David Herrick

David Mons Herrick died peacefully with his loving wife of 64 years by his side. He is survived by his wife, Gwen; two daughters, Dawn (Don) of North Oaks, MN and Dana of Sausalito, CA; two grandsons, Jake (Chloe) and Oskar (Taylor) of the Twin Cities; and great granddaughter, Teddi. He was preceded in death by his siblings, Duane and Diane. 

Dave was a retired Axtell Park science teacher, artist, inventor, creator, builder, bird lover, and keen observer. He was well known for his booming laugh and love of teasing. He took great pride in keeping his property and vehicles impeccably maintained.

His family wishes to thank all of his caretakers, including hospital and hospice staff, and their thoughtful neighbors. You all made a difference in allowing him to be in the comfort of his own home until the very end. We are grateful.

A celebration of his life will be held at Heritage Funeral Home on March 15, 2025, at 3 pm. All are welcome to attend. 

If you wish to make a donation in his name, please consider these organizations. Both were very dear to him.

Lone Rock Historical Church or Lone Rock Historical Cemetery

℅ Marian Horr, Council Member

1707 Carter Place

Sioux Falls, SD 57105

Audubon 

https://act.audubon.org/a/donate

Eulogy for David Herrick: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1T2Gh6KdokWqy0ZUXliBIxqeb1vVLZ6X7Xw2lOFRaDYY/edit?usp=sharing

This part of the circle of life is never easy. Thank you for being with us today, both in person and streaming from afar, to celebrate the life of David Herrick.  Dad was deeply moved when Tom Jeschke, his friend of many years, called with the news that he had been given a terminal diagnosis. Tom called to thank him for his friendship and to reminisce about the good times they had shared with each other.  He also planned one of the most uplifting funerals my dad had attended. When Dad was given his terminal diagnosis, he shared that he would like his funeral to be an uplifting celebration of life as well.

So today we celebrate Dave the husband, the father, the grandfather, the relative, the friend, the neighbor, and the artist. You are all here today because he touched your lives in some way. Dad always had a deep connection to his family and often helped his older aunts and uncles with their transitions when aging. I think of the beautiful shelf he made his Aunt Arlene so that she could display her family photos in her new apartment, or of him finding the Jazzy Pride, an electric wheelchair, for his Uncle Bob. In recent years neighbors could see Dad spraying weeds in his driveway on the Jazzy Pride, giving his knees a well-deserved break.

I admire how Dad stayed in touch with his relatives and friends. He and Mom enjoyed getting invited to the next generation of weddings and enjoyed taking a drive and stopping to see family and friends or having them stop by for a visit.  Honoring the traditions, people and places from past times was important to Dad. He created a beautiful wall of photos to remind him of the connections of family. He has supported the maintenance of Lone Rock Historical Church and Cemetery and enjoyed the lutefisk gatherings and the summer church service that is held there each year in July.  In these last weeks he said to me, “That little church just touches my heart.”

He enjoyed visits to the east and west coasts to see Dana and up to the Twin Cities to see our family. In the final slideshow you will be able to guess which photo shows them after they took care of our boys for a weekend. They were quite active. He had fun making them wooden toys and playing bocce ball, bolo, and Up and Down the River with them as they grew older.

Neighbors were important to Dad. When we lived on 8th Street, he got to know his older neighbors, Susie, Mel, and the Aunes and often helped them with various projects. Building relationships with neighbors continued when he moved to their acreage. He often kept abreast of what was going on in the Renner Township and made sure his neighbors were informed as well. He talked fondly of his neighbors and over the years I heard many stories of how they did various things to help each other. The bonds he made with neighbors continued even when some moved away. He always enjoyed keeping in touch with Mike and Sheila Miller and Helen and Lee Peterson after their moves. As dad’s health declined, his neighbors have been so supportive, helpful and kind, and for this we are eternally grateful. You are a wonderful group of people.

