Donald I. Ljunggren, 92, of Dell Rapids passed away on Saturday, January 21, 2017 at the Dells Nursing and Rehab Center. His funeral service will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 25, 2017 in the United Methodist Church, Dell Rapids. Visitation will be one hour prior to the start of the service. On-line condolences may be left at the Kahler Funeral Home website.
Donald “Don” I. Ljunggren was born on June 23, 1924, the son of Rudolph and Ida (Bieck) Ljunggren at Harvard, NE. He grew up on a farm near Harvard. He attended school at Giltner, NE and graduated from Giltner High School in 1942. After high school he farmed with his family near Giltner. He married Shirley Smith on May 20, 1947. The couple moved to South Dakota in 1956 when Don accepted a job as a livestock inspector. He retired in 1975. He then worked for his son’s mink farm retiring in 1989.
Don loved farming, bowling, going to coffee and was a “fix it” man in his retirement. He enjoyed going to his grandchildren’s sporting events.
He was a member of the United Methodist Church.
Don is preceded in death by his parents, his son, Danny, one sister, Lucille, a brother, Lloyd, his daughter-in-law, Marcie, three grandchildren and a great granddaughter.
He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Shirley of Dell Rapids; his sons, Gary (Chris) Ljunggren of Billings, MT, Alan (Linda) Ljunggren of Dell Rapids and Gale Ljunggren of Dell Rapids; his daughters, Shirlette Ljunggren of Dell Rapids and Sherrie (Jay) Linneman of Dell Rapids; his 10 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren and his brother, Lester Ljunggren of Harvard, NE and his sister-in-law, Bertha and his nieces and nephews.