HARROLD, SD – Ronald Lee Jessen, 78, of Harrold, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, at Highmore Health, after a long battle with Parkinson’s.

Funeral service will be at 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 30, 2025, at the Harrold School Gym with Rev. Allison Galbreath officiating. Visitation will begin one hour prior. Burial will be at Medicine Hill Cemetery in Harrold.

Ronald Lee Jessen was born on October 27, 1947, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Pierre, SD, to Herman and Pauline (Hieb) Jessen. The youngest of four, he joined his siblings: Delores, Marvin, and Ruth on the farm south of Harrold. He attended the Happy Hill country school with his siblings, having to walk a quarter mile from their house. He showed pigs and garden produce in 4-H and participated in track in high school. He particularly enjoyed his Ag class, where he built a cedar chest, shadow boxes, and a coffee table. He was encouraged to go into public broadcasting in high school due to his dynamic voice, but his love of farming and ranching prevailed. Farming and ranching became his passion, and he often was the first in the area to implement new innovations like planting the headlands instead of letting them grow to weeds and implementing no-till farming. His love for the land and cattle never waned. Regular phone calls to his nephew Steve, who worked with him on the farm, and Sunday drives around the farm kept him involved. Ronnie enjoyed being active in and was a 50 plus year member of the Lily Lodge #62, Masonic Lodge in Harrold.

Ronnie spent his life farming and ranching with his brother Marvin, nephew Steve Jessen, and, eventually, his great nephew Gideon Jessen. Ronnie spent his life in the same house he was raised in until August 2022, when he moved to Highmore Health due to his Parkinson’s. Ronnie was never married, yet he found himself surrounded by family and friends and loved by the people who surrounded him. Ronnie always tried to do things honestly by the land and the people around him. If you knew Ronnie, you knew about his collection of antique John Deere tractors and how proud he was of the work he had done on the farm and ranch during his life. Ronnie collected so many that a ‘tractor museum’ had to be built so the collection could continue. Ronnie also loved his dogs, even if they weren’t his. Ronnie had dogs his entire life, but for the last couple decades, they were not his dogs by ownership, just by love. Ronnie’s love for feeding dogs treats (like Oreos from the pantry) and letting them take up residence in the basement helped him snag three different dogs off his nephew Steve, who never really minded anyway.

These habits earned him his title as Uncle Ronnie. He was always happy to lend a hand and made sure to be a support to his family and often working with his nephews on the farm. Once the nieces and nephews grew up, he could have enjoyed his peace. Instead, he accepted in the next generation of rugrats. This came with many fishing trips, hosting parties at the house, keeping a backpack with toys in the corner of the living room, and, more than once, babysitting. Ronnie could have chosen to live peacefully without the screaming kids, but instead, he embraced his title as Uncle Ronnie.

He is survived by his siblings: Delores (Roger) Husted and Ruth (Harney) Hohrman; nieces and nephews: Shanard (Jackie) Husted, Dwight (Suzanne) Husted, Pandora (Rod) Kusser, Chad (Vickie) Husted, James (Stacey) Jessen, Julie (Jeremy) Thompson, Jon (Janelle) Jessen, Steven (Tonja) Jessen, Robin (Jay) Coble, Scott (Helen) Hohrman, Travis (Joann) Hohrman, and Brandi Mattison; 30 grand-nieces and nephews; and 16 great-grand nieces and nephews.

He leaves behind him many family members who love and miss him but know he’s now in a better place. Ronnie walked peacefully into the light without pain or tremors for the first time in years and joined the family members who have gone before him – his parents, Herman and Pauline Jessen; brother, Marvin Jessen; nieces: Susan Jessen and Robin (Hohrman) Coble; and his dogs.

Luze Funeral Home of Highmore has been entrusted with Ronnie’s arrangements.

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