Kermit Parks

Kermit Parks, 95 of Webster died on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at Bethesda Home in Webster. His funeral will be at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, April 16, 2011 at Fiksdal Funeral Chapel in Webster, Rev. Kristin Ostercamp will officiate. Burial will be at Prairie Mound Cemetery, Butler. Visitation will be on Saturday one hour prior to services. Kermit Karstad Parks was born on Saturday, March 4, 1916 to Ray and Nellie (Karstad) Parks on the family farm east of Butler in Butler Township, Day County, South Dakota. He was baptized at Ebenezer Lutheran Church and later confirmed at the E.U.B. Church in Butler. He attended Fairview District 116 country school near his home and graduated from Butler High School. In 1938 he graduated from Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa with a Bachelor of Science Degree. He taught school in Luverne, Iowa for two years until the end of World War II when he was chosen to work for the DuPont Company. They furthered his education and he was one of three employees to open up a Remington Arms Plant in Denver, Colorado where he was foreman of the Ballistics Division. While in Denver he was united in marriage to Vera Wilson at Rockford, Illinois. After World War II they returned to the family farm near Butler and he farmed with his father and brother. Since that time he semi-retired and turned the farming operations over to his sons. He was a member of St. Johns Lutheran Church in Webster. He served his community as a school board member, served as superintendent of Butler School for a year, was a member of the Day County re-organization for schools, an active Isaac Walton League leader, Treasurer of Butler Township, and worked whenever possible with youth in 4-H and gun training. Each fall he would give time to big game hunting in Montana if the farm work allowed. Kermit passed away on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at Webster, South Dakota at the age of 95 years, 1 month and 9 days. Survivors include his wife Vera; two daughters, Arlene Miller of Spirit Lake, IA and Betty Aslesen of Mitchell, SD; two sons, Ordean Parks and Reuben Parks both of Webster, SD; a sister, Jeannette Hogstad of Watertown, SD; eight grandchildren, nine great grandchildren, one great great granddaughter, eight nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, one sister and one niece.