Merritt August Seefeldt

Merritt August Babe Seefeldt, age 87, Clark, died on Thursday, December 25, 2003 in the Beverly Healthcare Center at Clark. He was born on May 9, 1916 in Darlington Township, Clark County, the son of August Carl and Jesse B. (Galligan) Seefeldt. He attended country school in Darlington Township and then attended Willow Lake High School. As a young man, during the depression years, he went West to the Washington state area for employment. He returned to South Dakota and helped on the farm. On June 28, 1941 he was united in marriage to Edna Peterson, daughter of Edward and Jorgine Peterson, at Vienna. He was inducted in the Army Air Corps shortly after that time and was stationed in Guam during WWII as a cook. After his discharge, they returned to Clark where he was employed at Clark Community Oil until he joined with his Father and began farming. Besides his love of the land, he also was very talented at carpentry work, building the couple a home in Clark and then in 1966 built a home in Merton Township where they lived until Ednas death on November 3, 1978. He continued living on the farm until May of 2002 when he became a resident of the Beverly Healthcare Center at Clark. In addition to the homes he built for he and Edna, he also built a home for his children. He was united in marriage to Geneve Resel Nelson on November 24, 1982 in the St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark. He was a member of the St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark, Crop and Livestock Improvement organizations, American Legion and VFW. He enjoyed nature and being on the Two Dam Farm. Grateful for having shared in his life is his wife, Geneve, children, Merritt Seefeldt, Jr. and wife Linda, Mike Seefeldt, Marshall Seefeldt and wife Pam all of Clark and Melanie Smith and husband Gail of Vienna, 7 grandchildren, Nathan Smith, Kirk and wife Jenn Smith, Nicole Seefeldt, Jeremy Seefeldt and wife Heidi, Andrea, Cedric and Zachary Seefeldt; a brother, Merrill Brother Seefeldt and wife Angie of Clark and a sister, Mildred Drake and husband Bertram of Watertown; Step-sons, The Reverend Morris Nelson and wife Cathy of Hot Springs, Neal Nelson and wife Jenny of Sisseton, 5 Step-grandchildren; Brother-in-laws Clarence Gustafson of Bryant and Fred Swede Schanck of Sioux Falls and Sister-in-laws Charline Peterson of Willow Lake and Mary Peterson of Bryant. Preceding him in death were his parents, wife Edna, a sister, Myrtle McGraw, Step-daughter Eunice Nelson and a Step-grandson. Funeral services will be held on Monday, December 29, 2003 at 2:00 PM in the St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark with the Reverend Roger Semmler officiating. Burial with full military honors will follow in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark. Music will be provided by Dorothy Fuller as organist and Duane and Char Peterson singing. Casketbearers will be grandchildren, Nathan and Kirk Smith, Nicole, Jeremy, Andrea, Cedric and Zachary Seefeldt. Honorary Casketbearers will be all friends, relatives and Staff of the Beverly Healthcare Center at Clark. Visitation will be on Sunday from 3PM-6PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark and after noon at the Church on Monday.