When Dad and Mom began teaching, much of the staff at Axtell Park Junior High School was their age. They developed close friendships with many of their teaching partners and Dana and I have fond memories of the times we spent water skiing and swimming at Brandt Lake during summers with the Tschetters and the Paulsens and remember the long hot drives in the van to the Des Moines area to spend time with the Jeschkes and the Stordahls after they moved. They played a lot of cards and there was always a lot of laughter. One memory that Mom has recounted with laughter is when she pushed the big Baruna off the dock on their first launching and forgot to get on the boat. She said the incredulous look that he gave her was priceless.

Dad and Mom also kept in touch with high school and college friends, as well as their siblings and their families. Many fun times were had with these gatherings as well. Their friendships with Glenn and LaDonna Gravelle and Dale and Nadine Larson stood the test of time as you heard from Glenn. Dale shared his love of fishing and Glen shared a love of photography and nature.

You can’t talk about Dad without remembering his frugality. Being frugal did not seem to be a hardship for him. It was part of his DNA. He got great joy from making something instead of buying it and from “going on the hunt” for something at the Thrift or Habitat Stores. Many a part for the trailers, leaf vacuum, and various other contraptions he created came from Pitts, the metal scrap yard in town. They would even pull things aside for that they thought he might like. It was a sad day when they closed. Don and I have a standing joke we have shared over the years when we are amazed by an act of frugality that just wasn’t in our genes. Don says, “Reason number 154 why they retired at 54 and have enjoyed all of these years of retirement and we are still working.”

As many of you know, Dad was a talented artist and craftsman. In high school and college, he painted. Dana and I each have favorite paintings we enjoy. From designing and building his home, to creating the beautiful stained-glass heron that graces their entryway, to decorating special birthday cakes for Dana and I every year when we were young, Dad enjoyed expressing his creativity by creating things that were both functional and beautiful. When we were young, he made Dana and I a beautiful small table and chairs, a kitchen cupboard complete with cup hooks, and a wooden toy box. Our new little great grandchildren will be enjoying this cupboard and toybox for many years to come.

He also had a soft spot for beautiful art when thrifting. He deeply appreciated the beauty of a well-crafted wooden burl bowl or a hand carved leather bag. He could see the ‘diamond in the rough,’ and would spend hours cleaning up and exposing the beauty he had seen underneath a hideous layer of paint. Beautiful wood carvings of birds brought him great joy as well. He appreciated the carvings that graced their fireplace wall every day.  

You can’t talk about Dad without talking about Mom. Their love was deep, and they were blessed with over 64 years together. They combined their creativity and talents to do so much together. Dad designed and created the conversions to turn their Econoline van into a camper and Mom used her sewing skills to make the cushions and curtains. (As many of you know, he kept his vehicles pristine, and I think he sold it for what he paid for it  25 years later. ) Dad painstakingly repainted the Baruna, the small cabin cruiser we used for summer play, and Mom again used her sewing skills to remake all the cushions and to make curtains. There was almost always some sort of a home remodeling project in the works on 8th street, and they so enjoyed the process of building their home north of town. They were blessed with 30 years of retirement together, taking care of their acreage, gardening, and keeping in touch with family and friends.

I want to leave you with some images from a life well lived set to one of my favorite songs to listen to when I need to reset. As you see the images of a life well lived, may you celebrate the blessings in your lives, and take the time to give the ones you love a great big hug. Thank you so much for sharing this time with us today.

Link to David Herrick Slide Show

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pHRO0iFpB37LN5OdN0pPqA5NJ_SbjSBV7tr54n5YN3k/edit

Link to David Herrick's Movie:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17dfjn2Xv8WPUSi9oFU_wdFTexOaYRdO4/view?usp=sharing

Link to David Herrick's Spotify playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7yuDNS5MWy6ottlJw4CNDk?si=0YCkgHKMRsWVrsCCxcPeng&pi=79TWjbq7QjmOS