Owen Wiese, age 95, of Garretson, died on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, at the Palisade Healthcare Community in Garretson. Funeral services will begin at 10:30 AM Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at Zion Lutheran Church in Garretson. Interment will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 4:30-7:00 PM Tuesday, at the Minnehaha Funeral Home, Garretson.
Owen was born on July 12, 1929, at the DeVal Hospital on 3rd St in Garretson. His mother always said that it was the hottest day of the summer. His parents were R. P. and Ella (Erickson) Wiese. Owen attended elementary school at various locations because of his father’s military movements. He graduated from Garretson High School in 1947. He attended the US Coast Guard Academy for one year. He then transferred to the University of Missouri. He graduated from there in 1951. He had taken ROTC and was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. of Artillery. After taking the Officers Basic Course, he was called to active duty in the Korean War. He served in the 12th FA Bn, 2nd Inf. Div. He was awarded the Korean War Service Medal with three Battle Stars.
On September 19, 1953, Owen and Lois Jaquays were married in East Lansing, Michigan. They celebrated their 70th Wedding Anniversary on September 19, 2023.
After serving in Korea, Owen transferred to the Army Reserve in which he served until 1981. He retired as a Colonel and was awarded the Legion of Merit.
Owen farmed in the Garretson area until 1999. During all those years he was very active in Garretson community activities, belonging to several community organizations as well as county and state organizations. Owen was instrumental in the development of the River Ridge Golf Course in Garretson. He was a life member of the American Legion Post No 23 since 1953 and served in all offices. In recent years he wrote articles for the Garretson Gazette. He was also a member of Mensa since 1983.
Owen was preceded in death by his parents, R.P. and Ella Wiese, sister Anne Dunsford, her husband Jack and nephews David Dunsford and David Lund, niece, Jennell Jaquays, father-in-law and mother-in-law, Glenn and Mabel Jaquays, and brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Bill and Janet Jaquays.
He is survived by his wife Lois; daughters Kaie Wise, Suzanne Hayes, Jean (Mike) McPadden; three grandchildren, Erin (Reed) Petersek, Meg McPadden, and Sean (Jennifer Dryden) McPadden; and five great grandchildren, Owen, Sam, Raya, Lex, and Rollie Petersek; special friends Mary Beth Powell Wiesner and her family; and many other nieces, nephews and other family and friends.
In lieu of flowers it is suggested that donations be made to the Garretson Community Scholarship Foundation, or the South Dakota Legion Foundation, PO Box 67, Watertown, SD 57201. www.minnehahafuneralhome.com
Editor’s Note:
Since I took over first management and then ownership of this newspaper, Owen was on the short list of our biggest community friends and supporters. I’ve lost count of the number of story tips and ideas he brought to the Gazette office. Most times, when he wanted something written about a particular thing or person, he didn’t wait for me to go and write it. He handed me the story he’d written about it, usually after he and Lois made sure it was exactly the quality of work he wanted for print. He did this so often, and his articles were so well received that I told him he basically had a free pass to write whatever he wanted whenever he wanted to, and it would go straight to print. Not a privilege I give out readily to say the least. He never disappointed, and his articles sold papers, that’s for sure! He was a passionate and driven man whom I both liked well and respected deeply, whom I believe leaves a great legacy in this community.
Bless you Owen. Though I’ve said it to you in person before now, I wanted to say it again where everybody can see it. We’ll miss you, until we meet again. Tell our former proofreader and your fellow Legionnaire Tara I said hello, will you? She always got a kick out of reading your articles. Always made her day, and mine and Carrie’s as well.
Everyone should have somebody like Owen in their lives.
