Donald Forster

Donald “Dick” R. Forster, age 87, of Milbank, passed away on Tuesday, January 30, 2018, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD.

Services for Dick Forster will be held on Saturday, February 3, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. at Living Word Church in Milbank. Rev. Kent Groethe will officiate. Burial will be at Milbank City Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Friday, 5:00-7:00 p.m., at Mundwiler Funeral Home, and will continue at the church, one hour prior to the service.

Casket bearers will be Keith Forster, Nick Wentworth, Nate Wentworth, Dustin Wentworth, Kevin Forster, and Jon Forster. Honorary bearers will be Lenny Haliburton, Jim Christensen, Gordon Johnson, Jerry Poppen, and Les Bloem.

Military honors will be provided by the American Legion, Birch-Miller Post #9, V.F. W. Grant County Post #3486, V.V.A. Northeast SD Chaper #1054, and D.A.V. Chapter #19.

Music will be provided by Vicki Strege, organist; Jon Forster, vocalist; and Maddee Render, vocalist.

Donald “Dick” Richard Forster was born on November 7, 1930, on the family farm in McCook County, near Salem, SD. He was the son of Bernard H. and Bessie A. (Williams) Forster. Dick attended country school near Salem, junior high school in Bell, CA, and graduated high school in Salem, SD, in 1948. In 1949, Dick enlisted with the U.S. Navy. He served from 1949-1950, and then was recalled in 1952 during the Korean War. He served on the U.S.S. Boxer-CV21 and the U.S.S. Hamul-AD20. He was honorably discharged in 1954.

In 1958, he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Industrial Arts and Radio-TV at Southern State Teacher’s College in Springfield, SD. Dick was united in marriage with Carol J. Harmsen on August 18, 1957, at Rock Rapids, IA. Together they were blessed with 60 years of marriage and four children: Terry, Tammy, Dan and Doug. In 1959, he earned a Master’s Degree in Industrial Arts at Colorado State College in Greeley, CO. Dick taught a vocational Radio/TV class for one year at Rapid City High School. He then began working for International Business Machines as a Customer Engineer in July 1960, in Sioux Falls, SD. Dick and Carol moved to Milbank, SD, in June 1962, and he retired from IBM in 1986.

Dick’s pride and joy was restoring his 1925 Model T Ford Pickup and 1930 Model A Ford Sedan. He shared his love of vehicle restoration with his sons. He enjoyed taking family trips in the Model A and outings in the Model T with his wife, Carol. Dick’s family will remember his thrifty, but generous spirit in all aspects of life. He enjoyed gardening, cutting and chopping wood, and hunting. He was proud of his family and loved his children and grandchildren. His fondest memories included walking barefoot in a fresh plow furrow behind his father and the horse drawn plow, and eating homemade ice cream.

Dick was a member of Living Word Lutheran Church, Lake Region Car Club, and the American Legion.

Dick is survived by his wife, Carol Forster of Milbank, SD; children: Terry Forster of Milbank, SD; Tammy (Steven) Graser of Pinewood, MN; Dan (Marcia) of Howell, MI; and Doug Forster of Twin Brooks, SD; grandchildren: Nicholas, Nate and Dustin Wentworth; and Kristen, Kevin and Jonathan Forster; great-grandchildren: Alexa, Westin, Kendall and Laiken Wentworth; and brother, Jerald (Kate) Forster of Seattle, WA.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Billy Forster.

The family suggests Voice of the Martyr, Food for the Poor, or Samaritan’s Purse for memorial gifts.