Funeral services for Donald Schott, 88, of Timber Lake were held Monday, April 24, 2023 at Family Worship Center in Mobridge. Burial was in the Timber Lake Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge.
Donald passed away Friday, April 14, 2023, at his home in Timber Lake.
Donald R. Schott was born on February 3, 1935 to Lydia (Moser) and Jacob Schott. He attended grade school in McLaughlin through the eighth grade, after which he dedicated his time as one of ten children building his mother and father's ranch southwest of McLaughlin.
In 1953, at the age of 18, he left McLaughlin to work as a ranch hand for Grover Cudmore south of Timber Lake before joining the Army in 1954. This journey took him to Germany until 1956 serving as a company and battalion interpreter driving jeep for his lieutenant. Donald was honorably discharged in April of 1962.
After Germany he wound up in the Rocky Mountains of the Missoula and Kalispell, MT area working telephone line construction and logging. Here he met his love, Rita Eklund. They moved back to the Schott family ranch southwest of McLaughlin for a short time, then to Fargo, ND for Donald to complete welding school.
A call for ranching and farming resulted in Donald and Rita raising their three children— Debbie, Dallas and Joyce — north of McLaughlin on the Broken Arrow S Ranch.
He stepped away from farming and ranching in his mid-fifties to work various jobs around the McLaughlin area. He also spent time welding in Oregon and Montana, and bought a restaurant in Hereford , TX.
Donald dedicated many hours to his son Dallas's sale barn then 'slowed down' selling his ranch house in 1998 and moved to Timber Lake, where he lived until his passing.
Don was well known for his work ethic. Folks knew they could call on Don for anything and he would drop what he was doing to help get the job done. Even though he was a work horse, he did have a passion for the finer things in life including a spiffy vehicle, photography, John Wayne and the cinema, playing the harmonica and accordion, and growing a large garden.
He is preceded in death by his parents Jacob and Lydia Schott, siblings Reinhold, Eileen, Ruben, and Russell.
Don is survived in life by his siblings: Arnold (Bonnie) and Jim (Priscilla) of McLaughlin, Wallace (Sue) of Rapid City, Dianne Aplan of Sturgis and Gladys Schott; his children: Debra (Jeff ) McAdams of Kalispell, MT, Dallas Schott of McLaughlin and Joyce (Jim) Mulloy of Timber Lake; 10 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews, and countless friends.
(Joyce Mulloy’s address is 13490 250th Ave., Timber Lake, SD 57656.)