Glenn Kietzmann | July 25, 1926 - December 22, 2022
Obituaries-Pierre / Posted Dec 28, 2022 | 5:49 AM / 340 views
Glenn E. Kietzmann, 96, of Pierre, South Dakota, passed away on December 22, 2022. Visitation will be held 5:00–7:00pm, Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at Feigum Funeral Home concluding with a prayer service at 7:00pm. Funeral Services will be held at 10:00am, Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at the First Congregational United Church of Christ. Interment will follow at Riverside Cemetery.
Click HERE to watch Glenn’s service live.
Glenn E. Kietzmann was born on July 25, 1926 to Herman and Henrietta (Descombaz) Kietzmann in Clayton, South Dakota. As an infant he moved to the Onida area where he lived with his four-surviving brother and sisters; Agnes, Mathilda, Lorine and Floyd. Two brothers died very young, Clarence at eleven days and Elmer at two years. Glenn attended first grade in rural Blain School located eleven miles southeast of Onida. After losing the farm during the depression of the thirties, Glenn moved to the Blunt area where he attended the remainder of his grade school years at rural Felecia School four miles west of Blunt. He later graduated from Blunt High School as Valedictorian in 1944.
After working his way through high school at Harry Ostercamp’s, he volunteered to go to the Navy. In 1946, after he returned from the Navy, for entertainment he continued drumming with various local dance bands. The last 25 years of his drumming career were played with “Jewel’s Combo”, whom played their last job in 1999.
Glenn met Janet (Mulvaney) Kietzmann when she came to work for the Department of Transportation in 1953. They were married in 1956 and lived in the house that Glenn built on Polk Avenue where they raised their family that included Barbara, Debra Jo and Glenn Jr. They resided there until Janet passed in October of 2017.
During his spare time, along with playing for dances, he was the kill butcher at the White Way Lockers in Fort Pierre and until 1983 he farmed a quarter of land near Blunt.
On September 8, 1949, Glenn started his 40-year career with the South Dakota Department of Transportation. He started as a draftsman and manually drew the maps of nearly every county in the state, as well as many statewide maps. For many years he furnished all highway related information for the State Highway Tourist Maps which were handed out free to the traveling public. One of his greatest accomplishments helping design and implement the South Dakota Interstate System.
Glenn is survived by his three children: Barbara (John) Antkowiah, Debra Ellsworth, Glenn Jr. (Tami) Kietzmann, seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
