April 29, 1950 – May 25, 2023
St e ve O’Donnell, 73, of Morristown passed away on May 25, 2023 at Sanford Hospital in Bismarck, ND after a valiant battle with cancer.
Mass of Christian Burial was held Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Lemmon. Burial was at the Morristown Cemetery.
Steve was born on April 29, 1950 in Mobridge to John and Evelyn O’Donnell. The second of four children, Steve grew up on the family farm/ranch at Keldron. He attended grade school in Morristown and graduated from Lemmon High School in 1968.
From an early age, dirt and the miracle of growing things were his passion. He often told others he’d get up early as a kid so he could beat his older brother to the field and tractor to avoid barn chores. Growing up, he was a member of 4-H and played summer ball. His fondest memory of baseball was hitting his one and only grand slam.
After graduating from high school, Steve studied data processing and took a job with a seismograph crew, eventually traveling to Florida with the job. Because of a health issue, Steve was told that the heat and humidity were not a good fit for healing. Steve drove back to Brookings and surprised his girlfriend, Linda Wolff, who was attending SDSU.
That December, he gave Linda an engagement ring for Christmas, and they were married on June 16, 1972. They settled south of Morristown on the place his great-granddad homesteaded. Steve worked on the farm/ranch with his dad, and followed Linda to Brookings for the next three years after fall harvest was finished. While in Brookings Steve worked construction on the SDSU student union and delivered propane, returning to the farm/ranch each spring for planting.
After Linda’s graduation, the couple settled on the farm/ranch. In 1984, they adopted their son, Devin, and three years later, adopted their daughter, Sarah. In addition to farming and ranching, Steve found time to build the family’s house where they’ve lived for 37 years.
Steve is survived by his wife of 50 years, Linda; his son, Devin (Kayla) O’Donnell; daughter, Sarah (Ryan) Conrad; grandchildren: Alec O’Donnell, Emma O’Donnell, Isabella O’Donnell, Olivia O’Donnell, John Paul O’Donnell, Dane Conrad, and Theodore Conrad; brother, Dennis; sister, Jeanine (David) Gerlach; nine nieces and nephews; and mother-in-law, Elaine Wolff.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Evelyn O’Donnell; his brother, Tracy O’Donnell; his sister-in-law, Fran O’Donnell; and his father-in-law, Julian Wolff.