John Koerner

Funeral services for John Koerner, 76, of Aberdeen, SD, will be 11:00am, Monday, May 15, 2023, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, with Pastor Heidi Youngquist officiating. Inurnment will be at Riverside Memorial Park Cemetery, Aberdeen. John died Saturday, May 6, at Prairie Heights HealthCare, Aberdeen. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. The service will be live streamed at - https://www.bethlehemaberdeen.org/worship/worship-online
John William Koerner was born on December 3, 1946 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the first child of John Carl and Margaret Elizabeth Koerner. Before his second birthday, John's family moved to northeastern Ohio where his father worked as an engineer in the steel industry and John and his brother, David, grew up. John graduated with the class of 1964 from Howland High School near Warren, Ohio.
After high school, John attended Ohio State University graduating with a Bachelor's degree in biology in 1969, and a Master's degree in wildlife biology in 1971. Upon graduating in 1969, John was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. However, he was able to defer his reporting for active duty until after graduate school. After graduate school, John was sent to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas and served in the high altitude section of the Air Defense Artillery. John served only 6 months on active duty, as the military was offering early outs in the post Vietnam era.
After being honorably discharged in the middle of 1971, John got a job with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Minneapolis Regional Office and they decided to send him to the Prairie. He started at Valentine, Nebraska in October of 1971, on the Valentine and Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuges. John did not know what to think about the Prairie but having been there for a while, he loved it and actually was crying when he heard that he had to leave and go to another station. John was then sent to Madison, South Dakota to work in the Wetland Management District part of the national wildlife refuge system and he remained there for two and a half years from 1974 to 1976.
John was then sent to Pierre, South Dakota to work in the administrative office and coordinate funding and projects on national wildlife refuges in South Dakota and Nebraska. While in Pierre, John met Cindy Zeller, a South Dakota girl, at a picnic at Madison Wetland Management District. They started dating and were married in Pierre in 1977. John and Cindy continued to live and work in Pierre until 1982 when they were moved to the Waubay National Wildlife refuge near Waubay, South Dakota. After 6 years at Waubay, John and Cindy moved to Sand Lake in 1988 where they lived on the refuge for 10 years in the house south of the Tower, a time that they both look at as some of the happiest times of their married life. In 1997 Cindy's health started to decline and she was still working in Aberdeen. It was hard for her to drive into Aberdeen from Sand Lake, especially in the winter time, so they received permission to move into Aberdeen. In 1998, they moved into town and bought their first home. John continued to drive to Sand Lake everyday from Aberdeen and worked until 2003, when he retired from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. After retirement, John worked seasonally with the Aberdeen Parks and Rec office, either at Lee Park golf course for 10 years and Riverside Cemetery for 5 years mostly just mowing grass. For 6 years in the winter months, John worked as an adjunct instructor at Northern State University helping to teach general biology.
After Cindy's health started to further decline, John and Cindy mostly just stayed at home and took care of each other and took care of their precious pet companions. Cindy passed away on June 19th, 2019. Soon after, John's health started to decline, however he was still able to do things. He enjoyed going to the YMCA, and had many wonderful friends there. He also enjoyed birds and birding for many years. He was generally in poor health for the last days of his life.
John was preceded in death by his wife, Cynthia, his parents, John and Margaret Koerner, his wife's parents, Erwin and Dalles Zeller, and brother-in-law, David Hasselberg.
Grateful for having shared John's life are: brother David Koerner, Brookfield, OH; nephew Christopher (Kate) Koerner and children Collin and Joshua John (JJ), Lowell, IN; cousin Sandi Gross, Pittsburgh, PA; and sister-in-law Sandy Hasselberg, Lakeville, MN.
Memorials may be directed to the Cynthia Koerner Endowment for Shelter Animals Designated Funds at the Aberdeen Area Humane Society.