helped Vernie Petersen build their present home in Merton Township. They brought their new daughter to it from the hospital just after Memorial Day in 1977.

Merritt was active in the Clark County Livestock and Crop Improvement Associations, and attended Dakotafest every year. His families were innovators, and have been long time No Till farmers. He enjoyed helping the Lions Kid Fishing Day at the family's dam and taking Nicole and his nephews and niece fishing. He was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark and the Cagley-Smith American Legion Post #60 of Clark.

One highlight of his farming life was the appearance of a piebald white deer, which he photographed abundantly, and kept tabs on until it moved to the Clark Airport area.

He was always ready to help anyone in need, whether by farming bees or donations to individuals in medical or disaster troubles.  He likewise was helped by family and neighbors when he was in need.

Nicole had two rare diseases, and he became adept at going to the East coast on short notice to be with her during her collapsed lungs, kidney embolization's, and finally, her double lung transplant.  The first of many flights was New Year's Night right after 9-11. He was comforted to find a fellow cattleman (and Linda's practice teaching supervisor) on the flight to St. Louis. Dave aimed them in the right direction to catch the 10 pm flight to LaGuardia. While in New York City or Pennsylvania, he would take many photos, and talk to people from all over the country. He was disappointed that in all those trips he never met anyone originally from South Dakota.

He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer November 29, 2016. On December 2 at 3 am Nicole called to say she was going to receive her double lung transplant in Philadelphia.  Merritt and Linda were able to be with her while she was in the hospital. He always after that would refer to his cancer as "small potatoes, compared to what Nicole went through." He'd hoped to live until Nicole was medically cleared to fly, but that wasn't to be.

He is survived by his wife, Linda, daughter Nicole, and siblings Mike, Marshall (Pam) and Melanie (Gail) Smith, aunts Charline Peterson, Mary Peterson, and Mildred Drake and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and great nieces and nephews.

The Furness Funeral Home of Clark is serving the family where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com