Obituary for Glenn A. Wensing
Glenn Andrew Wensing was born near Florence, SD to Joseph and Clara (Ronke) on January 31, 1924. He died on Christmas Day, 2020, due to complications from Covid, a month shy of his 97th birthday. He grew up on his parents’ family farm, the original homestead farm of the Wensings, and attended country grade school Esterly #19 and graduated from Florence High School, the first Wensing boy to graduate from high school since the days of immigration. He valued education and encouraged his children to become educated adults. Glenn helped his father move from the days of farming with horses to mechanized farming and developed his own skills as a carpenter. He built their own new farm house shortly after he was married on a new homestead site as well as most of the buildings of his farm over the subsequent years.
While farming with his father and working at Swifts Meat Packing Plant in Watertown he met the love of his life, Dolores Leemhuis. They were married on June 28, 1949 in Dolores’ home parish of St. John’s of Castlewood, SD. They were married for 64 years until her death in August of 2013. To this union were born five children, Fr. Michael, Patricia (Dennis) Schotzko, Terrence (Sylvia), Jeffrey (Lori) and Jane (Randy) Schumacher.
Glenn bought land near his parents’ farm and continued to farm with his father and brother for a number of years. In 1964 he downsized his farming operation and began to work at Chickasha Mobile Home plant for 22 years until his retirement when they moved to their Watertown home for another 27 years. He was a lifetime active member of Blessed Sacrament Parish of Florence and then after moving to Watertown he became an active member of Holy Name of Jesus Parish where he was an extraordinary minister of communion for a time.
In his younger years Glenn enjoyed softball and was on a Florence softball team. However, all his active life he enjoyed pheasant hunting and ice fishing and right up to the end of his life a good game of pinochle. Family traditions were built around an evening of pinochle to end with a bowl of his favorite dessert, homemade ice cream. As one of his nieces commented: “I always enjoyed going to Grandpa and Grandma’s house on Sundays with cousins and watch the “pinochle” group. Uncle Glenn was a kind man.” He, along with Dolores, took turns leading the family rosary most evenings while their children were growing up. All during the time his children attended the same rural school in which he had attended, he served on the school board as secretary/treasurer. After moving to Watertown he served as a volunteer juror for many years. He always loved the land and all details surrounding farming. Thus, during his seven years in assisted living in Watertown, his favorite part of the week was having one of his children give him a ride into the country and back to the farm which his son Jeff now farms.
Glenn is survived by his children Fr. Michael, Patricia, Terrence, Jeffrey, eleven grandchildren, three step grandchildren, thirty great grandchildren, and one great great granddaughter and one sister-in-law Pat Wensing. He was preceded in death by his wife Dolores, daughter Jane (2005), brothers Arnold and Arthur, and his sisters Marcella, Eileen, and Evelyn.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at Holy Name of Jesus Parish on Monday, January 4, at 11 AM preceded by an hour of visitation. Music will be furnished by Mary and Gabriel Alves.
Pallbearers will be Glenn's grandchildren.
Interment will be at Esterly Cemetery, rural Florence, SD.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be directed to the Wensing Seminarian Education endowment held by the Catholic Foundation of Eastern SD.
Arrangements by Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel, www.wightandcomes.com.
While farming with his father and working at Swifts Meat Packing Plant in Watertown he met the love of his life, Dolores Leemhuis. They were married on June 28, 1949 in Dolores’ home parish of St. John’s of Castlewood, SD. They were married for 64 years until her death in August of 2013. To this union were born five children, Fr. Michael, Patricia (Dennis) Schotzko, Terrence (Sylvia), Jeffrey (Lori) and Jane (Randy) Schumacher.
Glenn bought land near his parents’ farm and continued to farm with his father and brother for a number of years. In 1964 he downsized his farming operation and began to work at Chickasha Mobile Home plant for 22 years until his retirement when they moved to their Watertown home for another 27 years. He was a lifetime active member of Blessed Sacrament Parish of Florence and then after moving to Watertown he became an active member of Holy Name of Jesus Parish where he was an extraordinary minister of communion for a time.
In his younger years Glenn enjoyed softball and was on a Florence softball team. However, all his active life he enjoyed pheasant hunting and ice fishing and right up to the end of his life a good game of pinochle. Family traditions were built around an evening of pinochle to end with a bowl of his favorite dessert, homemade ice cream. As one of his nieces commented: “I always enjoyed going to Grandpa and Grandma’s house on Sundays with cousins and watch the “pinochle” group. Uncle Glenn was a kind man.” He, along with Dolores, took turns leading the family rosary most evenings while their children were growing up. All during the time his children attended the same rural school in which he had attended, he served on the school board as secretary/treasurer. After moving to Watertown he served as a volunteer juror for many years. He always loved the land and all details surrounding farming. Thus, during his seven years in assisted living in Watertown, his favorite part of the week was having one of his children give him a ride into the country and back to the farm which his son Jeff now farms.
Glenn is survived by his children Fr. Michael, Patricia, Terrence, Jeffrey, eleven grandchildren, three step grandchildren, thirty great grandchildren, and one great great granddaughter and one sister-in-law Pat Wensing. He was preceded in death by his wife Dolores, daughter Jane (2005), brothers Arnold and Arthur, and his sisters Marcella, Eileen, and Evelyn.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at Holy Name of Jesus Parish on Monday, January 4, at 11 AM preceded by an hour of visitation. Music will be furnished by Mary and Gabriel Alves.
Pallbearers will be Glenn's grandchildren.
Interment will be at Esterly Cemetery, rural Florence, SD.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be directed to the Wensing Seminarian Education endowment held by the Catholic Foundation of Eastern SD.
Arrangements by Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel, www.wightandcomes.com.