Lawrence Feldhaus

HOWARD, S.D. - Lawrence W. Feldhaus, 90, of Howard, S.D., died Sunday, April 6, 2003, at his home in Howard.

Services are 2 p.m. Wednesday at the St. Agatha Catholic Church in Howard with the Revs. Michael Schneider and Bob Krantz officiating. Burial will be in the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Howard.

Visitation will be 10 a.m.-5 p.m. today at the Willoughby Funeral Home in Howard and will resume at 6 p.m. with a scripture service at 7 p.m. at the church. Visitation will continue Wednesday from 9 a.m.-noon at the funeral home and one hour prior to services at the church.

Mr. Feldhaus was born Oct. 18, 1912, to Theodre and Magdelen (Neises) Feldhaus, in the family home near Winfred, S.D. He drove a horse and buggy to attend a country school two and a half miles from his home.

He married Evelyn Tessman on Oct. 18, 1939, in Roswell, S.D. He farmed and did trucking for some years. In 1943, he started a combine business with a self-propelled combine. He had crews in Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and North Dakota, and utilized an airplane to check on the progress of these crews.

He raised purebred Herefords and was part of a group of farmers from the area who combined to have registered Hereford sales, which continued until 1979. He also sold seed corn for many years.

He was a member of the church, a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus at Madison, the Right to Life, and a board member of the Farmers Union for 31 years. After retiring and moving into Howard he started golfing. On his 85th birthday, he made a hole-in-one.

Survivors include six daughters, Kay (Dennis) Miller of Columbus, Virginia (Robert) Pierret of Madison, Wis., Carol (Robert) Brutty of Brookings, S.D., Darlene (Dick) Leith of Henderson, Ky., Lois (Bill) Hansen of Eagle River, Ark., and Brenda (Jim) Fox of Aberdeen, S.D.; four sons, Leon (Kathy) Feldhaus of Sioux Falls, S.D., Don (MaryAnn) Feldhaus of Winfred, S.D., Tom (Nancy) Feldhaus of Howard, S.D., and Jim (Marty) Feldhaus of Columbus; two brothers, Ray (Jo Ann) Feldhaus and Leo (Leona) Feldhaus, all of Howard; three sisters, Lillian Briggs of Milwaukee, Mildred Willoughby and Marie Antoine, both of Mitchell, S.D.; 27 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; and six brothers and sisters.