Robert R. Dunlavy

Robert R. "Bob" Dunlavy, age 58, of Watertown died at his home, surrounded by his loving family, early Sunday morning, March 22, 2009 after an illness due to cancer. . Funeral Services will be held on Friday, March 27, 2009 at 11AM in the First United Methodist Church at Watertown with the Reverend Eric Grinager officiating. Burial will follow in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark. Music will be provided by Dorothy Brugman, Wendy Christman, the Bradley-Crocker Church Choir and Warren Armbruster. Honorary Casketbearers will be friends, relatives especially nieces & nephews- and all of his auctioneering associates and the Bradley High School, Class of 1969. Active casketbearers will be Barry, Scot and Garth Dunlavy, Bill Wasland and Dean & Jill Ragels. He was born at Conde, SD on February 17, 1951, the son of James Lawrence and Veronica (Nolan) Dunlavy. He attended Mallard Slough Spring Valley #37 country school near Crocker, SD where he rode horse-back to school with his brothers and sisters and Crocker Spring Valley #38 in Crocker, Clark Jr. High School at Clark and then was a 1969 graduate from Bradley High School at Bradley. He always enjoyed getting together for class reunions. At the age of 14, he began working for Art Moe doing mechanic work at the shop in Wallace and later continued that line of work in Bradley assisting Albert Merkel. Bob also helped area farmers in northern Clark County and the Wallace area for several years. He also assisted on the Rodell Ranch in northwestern Clark County. He also was the owner/operator, along with his brother, Darrel, of a long-haul trucking business and also did construction work. From 1984-1990 he hauled mail in the Bradley-Wallace area. Bob also owned and operated Bobs Service, a service and repair station, in uptown Bradley from 1985-1990. In 1990 he moved to Watertown where he did construction work and drove truck. For the past several years he enjoyed helping and hanging out with Jim Olverson at the lawn shop in Watertown. He was united in marriage to Peggy Neal on July 31, 1998 at Watertown. The couple has made their home in Watertown. His true passion in life, besides his wife Peg, children and grandchildren, was auctioneering and being a ring man. He thoroughly enjoyed working with several fine auction firms in the tri-state area. In 1992 he started working at the Minneapolis Auto Auction in Maple Grove, MN. He also worked the Tri-State Adesa Auto Auction in Fargo, the Mid-State Auto Auction in New York Mills, MN and also worked a Classic Car & Motorcycle Auction for Mid-America Auctions in St. Paul, MN and also helped at the Sioux Falls Auto Auction. He worked for Todd & Don Fitzner, a family auction business, called Renville Sales at Renville, MN. Bob has also assisted on many occasions at Clark Sales in Clark and from 1995-2005 he clerked at the Watertown Livestock Auction in Watertown. In March of 2005, he attended and graduated from the World Wide College of Auctioneering in their Bi-lingual program. Bob loved to watch and once in a while take part in auction contests. He was a member of the South Dakota Auctioneers Association and was also a licensed South Dakota Real Estate Auctioneer. How could anyone forget that twinkle in his eye when you saw him in action at an auction. He will also be remembered for his love of collecting John Deere items. Second to none though, was his enjoyment of visiting with family and friends. Special thanks are given from Bob to all of his caregivers, especially Dr. Ruben and Staff of the Prairie Lakes Cancer Center and Dr. Greg Larson and staff of the Northridge Clinic and Delrita Hopper of the Prairie Lakes Hospice. Robert was baptized in the St. Joseph Catholic Church at Lily and is a member of the First United Methodist Church at Watertown. He was a member of the Bradley Volunteer Fire Department and the Crocker Saddle Club. Survivors who are grateful for having shared in his life is his wife Peggy of Watertown, children, Lisa (Davis) Jacobson of Boise, ID, Lori, (Dan) Mueller of Eau Claire, WI, Amy (Tim) Raith and Rick (Anna Lee) Fuerstenau all of Eau Claire, WI, 6 grandchildren, Jonah, Isaiah and Mykah Mueller, Madilyn Raith, Makenzie & Alarik Fuerstenau. He also leaves siblings, Jane (Dennis) Zinda of Big Lake, MN, Catherine Ragels of Mitchell, SD, Betty (LeRoy) Wasland of Watertown, Darrel (Pam) Dunlavy of Lewistown, MT, Carol Peterson of Buffalo, MN, Helen (Norman) Ragels of Castlewood, SD, Thomas (Merlene) Dunlavy of Claremont, SD, Bonnie (Fred) McDonald of Missoula, MT, Leo (Denise) Dunlavy of Andover, SD, Jan (Sandy) Dunlavy of Belle Plaine, KS and Kimberly (Kenny) Lewis of Gresham, OR. and many nieces, nephews and a host of friends. Preceding him in death were his parents, a brother, Dale Dunlavy, brothers-in-law, David Peterson and LaVoy Ragels and a nephew Brandy Dunlavy. Visitation will be held from Thursday from 4-7 PM at the Furness Funeral Home in Clark and 1 hour preceding services at the Church in Watertown. Arrangements are announced by the Furness Funeral Home at Clark. Please go to www.furnessfuneralhome.com where you can sign an on-line registry.