PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF SERVICE DATE!



Mass of Christian Burial for Marvin J. Baumeister, age 80, of Watauga, SD, will be held at 11:00 a.m. on SATURDAY , March 10 , 2018 at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Watauga, SD, with Fr. Tony Grossenburg, officiating. Burial with full military honors will follow in the St. Michael's Cemetery in Watauga.



Visitation will be on FRIDAY , March 9 , 2018 from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. followed by a rosary service at 7:00 p.m. all at the Evanson Jensen Funeral Home in Lemmon.

Marvin J Baumeister was born in McIntosh, SD on March 28, 1937 and passed quietly from this earth on February 28th, 2018 at the Five Counties Nursing Home in Lemmon SD. He was the third child born to Martin and Violet (Denton) Baumeister. He grew up on the family farm south of Watauga and attended Prairie View School and Lemmon High School. Although he dropped out of school, he later earned his GED and received an honorary diploma from Lemmon High School. At an early age, he was working with his hands alongside his father, brother and neighbors, working with cattle, sheep, horses and machinery. He was a man of many trades: herding and lambing sheep, breaking horses, calving, repairing equipment, truck driving, well drilling and sheering sheep.

Marvin served in the 206th Signal Corp of the US Army as a 9 fingered communications operator. Part of his tour was spent on Eniwetok Island in the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. He married Beatrice Goeres on July 15, 1959 in St. Mary's Church in Lemmon, where they lived when he worked at Stock's Electric with Don Even for a short time. Marvin took employment with Francis and Donna Bohnenkamp in 1960. He was working there during the 3-day March Blizzard in 1966. Of the 800 yearlings they were running, they lost 138 head. It was an event he never forgot.

In 1961, Marvin was recalled to the Army Reserve, and reported to Fort Riley Kansas for one year. Marvin and Bea returned from Kansas with 2 kids and all of their possessions in a Volkswagen Beetle and a one-wheeled trailer.
In 1966, Marvin and Bea rented the Roy Webb place one mile from where Marvin grew up, which they purchased in 1968. The farm was a local landmark with the big red barn on top of a hill. They raised sheep, cattle, hogs, and kids, producing a lively pack of 8 children. Their oldest child attended Prairie View School, just like her Dad, for a couple of years, until it was closed.

Marvin served on the Prairie View Township Board for many years, was a lifelong member of St. Michael's Catholic Church, and a member of McIntosh American Legion Post #139 for over 27 years.

He earned his CB handle of Night Owl, farming at all hours. He could do anything he decided to do. Despite limited education, he gained a wealth of knowledge and skills. He was an accomplished horseman, mechanic, farmer, Army plumber, electrician, machinist, carpenter, story teller and pilot. Besides coyotes, he battled badgers, rattlesnakes, cattle, pigs, Shetland ponies, doctors and lungs that, later in life, would prevent him from doing the things he enjoyed. Besides flying, he loved farming with his John Deere tractors, ice cream, a good story, a well-trained dog, a clever prank, fireworks, traveling, teasing grandkids, and watching rodeos, especially bull riding. He took great pride in completing his planting in time for the Miles City Bucking Horse Sale and being done with haying by the 4th of July. He taught his children by example including the rewards of hard work, the advantage of a bigger hammer, the necessity of sticking out your tongue to improve concentration, the ability to "make it work", the thrill of a wild plane ride, the disadvantages of driving two tractors at the same time, the wisdom of not believing everything you hear, and the right to embellish a story. His grandchildren learned that Grandpa lost his finger about 99 different ways and you can have candy for breakfast. Grandpa also had a reputation of running over Santa Clause and shooting the Easter Bunny every year.

Grateful for having shared his life are his wife of 58 years, Bea, his 8 knot-headed children, Nita (Robert) O'Donnell of Keldron SD, Harley (Kay) Baumeister of Hutchinson MN, Cheryl (Dean) Birkeland of Bloomington MN, Karin (Ross) Parker of Colorado Springs CO, Susann Baker of Yankton SD, Nancy Shea of Sioux Falls SD, Dale (Terri) Baumeister of Watauga SD, and Janet (Jason) Dahlerup of Mission Hill SD, 23 grandchildren; Julie, Kelly, Jennifer, Stacy, Carissa, Trent, Erica, Andrea, Jonathan, Matthew, Nathan, Tristin, Shadron, Shiann, Tayden, Amanda, Steven, Jordan, Megan, Brandi, Hunter, Colton, and Chase, as well as 5 great grandchildren; Kaden, Alex, Barrett, Abigail and Kayden. He is survived by his brother Tom Baumeister of Lemmon SD, Anna (Jim) Dempsey of California, Pat (Glen) Hupp of Hot Springs SD and his brother-in-law Joe Peters of Watauga SD, and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Rosie Peters, and sister-in-law Leverene Baumeister, and several nieces and nephews.

A memorial has been established.