Donald Reimann

Donald “Donnie” E. Reimann, 91, of Miller, passed away Sunday, February 25, 2024, at Weskota Manor, Wessington Springs. 

Funeral Service will be 10:30 a.m., Saturday, March 2, 2024, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Miller, with Rev. Rhonda Wellsandt-Zell officiating. Burial with military honors will follow at G.A.R. Cemetery, Miller.  A visitation will begin at 6:00 p.m., Friday, March 1, 2024, followed by a 7:00 p.m. prayer service, all at the church. 

Donnie was born August 21, 1932, in Hand County to parents Emil and Emma (Schulz) Reimann. He attended school in Ree Heights, SD, and Miller High School. In 1952 he joined the United States Air Force, where he was stationed in both Texas and California, serving as an aircraft mechanic. He was honorably discharged on June 24, 1955. While in the service on a furlough back home in Ree Heights, he visited his sister, Marie, in Miller who had a roommate named Norma Heezen. They all went for a drive cruising’ the streets of Miller as Donnie and Norma got better acquainted. According to Donnie, he later took them back to Marie’s apartment and apparently, Norma was very smitten with him to the extent that she would not get out of the car as she said, “You want me to stay, don’t you?” Donnie said that he had to go, but asked if they could go out sometime and Norma quickly said, “How about tomorrow night?” That was the beginning of a beautiful relationship that lasted seven decades. When he was stationed in California, Norma wanted to stay close, so she moved to California and lived with Donnie’s sister, Ruth, and the rest is history. That move proved to be the “right move” as Donnie and Norma were later married at Trinity Lutheran Church in Miller, SD on February 5th, 1956. Donnie was married to the love of his life and best friend for more than 68 years. Donnie was baptized, confirmed, and married with last rites all at Trinity Lutheran Church.

After the service, they moved back to South Dakota where Donnie worked for the Old Home Bread Company in Huron. About a year later, he realized that working for a company and having a boss was definitely not for him, so he purchased his parents’ homestead on Ree Heights Road and began a dairy farm. Donnie and Norma ran the dairy farm for nearly six years when they decided that milking cows was not for them and Donnie eventually found his stride in the life of farming. In the late 1960’s, he took a huge risk when he purchased some land and the farmstead on what is now known as the Reimann Ranch. With the perseverance and energy level that only those who knew Donnie well could understand, he grew a meager farm into a robust cattle ranch, which became a successful grain and livestock farming operation in Hand County. The farming operation was later taken over by son, Kent, and grandson, Barry, who continue to carry on the legacy that Donnie worked so hard to build.

Donnie worked hard for his success, but he also enjoyed life. He was a seasoned storyteller who loved to share his stories, which always ended in a good laugh. He had a great gift of gab and could strike up a conversation with anyone with his outgoing personality. He enjoyed a good card game with friends and family, having coffee with friends at both Ree Heights and Miller, and going for a long drive in the country as he loved to drive. Donnie and Norma loved traveling the country to visit family and friends, the many day trips to Al’s Oasis in Chamberlain, relaxing in their condo by the Hillsview Golf Course in Pierre, or Don’s favorite, the townhouse living in the foothills of the Black Hills on the outskirts of Rapid City. Don enjoyed watching sports whether it was watching Kent play football at Moorhead State, watching both college and professional football, or his many trips to the State B Boys Basketball Tournaments. Another favorite pastime of Donnie’s was watching Billy Graham and listening to Paul Harvey’s ‘The Rest of the Story.’ However, one of his favorite things to do was attending the South Dakota State Fair spending the week enjoying the festivities, looking at new farm equipment, visiting with fellow campers, and watching his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in 4-H activities.

Grateful for having shared Donnie’s life are his wife, Norma; son, Kent (Nora) of Miller, SD, grandson, Nick (deceased), with great-grandchildren Croix and Cannon (Kyrstin); grandson, Barry (Jill) of Ree Heights, SD with great-grandchildren, Brigham and Emersyn; daughter, Karen (Mike) of Aberdeen, SD and grandson, Kevin (Britni) of Canyon Lake, TX with great-grandchildren: Joseph, Jacob, John, and Adeline; granddaughter, Kristen (Carson) of Missoula, MT with great-grandson, Amos; daughter, Janet (Steve, deceased) of Fordyce, NE, grandson, Garrett (Hailey) of Omaha, NE with great-grandchildren, Lucy and Georgia; granddaughter, Ashley (Tanner) of Fordyce, NE with great-grandson, Kayson and granddaughter, Lauren of Lincoln, NE. 

Don was preceded in death by his parents, Emil and Emma Reimann; siblings: Ruth, Gottfried, Eldora, Gertrude, Irene, Esther, Marie, and baby brother, Elton; grandson, Nicolas Reimann; son-in-law, Steve Heine; and many other relatives and friends.

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