The funeral service for Douglas Perry, 57, of Statesville, N.C., formerly of Cresbard, S.D., will be 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 10, 2013, at Cresbard United Methodist Church, Pastor Julie Nygaard officiating. Burial following at Cresbard Cemetery.
Douglas died Saturday, Aug. 3, in Statesville.
Visitation is from 1 to 7 p.m., with family present from 5 to 7 p.m. and a prayer service at 7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 9, at Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home, 1111 S. Main St., Aberdeen.
Douglas Perry was born on Oct. 26, 1955, in Des Moines, Iowa, to Merle and Virginia (Weyand) Perry. Shortly after his birth, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The family moved to South Dakota in 1964 and he attended school at Cresbard, graduating from Cresbard High School. After graduation, he worked for the state of South Dakota as a filing clerk. He carried Aberdeen papers for years. Later he moved to Sioux Falls, where he worked for the city and delivered papers. He later moved to Statesville, N.C., to be by his brother and have warmer weather. He got a job with the state rest stops. While in South Dakota, he had many falls with icy conditions and crushed a vertebrae in his neck. Doug had three surgeries for it, but none were successful. After his third surgery he became paralyzed on the right side. He has been in total care since then by his brother Merlyn's wife and the rest of the family.
Doug is a member of the New Salem Methodist Church in Statesville, N.C. He loved watching sports and was an avid Minnesota Twins and Green Bay Packers fan.
Grateful for having shared Doug's life are his parents, Merle and Virginia Perry, Aberdeen; his brothers, David Perry and Teresa, Rapid City, S.D., Dean Perry and Anna of Mina, S.D., Merlyn Perry and Shelly of Statesville, N.C.; and five nieces and nephews.
Doug was preceded in death by his grandparents, Vivian and Adolph Weyand and Dorothy and Mason Perry.
The family prefers memorials to Easter Seal Center or the Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation, 7575 West Winds Blvd NW Suite C, Concord, NC 28078 or jeffgordonchildrensfoundation.org
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