Mass of Christian Burial for John O'Donnell, age 96, of Keldron, SD, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, August 9, 2013 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Morristown, SD. Fr. Tony Grossenburg and Deacon Grant Gerlach will officiate with burial to follow in the Hillside Cemetery at Morristown.

John Joseph O'Donnell was born September 16, 1916 in Custer Township, Corson County, South Dakota. The third child of Francis E. and Anna Emma (Davis) O'Donnell, he was raised on his grandfather's homestead seven miles south of Morristown. This became the family home when his grandfather returned to Madison, SD to attend to other business and family matters.

John attended elementary school at the Morgan School one mile west of their home. He graduated from Morristown High School in 1935. He worked for Matt Goeres and John Maher and his cousin Dan Winter. In 1936 he joined the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC's) thinning trees in the Black Hills near Rochford and then building the Sand Lake Waterfowl Refuge near Columbia, SD.

He returned to the Morristown area where he was a sheep herder for Dan Winter and Charlie Duncan. He helped with the family farm for several years before he bought his first parcel of land that he farmed with a Model ""B"" and Model ""D"" John Deere tractors.

It was during this time he courted and married the love of his life Evelyn Miller, daughter of local veterinarian ""Doc"" and Mabel Miller, Sept 29, 1945. The new couple made their home in Morristown where he worked as a rural mail carrier and continued farming until the fall of 1949. It was then they moved to Keldron to the Asa and Effie Kempton farm, renting until he purchased the farm in 1961. He raised registered Shorthorn cattle in addition to small grain farming. The family grew during these years adding sons Dennis in 1946, Steven in 1950, daughter Jeanine in 1951 and son Tracy in 1961.

John was a lifelong member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Morristown. He joined the Knights of Columbus rising to Fourth Degree Knight. An avid civic participant, he was a member of the Morristown School Board, clerk of Custer Township and was elected to the Lemmon School Board serving during the years of consolidation within that district.

Incorporating his enterprise in the seventies, he began turning over the operation to his two eldest sons then began an active retirement taking up golfing, traveling and dabbling in painting with his wife. They traveled together visiting many states and family members including a trip to England and Ireland. John enjoyed music, dancing, playing cards, reading, politics and verbal jousting with his grandchildren. He and his wife enjoyed driving in the country looking at the crops and livestock continuing with these activities until he entered Five Counties Nursing Home in July of 2012.


John passed away on Friday, August 2, 2013 at the Five Counties Nursing Home in Lemmon, SD.

He is survived by his wife, Evelyn O'Donnell, Lemmon, SD; three sons, Dennis (Fran) O'Donnell, Morristown, SD, Steven (Linda) O'Donnell, Keldron, SD and Tracy (Shari) O'Donnell, Mesa, AZ; one daughter, Jeanine (David) Gerlach, Rapid City, SD; 11 grandchildren; 14 great grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; one sister-in-law, Martha O'Donnell, Spearfish, SD; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

John was preceded in death by his parents; four brothers, Francis, Vincent, Paul and Mark O'Donnell; two sisters, Agnes Goeres and Mary McNerney; and one great grandchild, Presley Frank.

Visitation will be on Thursday, August 8, 2013 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. followed by a rosary/vigil service at 7:00 p.m. all at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Morristown.

A memorial has been established.