Delwin "Del" McFarland

Delwin "Del" McFarland, 88, of Webster, passed away, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at Prairie Lake Hospital in Watertown.

A memorial service will be held 2pm Wednesday, July 10, 2024, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Webster. Inurnment will be at the Webster Cemetery following a luncheon in the church basement.

Memorial visitation will be 5-7pm Tuesday, July 9, 2024, closing with a 7pm prayer service at the funeral home.

Delwin Henry McFarland was born September 23, 1935, to Henry Alexander (“Jack”) McFarland and Sarah Mae (Albertson) McFarland in Glover, North Dakota. 

His family moved from North Dakota to Wisconsin when he was quite young. In 1946 his mother died of ovarian cancer, and he went to live with his mother’s sister Lillian and her husband Glenn Haisley in rural LaMoure, North Dakota. The Haisley’s owned a farm and Del learned about farm work and was loved by their whole family. He always felt his Haisley cousins there were like his brothers. In North Dakota, Del attended country school and then LaMoure High School. It was there that he met Carol Fay Olson who would become the love of his life. Del asked Carol to dance in 1952 and that led to 69 years of marriage. 

Delwin and Carol got married June 18, 1955, at High Prairie Lutheran Church in the small community called Benson Corner, North Dakota. They lived in several communities in North Dakota for the early years (LaMoure, Wahpeton, and Valley City) where their children were all born. 

Del and Carol purchased the Webster Bakery and moved to South Dakota in 1968. They lived in the country outside of Webster so the kids could have horses and other pets. 

On New Year’s Eve 1970, the family’s house burned to the ground. No one was hurt as they were all in North Dakota visiting relatives at the time, but they lost all they owned except for what was in their suitcases and their car. Following the fire, Del and Carol purchased a beautiful old home and moved it from the Butler area to their home site. 

One June 18, 1971, Del and Carol’s son, David McFarland, died from a car and bicycle crash.

The Webster Bakery burned in the summer of 1975. Del and Carol and family, moved to Brookings, SD in the fall of that year. There, Delwin managed the Ken’s Fairway Bakery. The family lived there for a little less than a year then purchased the Blue Dog Lake resort- changing its name to the Driftwood Resort. The resort featured a campground, roller rink/dancehall, cabins and a small zoo. 

Eventually Del and Carol began the pattern of living at Blue Dog Lake in the summers and Webster, SD in the winters. The resort was closed down in 1987 and some of the lots were sold. Del and Carol kept an area with a cabin they still use in the summers. 

Del worked a variety of professions in his adult life. He was a baker, a resort business owner and later a salesman (selling International Harvester tractors, Harvester silos, and eventually vehicles at Hahler Automotive). 

Del was an avid outdoorsman who loved to hunt, fish and share nature with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He loved music and passed that on to many of his family. His favorite place on earth was at their cabin on Blue Dog Lake near Waubay, SD. 

Delwin Henry McFarland died July 3rd, 2024, following a car accident. He was 88 years, 9 months and 10 days old. He was proceeded in death by his parents, Henry “Jack” and Sarah (Albertson) McFarland, all of his siblings Maynard “Mac” McFarland and Fern McFarland, Marlys (McFarland) Petersonand Charles “Tommy” Peterson, Betty (McFarland) Moyer and Leonard Moyer, and Lola (McFarland) Simmons and Pete Simmons, his aunt and uncle who raised him Lillian (Albertson)Haisley and Glenn Haisley and his son David Brian McFarland. 

Delwin is survived by his wife Carol Fay (Olson) McFarland of Webster, SD; his children Marcia (McFarland) Orr and Harold Orr of Bristol, SD, Darrel and Lynette (Schoenbeck) McFarland of Watertown, SD, Mark and Erlyn (Ares) McFarland of Waubay, SD and Janet (McFarland) Miller and Michael Miller of Summit, SD. He leaves behind a legacy of grandchildren: Paul Orr, Rachel (Orr) Bahr, Roxann (Orr) Price, David Orr, Leah (McFarland) Le, Shawn McFarland, Sarah (McFarland) Pashen, Ryan McFarland, Tyler McFarland, Zachary Tchida, Mark Miller, Angela Miller-Niles, Suzanne Miller-Mcfeeley, Gregory Miller, and Matthew Miller, great grandchildren Emma Bahr, Caroline Bahr, Gwendolyn Price, Lane Orr, Peyton Orr, Bennett Orr, Braden Le, Jax Le, Tai Le, Finn McFarland, Remi McFarland, Landon Pashen, Alexis Pashen, Colby Zielske, Myah McFarland, Caleb Miller, Callie Miller, Logan Miller, Hudson Miller, Henry Niles, Ivan Niles, Ephram Miller-McFeeley, Gabriel Miller-McFeeley, Clara Miller, Harrison Miller, and Arlo Miller. Del was also loved by special family friends Nathalie Fida Lassang and her children Faith and Samuel.