Earl T. Halfaday Jr.

Earl T. Halfaday Jr., age 79, of Florence, SD, passed away on Sunday, November 26, 2023, at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD. Funeral service will be held at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, at Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel in Watertown. Pastor Milton Douglas will officiate.
Visitation will be held prior to the service at the chapel starting at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Burial will be at the Oak Grove Cemetery in Newfolden, MN, at a later date. Active pallbearers will be Jonathon Halfaday, Alex Halfaday, Perry Wallenstein, Tre McKinnie, Curtis Enger, and Zachary Hestekind. Honorary pallbearers will be Ian Halfaday, Allan Kulvik, Brian Larocque, Keith Laroque, Junior Mott, Johnny Bring and all his previous co-workers from Angus Palm.
Earl Theodore Halfaday Jr. was born January 30, 1944, in Odanah, WI, to Earl Theodore Halfaday Sr. and Elvira Nell (Crowe) Halfaday. Earl had three sisters and one brother, Clarence "Jack" (Daphne) Larocque, Emogene (Howard) Basley, Leona "Nona" (Bob) Mareck, and Velma (Willie) Dashner. He also had three cousins who grew up like brothers to Earl; John Halfaday, Joe Halfaday, and Charlie Halfaday.
Earl attended High School at St. Mary's Catholic School in Odanah and went on to study welding at the Vo-tech in Thief River Falls where he graduated in 1964. He also attended school in Pipestone, MN, in 1982 to study meat cutting for one year.
It was in Thief River Falls, MN, where he met the love of his life, Beverly Ann (Peterson) Halfaday. Earl and Beverly married in Ashland, WI, on June 27, 1964. Together they started a family that consisted of five children; Douglas Wayne, Melissa Joy, Lowell Lynn, Melinda Jean, and Troy Allen. Earl and Beverly enjoyed matrimonial bliss for nearly 60 years.
While living in Newfolden, MN, Earl was a volunteer fireman between June of 1975 and March of 1983. It was there that he received his certification in Storm Chasing. Around the same time, he began working at the Locker Plant. Earl also worked at Arctic Cat in Thief River Falls for 20 years. In 1992 Earl and Beverly moved their family to Florence, SD. It was then that he began working at Angus Palm until his retirement on August 29, 2013.
Earl Halfaday had various interests throughout his life. Four of his main interests involved hunting, fishing, riding his motorcycle and building a home for his large family. He had a very unique sense of humor. When he was hunting he never missed. Earl was proud of his Native American heritage, he was an enrolled member of the Bad River Band of Chippewa Indians and he was a member of Westaker Church.
Earl is survived by his wife; one sister sister Emogene Basley; two sons Douglas (Rochelle) Halfaday, of Rosholt, SD, and Troy (Jesicah) Halfaday, of Watertown, SD; two daughters Melissa (Robbie) Hestekind, of Newfolden, MN, and Melinda Halfaday, of Watertown, SD; ten grandchildren, Ashley (Curtis) Hestekind, Amanda Gill, Zachary (Anne) Hestekind, Katrina (Perry) Wallenstein, Jonathon (Rainey) Halfaday, Alex (Zahra) Halfaday, Hailey Halfaday, Maycee (Tre) Halfaday, Ian Halfaday, and Emilyn Halfaday; and fifteen and a half great grandchildren.
Earl is preceded in death by his parents Earl and Elvira Halfaday; one brother, Jack; two sisters, Nona and Velma; one son, Lowell Halfaday; father-in-law, Cyrus Peterson; brothers-in-law, Curtis Pals, Mark Swanson, and Rick Johnson; several cousins (brothers); he is also preceded in death by his beloved pets Buffy, Askhim, and Charlie.
Arrangements by Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel www.crawfordosthus.com Watertown, Hayti, De Smet Bryant
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