David Prieb

WEBSTER- David Prieb 85, of Webster died on Friday, January 01, 2010 at the Bethesda Home in Webster. His funeral will be at 9:30 A.M., Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Webster, Revs. Daniel and Kristin Ostercamp officiating. Burial with military rites at Webster Cemetery. Visitation will be at Fiksdal Funeral Service in Webster on Monday 5-8 P.M., with a prayer service at 7:30 and prior to the services Tuesday. fiksdalfuneral.com. Memorials can be sent to Bethesda Nursing Home, 129 W. Hwy. 12, and/or St. John’s Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 36, both at Webster, SD 57274. David Albert Prieb was born on Sunday, November 16, 1924, to Albert and Minnie (Ludtke) Prieb at Peabody Memorial Hospital at Webster, South Dakota. He was baptized and confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Webster. David attended country school near the family farm, and graduated from Webster High School in 1942, beginning his college education at Augustana College in Sioux Falls in the fall of 1942. David enlisted in the Army Air Corps Reserve in December of 1942, graduating with advanced bombardier training in June, 1944, at Victorville, California. He served in the Pacific theater, participating in various bombing missions, including Iwo Jima. Primarily stationed in Saipan and Hawaii, David attained the rank of First Lieutenant by the time of his discharge on June 17, 1946.He returned to Augustana College and graduated cum laude, May of 1949, with a degree in accounting and economics, and a minor in music. While at Augustana, David met LaVonne Ersland and they were married July 10, 1948, at Canton Lutheran Church, Canton, South Dakota. Initially anticipating a business career in Sioux Falls, he and LaVonne decided to leave and return to the family farm in June, 1949, to help his father who was ill at the time. David farmed with his father until Albert’s death in 1978, and in 1981 was joined by his son-in-law, Douglas Olawsky. They farmed until David’s retirement in the late 1990’s. From the early 1960’s to 2003, David was also self-employed in aerial farm photography (Dave’s Aerial Color Photos) and through his marketing process developed relationships with the farming community throughout northeastern South Dakota. In the later years of the business, he produced and sold videos focusing on flooding in the region and on Ft. Sisseton. In October, 2006, he entered Bethesda Nursing Home. David was a life-long member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, serving as a council member, president of the congregation, on various committees, instrumental and vocal soloist, and worked to help establish the Advent Sing. He was the church’s Senior Choir Director for fifty years. David attained various honors and was involved in numerous activities and organizations during his life. In his youth, he was a 4H member with prize-winning calves, the first president of Webster High School FFA, a member of the first group to attend South Dakota Boys State, a member of the first Webster High School Band (1937), and an accomplished clarinetist, winning honors at the state level in high school. During his military training, David sang in various Cadet Choruses and also played clarinet and saxophone in several dance bands. At Augustana, he was a member of Blue Key Honor Society, soloist with the Augustana Choir, 1st-chair clarinetist in the Augustana Band, member of the Augustana Orchestra and member of the Augustana Flying Club, where he received his pilot’s license. Following his return to Webster, David was named Outstanding Farmer in 1959 and later the Prieb farm attained Century Farm status. As an outgrowth of his love for flying, he started the Webster Flying Club and served as manager of the Webster Airport for many years. David also served on the Day County Hospital Governing Board, was a longtime president of the Day County Farm Bureau chapter, chairman of the Day County Republican Party and was on the Webster Chamber of Commerce. David was in several regional musical groups, including the Watertown Municipal Band and the Aberdeen Elks Chorus, and was tenor soloist in “The Messiah” on multiple occasions at Grace Lutheran Church (Watertown). David Prieb died on Friday, January 1, 2010, in Webster, at the age of 85 years, 1 month and 16 days. Survivors include his wife, LaVonne of Webster; one daughter, Suzanne (Douglas) Olawsky, Webster, SD; one son, Laurel (Wendy) Prieb, Scottsdale, AZ; three grandchildren, Amy (Ruben) Reyes, Los Angeles, CA, Nathan Olawsky, Raleigh, NC and Natalie Prieb, Scottsdale, AZ; one great-grandson, Mark Reyes, Los Angeles, CA; two sisters, Irene Titus, St. Paul, MN and Doris Brinkman, Warrenville, IL; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.