Darrell Wangsness

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Darrell Wangsness, 81, of Miller, passed away Friday, February 5, 2021 at his home.

A celebration of life will be 3:30 p.m., Saturday, February 20, 2021 at the Trinity Lutheran Church, Miller, with Pastor Nancy Eckels, officiating.  A private graveside service will be held at G.A.R. Cemetery, Miller, at a later date.  All are welcome to attend but for those who are unable, the service will be livestreamed on the funeral home website.  Masks are highly encouraged at the service.

Darrell was born to Henry and Dorothy (Nielson) Wangsness in Huron SD, third of nine siblings. He worked on the family farm his entire life from the time he was able to drive a tractor.

Darrell was a farmer through and through, there are countless stories about him working through the night, cutting hay, putting up hay in stacks. Combining, planting, discing, plowing so that one of his brothers or father, Henry, could run the equipment all day. He was still running tractors and driving the semi to the elevator until just a few years ago.  When he became more of a “supervisor” and did what most semi-retired farmers do, drive around, look at crops, have coffee with the other semi-retired farmers and BS with people he would meet on the street. Of course, run the farm from the driver’s seat of his pickup.

Darrell attended grade school in a little one room schoolhouse located in Rockdale Township just down the road from the “Homeplace” with his two older brothers Roger (Marlene) and DeWayne (Sonny), and his younger brothers and sisters, Rose (Rodney), Terry (Sharon), Dottie (Roger), Mark (Diane), Harriet (Chip) and Jerry (Louise). Along with numerous cousins, nieces and nephews and a large extended family. After the one room school he attended Miller High School and was known as one of those “Wangsness” boys. He was an officer in the FFA and played football. After high school he joined the SD National Guard where he attended officer’s training and wanted to fly airplanes.

He then met his future wife Carol (Williams), as the story goes Darrell, and his buddies were out on the town and Carol was with her employers and was DARED to walk over to that big good looking guy and run her fingers through his hair. They went to high school together and graduated in the same class in 1957.  They were then married in Pierre, SD on April 9, 1964.  They raised three children: Melissa, Angela and JD (James).  James and Darrell continued to farm together until 2003.  He became a member of the Masonic Lodge in 1984. Darrell was a lifelong member of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Miller.

Darrell is survived by his children: Melissa and her three sons Mike, Mathew and Stetson; Angela (Dale) and children Tanner, KyLee, Brittlyn and Devin and two great granddaughters, Rosalyn and Pyper, and JD (Melanie) and their son Ben.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Carol; an infant daughter, Michelle; parents: Henry and Dorothy; siblings: Roger, DeWayne, Terry and Dottie; and many other extended family.

Reck Funeral Home of Miller has been entrusted with Darrell’s arrangements.