Richard Leland Eggleston

Richard L. Eggleston, age 78, Willow Lake died in the Bryant Parkview Care Center in Bryant on Thursday, October 2, 2014. Funeral Services will begin at 10AM in the Grace Lutheran Church at Willow Lake on Tuesday, October 7, 2014 with The Reverend Keith Garness officiating. Visitation will begin at 8:30AM in the Church. The pianist will be Ann Larson. Honorary casketbearers will be neighbors, friends, classmates and his caregivers. Private burial will be in the LeSueur Cemetery near Bancroft, SD. He was born Richard Leland Eggleston on March 31, 1936 at Huron, SD, the son of Arthur and Evelyn (Frye) Eggleston. Richard grew up in Rosedale Township, southwest of Willow Lake, attending the Eggleston School. He later attended Willow Lake High School where he was involved in numerous activities such as: summer band where he played the alto saxophone, FFA, and track (especially sprints). Richard graduated from Willow Lake High School in 1954. On May 10, 1959 he was united in marriage to JoAnn Jencks at Huron. Following their marriage they lived in Sioux Falls while JoAnn attended school and later to Huron while she finished her training, Richard drove back and forth to Willow Lake where he helped on the family farm. After she finished her training in Huron, the couple lived and has farmed in Rosedale Township since. It wasn't until the past few weeks that he left the farm due to poor health issues. He was a longtime member of Grace Lutheran Church at Willow Lake where he also served as head usher and councilman for many years.He also served on the Rosedale Township board and as a councilman of St. John's Lutheran Church at Bancroft. Besides his love of the land, he also enjoyed woodworking - especially making bird houses, fishing, hunting, playing cards - especially pinochle, farm shows, the State Fair and visiting with friends. Preceding him in death were his parents and a brother-in-lawn John Cluts. Survivors include his wife JoAnn of Willow Lake, sons, Todd Eggleston of Castlewood, Tracy Eggleston of Willow Lake and Ryan Eggleston of Clark and his sister, Barbara Cluts of Tulsa, OK. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the South Dakota Public Broadcasting System in Vermillion or the Prairie Lakes Hospice at Watertown. Furness Funeral Home of Clark is serving the family where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com