Mina: The funeral service for Don Malsom, 66, of Mina will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 18, 2013, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 1620 Milwaukee Ave. N.E., in Aberdeen, with Pastor Kevin Bergeson officiating.
Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Aberdeen.
Schriver's Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, 414 Fifth Ave. N.W., in Aberdeen is in charge of arrangements.
Friends may sign his online guestbook at schriversmemorial.com.
Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, at the mortuary, with a public prayer service being held at 6 p.m. Visitation will continue for one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to either Avera North Plains Hospice in Aberdeen or Prairie Guest House of Sioux Falls.
Don passed away Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013, at his home, surrounded by his family, following a courageous battle with cancer. Blessed be his memory.
Don Malsom was born June 12, 1946, to Mike and Katherine (Herzog) Malsom in Aberdeen. He grew up on the family farm northeast of Ipswich, and attended school in Ipswich.
Don graduated with honors with the Class of 1964. Upon graduating from high school, he worked on the family farm and at the National Tea Store in Aberdeen to earn money to put himself through college. He furthered his education at Northern State College in Aberdeen, where he earned his bachelor's degree in math education in 1968, and his master's degree in 1972. Don began his teaching career as a junior and senior high math instructor in Milbank in 1967. It was there that he met, and was united in marriage to, Jenny Kaiser, from Big Stone City, on Nov. 27, 1971. In January 1973, their son, Steve, was born at the Ortonville, Minn., hospital. In May of that same year, Don resigned from his teaching position and purchased his own farm from Wendelin and Betty Malsom, and the family moved to their present farm at Mina. Don began his career in agriculture as a grain and dairy farmer in the spring of 1973, whereupon the family was blessed with three little milkmaids/daughters. He was a dairy farmer for over 30 years, and when the dairy was sold, he started his beloved beef herd. Don didn't like the dairy cows as much as he did his beef herd, and he visited with them quite often. His son, Steve, later joined in helping with the beef herd, and Don remained active on the farm until the fall of 2012.
His love of agriculture and farming led him to serve as a faithful treasurer of the Cortlandt Township Board for over 30 years.
Don was a kind and gracious man and was always the first to help a neighbor or friend. If a stranger came in the middle of the night, he couldn't leave without warm blankets for the evening and three meals the next day before he departed. Don lived by the Golden Rule, which was as important to him as any vow he ever made. His daughter often mentioned that she learned more from her Dad about how to treat people than from anyone else.
Don was born into a gifted and musical family. At a young age, he started playing piano by ear and continued through the years playing piano, his Wurlitzer organ, keyboard accordion and accordavox. Don played in the church choirs at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Aberdeen and St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Milbank. He also played for many years in the Rempher family band.
Don's greatest desire yet was to learn to play the button accordion, but his heavenly home called first.
Blessed to have shared Don's life are his wife of 41 years, Jenny Malsom of Mina; his son, Steve (Nancy) Malsom and their children: MacKenzie, Lane, and Justice Malsom; his daughters: Chelle (Richard) Mikkelsen, and their children: Chance Torrence and Alec Mikkelsen, Kristi (Gabe) Dutenhoeffer, and their children: Talan and Mason Dutenhoeffer, and Beth (Nathan) Locken, and their daughter, Emma Grobe; his mother, Katherine Malsom of Mina; two sisters: Patty (Charlie) Unser of Aberdeen and Mary Ann (Mark) Volk of Ipswich; two brothers: Paul (Julie) Malsom of Mina and Larry (Anita) Malsom of Aberdeen; and many nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his father, Mike Malsom; his maternal and paternal grandparents; and one son-in-law, Justin Torrence.
May God grant eternal rest.