Gary Fiedler, 1945-2021
Obituaries-Mobridge / Posted Mar 15, 2021 | 10:08 AM / 754 views
Mass of Christian Burial for Gary Fiedler, age 75, of Glenham, SD, will be Wednesday March 17, at 10:30 AM at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Mobridge. Burial will be in the Glenham Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge a Scriptural wake will be held Tuesday at 7:00 PM at the church. Visitation will be Tuesday from 2 – 5 pm at the funeral home and beginning at 6 pm at the church. Gary passed away Friday, March 12, 2021 at the Mobridge Regional Hospital.
Gary Glenn Fiedler was born in Mobridge, South Dakota to John Fiedler and Emma (Schaffer) Fiedler. The youngest of nine children, Gary graduated from Glenham High School in 1963 and worked on the family farm until he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1965 during which time he served until 1967 in Thailand in support of operations in Vietnam, assigned to the Special Operations Forces in the Motor Pool as a mechanic. It was also during this time that he formed lifelong friendships with a group of “Army buddies”, most notably Lonnie Cox, Michael Doyle and George Harp.
Upon his return, he began his career in trucking. Gary was especially proud of hauling the Lord’s Prayer Monument to the Selby Cemetery while working for Selby Implement. Later, he settled into Jensen Rock & Sand for 37 more years and could be heard honking the horn for his kids as he drove by the house on one of his many trips. During his early trucking years, Gary and Barbara Mindt (whose sister he had previously taken to prom…) reacquainted and were married in a double ceremony with Clarence Mindt on July 14, 1972. This union began the formation of the unofficial Glenham Baseball Team, a group of nine kids whom Grandpa Mindt lovingly dubbed “Cox’s Army” and whom Gary raised diligently and faithfully.
Gary’s calloused, gentle hands were a map of his work ethic and service to others, for he was always doing something for his family, his neighbors, his school district, his community, his church or a stranger in need. He served on the Glenham and Selby school boards, drove bus for Glenham High School sporting events, bladed snow for the town of Glenham and thrilled his kids with rides in the loader bucket as he put up the town’s Christmas decorations every year. Gary understood the importance of family and always found time when he wasn’t working or farming to play a mean game of hide-n-go-seek (notoriously hiding under the teeter-totter and out-running his kids), to start a marathon tournament of UNO stacking draw-four’s against his kids, or to break out the Aggravation board game he made by hand as his crew gathered around the 50-foot family dining room table that he also made by hand…a table that Barb is currently dismantling as this is being written. (Dad would enjoy seeing that his legacy of humor continues in his children who are laughing alongside their mom while writing this.) It is on this handmade table where Gary sat at the head and scooped countless gallons of ice cream to his children over the years and where he taught some of his 13 grandchildren how to make “Grandpa’s Cereal”: Cheerios, milk and tons of sugar. On Sunday nights, if the Fiedler Nine had behaved, they were treated to bowls of stove-popped popcorn, Bonanza, Star Trek, Big Valley re-runs and The Three Stooges.
Gary leaves behind many who are grateful for having shared his life, including his wife of nearly 49 years, Barbara, who dutifully, gracefully and humbly stayed by his side loving and caring for him—holding his hand until he was called to his Heavenly home on March 12, 2021. Also grateful for having shared his life are his children Martin, Nancy (Brian) Larson, Jody (Josh) Olheiser, John, Sara, Emily (Brent) Gill, Aaron, Nicholas and Adam (Daysia); his 13 grandchildren Skylar, Cael, Gracin and Hayden Larson, Jakob and Joseph Olheiser, Evelyn, Kendyl, Quayde and Cayn Gill, and Bexley, Hazel and Vincent Fiedler; his siblings LeMoyne (Lois), Virginia (Dean) Gunderson, DuWayne (Jocy), Lowell (Ginger), Gerald, Nadine Meyer and Karen as well as a special “little sister” Lynn (Fiedler) Jensen. Gary was preceded in death by his parents, John and Emma; his sister, Geraldine Darnell; his sister-in-law, Jeri Fiedler; and his niece Melissa Gunderson. He was also preceded in death by his mother and father-in-law, Walter and Martha (Lenhert) Mindt and their children Arnold, James, Melvin and Jeanne; his sisters-in-law Donna and LaDonna Mindt, his brother-in-law Al Reiss, his niece Katherine Mindt and his nephew Kenny Mindt.
Gary’s casket bearers include his nephew/godson, Chris Fiedler, his sons-in law Josh Olheiser, Brian Larson, and Brent Gill, and his grandchildren Jakob Olheiser, Joey Olheiser, Cael Larson and Skylar Larson. Honorary casket bearers include his nephew/godson Jeffrey Reiss and all his Jensen Rock & Sand “crew”. Mass of Christian burial was held under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home with final interment at Glenham Cemetery.