Harold Forbes | 1938 - 2023
Obituaries-Mobridge / Posted Oct 12, 2023 | 4:14 PM / 349 views
Funeral services for Harold Forbes, 85, of Mobridge will be at 11 AM, Monday, October 16, 2023, at the UCC Church in Mobridge. Burial will be at Restlawn Memoryl Gardens in Huron on Tuesday at 1 PM. There will be a prayer service at 7 PM Sunday at Kesling Funeral Home in Mobridge. Harold passed away Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at the Mobridge Regional Hospital. Kesling Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Harold E. Forbes Jr., known by family as “Junior” was born on September1,1938, in Melham, SD, to Harold Forbes Sr and Regina (Arends). He was the oldest of three children, a younger sister Janelle (Snyder) and a younger brother Dean. The family then moved to Iroquois and later to a farm SE of Huron. Harold graduated from Cavour High School. Cavour is where he met and married his wife Marlene (Beckman) of 64 years.
The young couple moved to a farm near Wolsey and had three children, Jeffery (who passed shortly after birth), Tim and Tom. After living there and working with his dad on the farm, they then moved to Huron. They later moved to Aberdeen where Harold operated a gas station and bought and sold furs and hides. He then went on to work for Brown County Implement as a truck driver and salesman. He and Marlene went to Ellendale, ND, where he continued to work in sales. Later, Mobridge became home for Harold and Marlene.
Harold loved selling and considered it an art. If asked, he would probably say that he had almost perfected the art of selling. He loved the people, and he thought the farmers and ranchers he worked with were some of the finest people in the world. On any given trip through the country, he would make comments like, “so and so lives there, he is a heck of a nice guy.”
Harold loved stories and was a master at the art of telling them. An example of his quick wit and humor, was once, when asked if he went to college, he responded, “only one year, then I figured out I couldn’t teach those professors ANYTHING so I quit”.
Harold is preceded in death by his son, Jeffery, his father Harold Forbes Sr, his mother Regena (Arends) and sister Janelle (Snyder). He is survived by his wife Marlene (Beckman), son Tim (Trudy) Atlanta GA and son Tom (Jill) of Mobridge, brother Dean (Susan) of Urbandale, IA and brother-in-law Charles Snyder of Apple Valley, MN. Harold has three grandchildren Scout (Sean) Hurd, Alex and Hunter along with three great-grandchildren Tayler, Maverick and Hendrix. Harold will be greatly missed by a host of loving family and friends.