Wilbur F. Schlagel

Wilbur F. "Bill" Schlagel, age 87, a longtime Raymond area rancher died late Monday night in a Watertown hospital. Mr. Schlagel was well known across the State of South Dakota as a High School Rodeo Promotor for many years. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 21, 2005 at 10:00 AM in the First Presbyterian Church at Raymond with Pastor Donna Nickels officiating. Lynette Munce-Flint will be the pianist with Jennifer Holand singing. Casketbearers will be Dick Reints, Gene, Terry and Wayne Schlagel and Alan and Dale Albright. Burial will follow in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark. Visitation will be held on Friday from 4-6 PM with Masonic Rites at 6PM all in the Furness Funeral Home Chapel at Clark. Visitation will continue at the Church after 8:30AM on Saturday morning. He was born at Clark on December 31, 1917, the son of Fred and Anna (Schmidt) Schlagel. He grew to adulthood in Logan Township attending the Logan Consolidated School where he graduated. Following his schooling, he and his brother Earl moved to the Minneapolis area and did construction work. In 1941 he was united in marriage to Edna Palmlund. To this union a daughter Sally was born. Edna died on February 7, 1944. On March 30, 1947 he was united in marriage to Mona Albright and they had a daughter, Penny. The Schlagel's have lived and farmed on the place that his Grandfather homesteaded in Logan Township since their marriage. He did countless hours of custom farm work, which enabled him to meet scores of people. Bill will long be remembered for his sense of humor, telling of 'stories' and his love of kids. He and his wife Mona started the East River High School Rodeo in Clark in 1960 and hosted that event for some 20 years. He thoroughly enjoyed raising horses and the enjoyment it brought to so many others. As a young man, Bill loved playing baseball. He had received numerous community awards over the years among them being the Heartland Saddle Award and a 2004 Honoree of the Casey Tibbs Foundation. Even though Bill's eyesight had failed him, he thoroughly enjoyed attending sporting events, especially the women's team from SDSU. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church at Raymond, a 50 year-plus member of the Masonic Lodge and also was a member of the Eastern Star. Grateful for having shared in his life is his wife Mona of Raymond, daughters, Sally Wosika and husband George of Bena, MN and Penny Garrett and husband Troy of Vermillion, SD. Also surviving him are 4 grandchildren, Jody Holand and husband John of Thief River Falls, MN, Terri Gregory of Victorville, CA, Heidi Pitzner and husband Scott of Jefferson, WI and Nathan Garrett of Vermillion and 6 great-grandchildren, Jennifer, Richard, Jacob, Billy, Alex and Mack. He also leaves sister-in-laws, Ruby Maley of Hernandez, NM and Alice and Norma Palmlund, both of DeSmet. Preceding him in death were his parents, his first wife Edna, a sister, Dorothy Waterfall and 2 brothers, Glenn Schlagel and wife Arlene and Earl Schlagel. Visitation will be held on Friday from 4-6 PM with a Masonic Service beginning at 6PM all in the Furness Funeral Home Chapel at Clark. Visitation will continue at the Church on Saturday morning after 8:30 AM. Furness Funeral Home at Clark is handling arrangements where friends and family can sign the guest book at www.furnessfuneralhome.com.