Gary Fiedler

Mass of Christian Burial for Gary Fiedler, 75, of Glenham was held Wednesday March 17, 2021 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Mobridge. Burial was in the Glenham Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge

Gary passed away Friday, March 12, 2021 at the Mobridge Regional Hospital.

Gary Glenn Fiedler was born in Mobridge to John Fiedler and Emma (Schaffer) Fiedler on August 29, 1945, the youngest of nine children. Gary graduated from Glenham High School in 1963 and worked on the family farm until he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1965. He served until 1967 in Thailand in support of operations in Vietnam, assigned to the Special Operations Forces in the Motor Pool as a mechanic. It was also during this time that he formed lifelong friendships with a group of “Army buddies,” most notably Lonnie Cox, Michael Doyle and George Harp.

Upon his return, he began his career in trucking. Gary was especially proud of hauling the Lord’s Prayer Monument to the Selby Cemetery while working for Selby Implement. Later, he settled into Jensen Rock & Sand for 37 more years. During his early trucking years, Gary and Barbara Mindt were reacquainted and were married on July 14, 1972. This union began the formation of the unofficial Glenham Baseball Team, a group of nine kids whom Grandpa Mindt lovingly dubbed “Cox’s Army” and whom Gary raised diligently and faithfully.

Gary served on the Glenham and Selby school boards, drove bus for Glenham High School sporting events, bladed snow for the town of Glenham and thrilled his kids with rides in the loader bucket as he put up the town’s Christmas decorations every year.

Gary leaves behind his wife of nearly 49 years, Barbara; his children, Martin, Nancy (Brian) Larson, Jody (Josh) Olheiser, John, Sara, Emily (Brent) Gill, Aaron, Nicholas and Adam (Daysia); 13 grandchildren, Skylar, Cael, Gracin and Hayden Larson, Jakob and Joseph Olheiser, Evelyn, Kendyl, Quayde and Cayn Gill, and Bexley, Hazel and Vincent Fiedler; his siblings, LeMoyne (Lois), Virginia (Dean) Gunderson, DuWayne (Jocy), Lowell (Ginger), Gerald, Nadine Meyer and Karen as well as a special “little sister,” Lynn (Fiedler) Jensen.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Emma; his sister, Geraldine Darnell; his sister-in-law, Jeri Fiedler; and his niece Melissa Gunderson; his mother and father-in-law, Walter and Martha (Lenhert) Mindt and their children Arnold, James, Melvin and Jeanne; his sisters-in-law Donna and LaDonna Mindt, his brother-in-law Al Reiss; his niece Katherine Mindt; and his nephew Kenny Mindt.

(Emily and Brent Gill’s address is 13139 256 Ave., Timber Lake, SD 57656.)