Donald “Donnie” J. Brende, 72, of Dell Rapids, passed away on Saturday, December 21, 2019 at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. His funeral service will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, December 27, 2019 in the Baltic Lutheran Church. Interment will be in the East Nidaros Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 26, 2019 at Kahler Funeral Home with the family present from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. www.kahlerfh.com
Donald “Donnie” Jerome Brende was born on November 18, 1947 at Sioux Falls, SD, the son of Clifford and Leona (Nelson) Brende. He lived at Colton, SD until age four when he moved with his family to a farm two and a half miles straight west of Baltic, then to a farm southeast of Baltic before moving into Baltic. He attended Baltic school and graduated from Baltic High School May of 1966. After high school he attended General Beadle College (Dakota State) in Madison majoring in Industrial Arts. He joined the Army reserve in 1970 and was honorably discharged in 1976. He married Patricia Gill on May 31, 1975 at Baltic Lutheran Church. The couple made their home in Baltic until moving to Dell Rapids in 2001.
Donnie worked most of his life in the construction industry. He worked at Buskerud Construction, Wade Construction, the Colman Lumber Yard and Sunderman Manufacturing. He continued to work part-time for Sunderman until he fully retired at the age of 70.
At a young age he began hunting. He was an avid hunter of deer, pheasants and neighborhood rodents until health issues forced him to quit. He still enjoyed visiting with his friends about their hunting adventures.
He loved watching his children playing in their sports and rarely missed a game. He was looking forward to following his grandchildren through their grade and high school sports.
He loved going to flea markets and gun shows, and collecting guns and anything else he could sneak into the house. Donnie enjoyed wood working and making keepsakes for his extended family and grandchildren. He was a member of Baltic Lutheran Church
Donnie is preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Duane “Duke” and brother-in-law, Virgil.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Pat of Dell Rapids; his children, Scot (Michelle Wyffels) of Portland, OR, Sherri Brende of Iowa City, IA and Steve Brende of Clear Lake; his four grandchildren, Quinn, Paul, James and Nash; his in-laws, Jack Gill of Sioux Falls, Rosemary Gill of Mesa, AZ, Theresa Van Holland of Dell Rapids, Janice (Verlyn) Van Holland of Dell Rapids, and Patti Brende of Dell Rapids; his Godchildren, Renae Luitjens and Ross Brende and his extended family and many friends.