Clarence Gustafson

BRISTOL- Clarence Gustafson, 94 of Mobridge and formally of Bristol died on Friday, February 20, 2009 at Mobridge Regional Hospital in Mobridge. His funeral will be 2:00 P.M. Wednesday February 25, 2009 at Bethesda Lutheran Church in Bristol, Rev. Janet Miller officiating. Burial will be in the Bristol Cemetery. Visitation will be at Fiksdal Funeral Service (fiksdalfuneral.com) on Tuesday 4-7 P.M. and prior to services on Wednesday. Fiksdal Funeral Service of Webster is in charge of the arrangements. Clarence Harold Gustafson was born March 14, 1914 to Olaf and Mary (Anderson) Gustafson on the family farm, northeast of Bristol, South Dakota in Kidder Township. He was baptized and confirmed in the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Bristol. He attended country school near his home. On June 6, 1937 he was united in marriage to Evelyn J. Hoff at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, to this union two children were born. Following their marriage they made their home on the family farm and farmed with his parents until their deaths. The couple continued to farm until their retirement in 1977. In 1976 they built their home in Bristol and resided there until November 2003 when they moved to Mobridge, South Dakota to live with their daughter Gwendolyn. Clarence was a faithful member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church when they merged with Bethesda Evangelical Lutheran Church. He was active in the work of the church and had served on Emmanuel and Bethesda church boards and the Bethesda Building Committee. He enjoyed the activities of the community and served on the Kidder School Board and various Kidder Township Boards that included Supervisor and Election Clerk. Clarence was elected to the Farmers Elevator Board of Directors having held various offices including president. He maintained active involvement for 60 years. He was also a member of the Elks Lodge in Aberdeen for 32 years. Clarence enjoyed living and working on the family farm tending to the crops and livestock. He enjoyed visiting with family and friends and especially enjoyed a good political discussion. His hobbies included reading, traveling, gardening, and while living in Mobridge, he enjoyed watching the trucks hauling hay and the boats on the river. Clarence was a kind and loving husband, father, and grandfather; he will be missed by all that knew him. Grateful for having shared in his life are his wife Evelyn of 71 years, his daughters, Gwendolyn Grad of Mobridge, SD and Shirley (Curtis) Swedlund of Rochester, MN, two sisters, Olga Wagner of Minneapolis, MN and Esther Burns of Bullhead City, AZ. Other survivors include six grandchildren, Rhonda (Pete) Frier of Santa Monica, CA, Patti (Mike) Stene of Shawnee, KS, Lori (Todd) Hanson of Hermosa, SD, Terry (Bonnie) Lundberg of Aberdeen, SD, Jon (Patty) Grad of Andover, MN, Alana (Nate) Bauer of Mobridge, SD, seventeen great grandchildren, two great-great grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, two sisters, a granddaughter Renee Lundberg, and a son-in-law Raymond Grad.