A Celebration of the Lives of Clarence and Dorothy Plocek will be held at 10:30 a.m. MDT, on Saturday, June 27, 2009 at the New Hope Worship Center in Lemmon.


CLARENCE FRANK PLOCEK was born during a blizzard on January 20, 1907 at Bangor, SD in Walworth County, near Selby. He was the fourth of six children born to Frank and Minnie (Hagedorn) Plocek. He attended Comstock School through the sixth grade. Although he loved school, he had to help with the farm work at home. His mother died during his school years when Clarence was ten years old. His father remarried a mail order bride, Josie Prochazkova, from Czechoslovakia. Two children Charles and Mary were born to this union. Clarence established a place a half mile east of his parents'.


DOROTHY FRIED was born March 1, 1914 near Bison, SD. She was the second of twelve children born to Christ and Emelia (Ackerman) Fried. She attended the Hooker School through the eighth grade which she enjoyed. Because she was the oldest child, she had to help with the farm and ranch work. In the mid 1930, she began doing domestic work for Pete and Martha Sittner who lived north of Thunder Hawk. This is where Clarence and Dorothy met.


Clarence and Dorothy were united in marriage during the depression years on May 16, 1937 at the German Baptist Church in Bison. They moved onto Clarence's place southwest of Thunder Hawk. Clarence, Dorothy, and Otto Frerking starting digging the basement for their home by hand on a hill where there were rocks. They temporarily lived in a sheep wagon until the house was partially finished. During this time, they had sheep and cattle, and cows to milk. He didn't have pets, he had a special team of horses that he used for haying. Five children were born to this union, David, Betty, Joyce, Dorothy, and Mary Lou.


She worked various jobs and helped in her community. Dorothy worked in Lemmon at Five Counties Nursing Home & Hospital as an Activity Director. She was active in Ladies Aid at the Church of God where she and Clarence were members.


During their lifetime, they enjoyed traveling to visit family in Germany, Canada, Texas, Connecticut, Mexico, and along the eastern coast. They loved the sea shore.


After selling the farm, they lived in Lemmon for a short time before moving to Spearfish. They lived there for 29 years, spending 20 years in their home along Spearfish Creek. Due to their failing health, they moved to an assisted living facility in Spearfish where they lived for 25 months. They wanted to come back home to Lemmon, so on July 1, 2000, they moved into Five Counties Nursing Home. On November 3, 2005, they moved to the Good Samaritan Nursing Center in Mott, ND. They were both blessed to have the opportunity to live and die in that care center surrounded by love and excellent care.


Clarence was given a plaque for flying the flag everyday while they lived in their home on Spearfish Creek. The flag was very special to him. After moving to Spearfish, Dorothy did various job and volunteered with planting flowers for the City of Spearfish and was active with the Spearfish Senior Citizens. Dorothy and Clarence loved games of all sorts, but especially loved to play Scrabble. She belonged to different Scrabble groups while living in Spearfish. After Clarence's eyesight began to fail, she would help him while playing for herself. They enjoyed this game many times throughout the day.


Clarence passed from this life on Saturday, August 23, 2008 at the age of 101 years, 7 months, 3 days. Dorothy passed from this life on Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at the age of 94 years, 10 months, and 6 days. Clarence and Dorothy both passed from this life at the Good Samaritan Nursing Center in Mott. Clarence's cremains were laid to rest with his wife in Greenhill Cemetery in Lemmon.


Keeping Clarence and Dorothy in there fondest memories are there one son, David Plocek, Thunder Hawk, SD; four daughters, Betty (Marvin) Haase, Lemmon, SD; Joyce (Mike) Burk, Dallas, TX; Dorothy "Dottie" (Dennis) Neuharth, Mary Lou Ray, all of Summerfield, FL.
Twelve grandchildren, Jeff (Mary) Haase, Lemmon, SD, Jeralyn (Darrel) Keopal, Redondo Beach, CA, Greg (Kelly) Haase, Minot, ND, JaRae (Doug) Faul, Bismarck, ND, Darin Scott (Michele) Haase, Lemmon, SD, Jodi Friedel, Spearfish, SD, Jill Neuharth, Satelite Beach, FL, Dr. Kristen (Dave Scotti) Neuharth, Tolland, CT, Matthew (Jessica) Burk, Dallas, TX, Todd (Kimberly) Burk, Grove, OK, Roger (Michelle) Burk, Dallas, TX, Angela Burk, Kansas City, KS; seventeen great grandchildren, Amber (Jeremy) Muth, Rapid City, SD, Brittney Haase, Bismarck, ND, Brant Haase, Lemmon, SD, Courtney Haase, Minot, ND, Zane Haase, Lemmon, SD, Caulen Haase, Minot, ND, Brady Faul, Bryce Faul, both of Bismarck, ND, and Avery Haase, Lemmon, SD, Kristen Gronvall, in Sweden, Sarah, Laura, and Will Burk, Grove, OK; Averi and Rylee Burk, Dallas, TX, Christopher Burk, Dallas, TX, Maddie and George Scotti, Tolland, CT; one great great granddaughter, Macy Jae Muth, Rapid City, SD.


Clarence is also survived by one brother, Charles Plocek, Spearfish, SD, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his step-mother, six sisters, Lillian Peterson, Blanche Underwood, Mildred Fish, Ann Ogren, Beulah Frerking, and Mary Patterson, and one son-in-law, David Ray.


Dorothy is also survived by two brothers and two sisters-in-law, Berthold and Mildred Fried, Sturgis, SD, Herbert and Donna Fried, Shadehill, SD, three sisters and two brothers-in-law, Ruth (Ken) Friez, Glendale, AZ, Bertha Cooper, Bison, SD, Lillian and Robert Bohnet, Bismarck, ND, two sisters-in-law, Helen Fried, Selfridge, ND, and Mary Ellen Fried, Meadow, SD, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters, Christina Fried and Betty Hoff, four brothers, Albert and Ted Fried (both passed away shortly after Dorothy's death), and two brothers in infancy, and one son-in-law, David Ray.

A memorial has been established to the Good Samaritan Nursing Center in Mott.