Zane Wulf

Click to View Zane's Prayer Service Live

Click to View Zane's Funeral Service Live

Zane Allen Wulf, 69, of Miller, surrounded by his family, passed away Thursday, June 3, 2021, at his sons’ home in Austin, Texas, after a courageous 3-year battle with Stage 4 colon cancer.

Funeral service will be 10:00 a.m., Thursday, June 10, 2021, at the St. Lawrence Community Church with Pastor Glenn Stewart officiating.  Visitation will be 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 9, 2021, followed by a 7:00 p.m. prayer service, all at the church.  Burial will be at the South Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Sioux Falls.

Memorials can be directed to Jerauld County Trap Club or Hands of Hope, the local Hand County support group for those individuals fighting cancer.

Zane Allen Wulf was born December 11th, 1951, in Miller, SD to Jack and Babe (Virginia Greene) Wulf. He attended numerous country schools in Hand County for elementary and a graduate of Miller High School in 1970. During high school, he worked for Clif and Velda Rediger on their farm.  Clif was a positive role-model for Zane, looking out for him, teaching him a good work ethic, as well as spiritually guiding him.  Because it was highly probable, he would be drafted, given his draft number, Zane decided to enlist in the US Navy, serving from 1970-1974.  He had a love-hate relationship with the Navy, and as the years passed, the good stories outweighed the bad.  He served onboard a Destroyer, the USS Hamner, off the coast of Vietnam as a boiler technician.  After his Honorable Discharge, Zane worked various jobs in the area and then drove truck over-the-road for 3 years for Midwest Coast of Sioux Falls.  Zane loved his time of trucking and enjoyed telling stories of seeing the USA driving an 18-wheeler.  While trucking, Zane saved up money and bought “the Taylor Place” in South Hand.  He began farming in the late 70’s.  His passion was farming but the 80’s were tough years for farmers.  He held on to that dream until 1996 and then took a job at Dakota Ag.  Unfortunately, Zane’s allergies and the grain dust weren’t a good combination.  That fall he began his career as a service technician at Hand County Implement, which later became Titan Machinery.  He fixed machines for countless farmers until cancer forced him to retire in 2018.  Being a mechanic was truly Zane’s gift as he was highly respected and sought after for his mechanical ability. 

Zane married the love of his life, Sally Caffee, on December 5th, 1981.  They would have celebrated their 40th anniversary this coming December.  Zane loved to ride a good horse and thoroughly enjoyed using a horse to work cattle.  He enjoyed calf roping for a few years.  Zane tried his best to pass on that love for horses to his boys, but it was not to be.  Thus, the family decision was made to sell the horses and buy a boat.  Many, many wonderful times were spent at a lake or river.  Zane loved pulling the boys, their friends, nieces and nephews on the tube, skis, wake board or knee board.

Zane enjoyed fishing and loved our trip to Canada in 2014 and Alaska in 2017.  Our charter halibut fishing trip will always be a great memory.

Zane was a faithful supporter of any activity that his boys were in and his voice carried from the stands as he cheered them on, whether it was football, basketball, track, cross-country, or any other activity.  Music contest, Ministry Team, Spring Tour, Plays, 4-H; if his boys were in it, he made every effort to be there.  He drove bus for Sunshine Bible Academy (SBA) for many activities.

Zane attended Pleasant Valley Church in South Hand and was a Trustee on the Board of Directors.  He was a member of the Legion and VFW, and was in the Honor Guard for funerals, Memorial Day, and Veteran’s Day programs.  He served on the Glendale Township Board until moving into Miller in 2011.

Zane was a member of Wall Lake Hunting Club.  He was an avid sportsman who instructed 4-H trap shooting for countless Hand Co. 4-H’ers.  He was so very proud of how well his sons and all 4-H’ers did shooting trap.  Zane loved his Thursday nights shooting at Jerauld Co., Trap Range north of Wessington Springs.  He’d always say, “If I’d shoot as well as I can get others to, I’d do great!”  His best memories were hunting deer and pheasants with his boys and his yellow lab, Ruger.  After Wyatt and Jared were on their own and buying their own shells, Sally mentioned she’d like to try her hand at trap shooting.  Zane excitedly began shopping for the right gun.  Zane and Sally shot at Jerauld Co. Trap for 5 years, until Zane’s health declined, and he didn’t feel good enough to shoot anymore.

Zane and Sally rode their pedal bikes around Miller every night after work that weather permitted.  They cross-country skied whenever there was good snow.  They joked with each other that if they’d just started skiing when they were younger, they’d surely look like the Olympians they watched on tv.  Early in their marriage, they took Ballroom Dance lessons and loved to polka, waltz, and foxtrot, as well as the good ole jitterbug.

Zane’s attitude when he got diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer was truly amazing.  He never once complained about the side-effects of chemo or radiation.  He endured the treatments, surgeries, tests, and blood work with the quiet resolve that he’d do whatever it took to beat it.  He told his doctors that he needed to get well to watch his grandkids grow up and so he could teach them to shoot.  Early on in his cancer journey, he focused on shopping for and eventually buying a camper to take the grandkids camping.  The family gave him a new gun Christmas of 2020 that Jared built for him and then his goal became to shoot his new gun.  He was able to shoot it once on Easter weekend.  Even when the last MRI showed that the cancer had taken over and his body was wearing out, Zane never wanted to quit the fight.  His will to stay in this world with his family was truly astounding.

Grateful to have shared his life is his wife of 39 ½ years, Sally Wulf of Miller, SD, son, Wyatt Wulf of Dell Rapids, SD, and son, Jared (Laura) Wulf of Austin, TX; grandchildren, Arya Jean Wulf of Austin, TX and Zane Timothy Wulf – due to arrive October 2021; step-grandchildren: Kate Bowman and Asher Van Dam of Baltic, SD; sisters, Barb (Dave) Lammers of Jordan, MT and Nancy (Dave) Caffee of Wessington Springs, SD; brothers and sisters in laws: Larry (Shari) Caffee of Rapid City, SD, Peggy (Jim) Goehring of Ocoee, FL, Gary (Marian) Caffee of Mitchell, SD, and Terry (Autumn) Caffee of Great Falls, MT; father-in-law, Les Caffee of Wessington Springs, SD and mother-in-law, Mar Caffee of Rapid City, SD; 17 nieces and nephews and their spouses; 19 great-nieces and nephews, numerous cousins and friends; and his pride and joy, his yellow lab, Ruger.

Zane was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Connie Marie Wulf in 1976; and respected mentor and friend, Clif Rediger.

Reck Funeral Home of Miller has been entrusted with Zane's arrangements.