Date : 25 Nov 2016
Location : St. Marys Cemetery, Watertown, SD
LaVerne C. Rueschenberg, age 90, of Watertown, SD, peacefully entered Heaven on Friday, November 20, 2015, at a care center in Watertown. A funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 25, 2015, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Kranzburg, SD. The celebrant will be Fr. Ken Koster. Music will be provided by Eileen Lindner as organist with Erica Rorvik and Neal Mack as vocalists. The family is requested to meet at the church on Wednesday by 10:00 a.m. for a prayer service.
Visitation will be held at the church on Tuesday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. Scripture Wake service followed by a Knights of Columbus Rosary. Visitation will continue on Wednesday prior to services at the church.
Burial will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Watertown. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Knights of Columbus, the Kranzburg Card Club and the Goodwin-Bemis Sr. Citizens. Active pallbearers will be LaVerne’s grandchildren: Mike and Steven Rueschenberg, David and Daniel Rorvik, Christopher Evjen, Jacob Rueschenberg, Erica Rorvik, Rebecca Evjen and Megan Box.
LaVerne was born on January 6, 1925, to Joseph and Ida Bertha (Liebig) on the family farm near Frankfort, SD. His early education was at a Spink County school. He entered high school at Frankfort and graduated from Watertown High School with the class of 1944. LaVerne was inducted into the U.S. Army in October of 1950 and received a medical discharge in December of 1950.
On June 9, 1951, LaVerne married Helen Richter at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Kranzburg. The couple lived and farmed north of Kranzburg until 1953 when they moved to the farm where they resided until 2013. At that time they moved to Benet Place in Watertown. In addition to farming, LaVerne did custom baling, combining and corn picking. He worked at the Watertown Co-op Elevator for 13 years and then at Telelect for 13 years retiring in 1990.
He was a member of Holy Rosary Catholic Church, the Catholic Order of Foresters and he was a 4th Degree member of the Knights of Columbus. LaVerne was also a member of Codington County Post #17 of the American Legion of Watertown, the Goodwin-Bemis Senior Citizens and the Kranzburg Card Club. LaVerne enjoyed working on motors and did overhaul jobs for neighbors. He restored several antique Allis-Chalmers tractors. He enjoyed playing Solitaire, putting puzzles together and was an avid NASCAR racing fan. He was always happy to see his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and loved giving golf cart rides and playing games and cards.
LaVerne is survived by Helen, his wife of 64 years, of Watertown; five children: Steven (Susan) Rueschenberg of Burkburnett, TX, Pamela (Darnell Albers) Rorvik-Albers of Flandreau, SD, Lou Ann (James) Clancy of Anaheim, CA, and Susan (Greg) Brandsrud of Watertown; one daughter-in-law, Juli Rueschenberg, of Wagner, SD; nine grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; six step-grandchildren; eight step-great-grandchildren; one sister, Bernadine Moorhouse, of Sioux Falls, SD; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by one son, Patrick; one son-in-law, Andrew Rorvik; one great-granddaughter, Aurora; one great-grandson, Braxton; his parents; four brothers: Casper, Jerome, Eldon and Bernard; and four sisters: Leona, Mary, Vera and Marny.
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