Wayne J. Fletcher

Wayne J. Fletcher, age 85, of Garden City, SD died at Prairie Lakes Hospital of Watertown on Tuesday, March 12, 2019.

Visitation will held on Sunday, March 17, 2019 from 4-6PM with a Masonic Service at 5:30 PM all in the Furness Funeral Home Chapel at Clark.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, March 18, 2019 at 1:30 PM in the United Methodist Church at Garden City with Pastor Mark Tracy officiating.  The pianist will be Lynda Stern.  Casketbearers will be Mark and Russ Foster, Kyle Stern, Norman Alexander, Jerry Bowers, Doug Hansen, and Jerry Monson.  Visitation at the Church will begin at noon on Monday.  Burial will be at a later date in the Garden City Cemetery.

Wayne James Fletcher was born on December 18, 1933 at Watertown, the son of Everett A. and Lona M (Goodrich) Fletcher.  Wayne attended grade school and high school at Garden City graduating in 1952.  While in high school he was the student manager for the basketball team, was a Cub Scout, a Boy Scout and a member of the Garden City Spudders, the local boys 4-H Club.  Following high school he went to South Dakota State University in Brookings majoring in agronomy graduating in 1956.

Wayne often said "the best thing that happened to me in my life is when I went home with a friend and met this girl, JoAnn Hammer.  They went on a blind date and the rest is a marriage that lasted over 60 years.  The couple was married on December 28, 1958 at Milbank.  To this day, the first picture in his wallet is that of JoAnn in her wedding dress!  The couple honeymooned in Louisiana and California for about three weeks. When they returned to Garden City, his parents had already moved from the big house to a small house in town.  JoAnn and Wayne moved into the farm on the north edge of town, as E. A. had said, this place is yours when you get married.  They raised three children on the farm, Carmen, Crystal, and Evan.

He farmed his entire life, growing potatoes, wheat, corn, soybeans, and raising cattle off and on.  Wayne had been a member of the County Crop Improvement Association for more than 50 years, South Dakota Wheat Growers, the Garden City Masonic Lodge until it closed and continued a membership currently at Watertown Concord Lodge #13, receiving a pin for over 60 years. He also was on the State Seed Board in Pierre, and in 1982 joined others on a trip to China for wheat farming.

Wayne was a longtime active member of the United Methodist Church in Garden City, where he had been baptized and confirmed.

Preceding him in death were his parents, a brother, Garret in infancy, a sister, Alice (Bob) Dalton and a brother-in-law, Don Brekke.

Survivors include his wife JoAnn of Garden City, children, Carmen (Alan) Schorg of Selby, Crystal (Stuart) Roemmich of Eden Prairie, and Evan Fletcher of Garden City, 4 grandchildren, James (Jackie) Schorg and Josh (Julie) Schorg, Michelle Roemmich and fiancée, Sky Schermer and Beth Roemmich, and a great-granddaughter, Jordyn.  He also leaves a sister, Margery Brekke of Sioux Falls.

In lieu of flowers, memorials would be appreciated to the Garden City United Methodist Church General Fund, Garden City, SD 57236, in his memory.

Arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home of Clark where there is an online guestbook at www.furnessfuneralhome.com .