Bowdle: The funeral service for Henry Huft, 82, and his wife, Donnis M. Huft, 77, of Bowdle will be 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012, at Zion Lutheran Church in Eureka. The Rev. Ryan Gage will lead the worship service.
There will be no visitation.
Burial will be at a later date at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis.
Henry was born May 23, 1930, to Jacob and Johanna (Wald) Huft on a farm northwest of Bowdle. He attended country school and then worked on the family farm. He joined the U.S. Marine Corp on Jan. 11, 1952. He served overseas during the Korean War and was wounded in battle. Henry was honorably discharged in 1953.
Donnis was born Jan. 22, 1935, to Frederick and Louise (Maier) Miller in Selby. She attended country school for a short time and then Selby Public School. Following her education, she worked at a hotel in Selby and for area families.
The two were united in marriage on March 22, 1953. They made their first home in California, where Henry attended Barber College. They returned to South Dakota and eventually settled in Bowdle. Over the years, Henry worked many different jobs, from yard and garden work to over-the-road trucking and even road construction. Donnis worked for many years at Kramer Red Owl, where she helped with a little of everything, and also had been employed at the Bowdle Hospital.
The two of them loved to travel and were often on the go. They had spent many winters in the south and summers camping and fishing around the area. They loved to go to area dances and to play cards with friends and family. They enjoyed any chance to visit with friends along their journeys.
Even though they did almost everything together and wouldn't often be seen apart, they each were involved in a personal way with separate interests. Henry was a longtime member of the American Legion while Donnis enjoyed being a part of the church ladies auxiliary. Each of them also had their own hobbies, although those hobbies often intertwined. While Donnis would spend hours baking and gardening, Henry could be found tinkering on projects.
Henry and Donnis died together in a traffic accident near Ipswich on Friday, Dec. 7, 2012.
They are survived by their children: Carol (Dane) Aldinger of Gillette, Wyo., Michael (Jan) Huft of Brandon, Cynthia (Pat) Gab of Eureka, Gregory (Therese Lerew) Huft of Aberdeen, Debra (Pat) Mehlhaff of Eureka and Kristin (George) Wester of Pierre; 14 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
They are also survived by Henry's brothers and sisters: Philip Huft of Roscoe, Helen Bieber of Mobridge, Josephine Schmidtgall of Mobridge and Tillie Eisenbeisz of Aberdeen; Donnis' sisters: Janice (Ray) Sandmeier of Mobridge, Joyce (Bob) VanOrman of Mobridge and Judy (Fred) Badury of Davenport, Iowa; as well as many nieces and nephews.
They were preceded in death by their parents; Donnis' brother, Palmer; Henry's brothers: Adam, David and Jacob; and his sister, Mary Sandmeier.
Services with Gramm Funeral Home of Ipswich.
grammfuneralhome.com