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Submitted: 3/22/14 • Approved: 8/25/16 • Last Updated: 8/28/16 • R210740-G210740-S3
LaVern O. Winge, age 69, of Watertown, SD, passed away on Monday, December 1, 2014, in Watertown. Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, December 5, 2014, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in South Shore, SD. Rev. Ken Nelson will officiate. Music will be provided by Hilda Grewing as organist with congregational singing.
Visitation will be at the Crawford Funeral Chapel in Watertown on Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. and prior to services at the church on Friday.
Burial will take place at 1:15 p.m. at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Watertown. Military graveside honors will be conducted by Codington County Post #17 of the American Legion and Frank H. Adams Post #750 of Veterans of Foreign Wars both of Watertown and the Funeral Honors Team of the U.S. Army National Guard. Honorary pallbearers will be: Rolling Thunder, LaVern’s coffee buddies and the Legion Riders. Active pallbearers will be LaVern’s grandchildren: Courtney Zietz, Taylor Wellman, C. J. Zietz, Michele Winge, Meagan Winge, Abby Winge and Macey Winge.
LaVern was born on February 21, 1945, at the Bartron Hospital in Watertown, SD, to Johnny and Doris (Lauseng) Winge. He graduated from South Shore High School. LaVern was constable of South Shore and drove milk truck for South Shore Creamery. He served in the U.S. Army for one year as a Supply Sergeant. He was stationed just south of the DMZ line in Korea. Following his father’s death, LaVern’s mother married Dale Buising and the couple lived and farmed in the Conde area.
On April 6, 1969, LaVern married Mary Ann Waege at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in South Shore, SD. LaVern worked at Fleet Wholesale where he became known as “Mr. Pipe Bender.” He owned and operated RiteWay Brake and Exhaust, adding a used car lot called ‘Auto Mart’. In the mid 80’s, he changed the name of the business to ‘Exhaust Pros’. In his spare time, LaVern drove school bus for the Watertown School District as well as the American Legion bus for the Legion baseball team and as needed for both the VFW and the Legion Color Guards and Memorial Day services each year.
He was a member of the American Legion, VFW, Legion Riders, Rolling Thunder, Iron Butt Association, NRA and the VFW Kranzburg Black Powder Club. LaVern loved his motorcycle trips with family and friends or just by himself. He also loved to hunt and fish in his earlier years. One favorite hobby of LaVern’s was to visit cemeteries to take pictures of headstones and download them on to the ‘Find a Grave’ website. He posted thousands of pictures on this site. LaVern enjoyed sharing stories with his friends over a cup of coffee at the Roadhouse and Wheel-Inn Cafes. He especially loved spending time with family.
LaVern is survived by his two children, Randy (Colleen) Winge and Ricky (Tricia) Winge all of Watertown; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; his step-father, Dale Buising, of Watertown; four brothers: Larry (Brenda) Winge and Jerry (Eileen) Winge all of Watertown, Jim (Geri) Winge of Fort Dodge, IA, and Clayton (Dorothy) Winge of Wilmot, SD; and six sisters: Barb (Hal) Tesch of Wacco, NE, Alice Moyer of Watertown, Darlene (Vic) Saur of Gillette, WY, Susan (Bill) Welder of Milbank, SD, Becky (Royal) Sprung of Tower City, ND, and Joyce Heim of Watertown.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ann, in 2002; and his parents.
Contributed on 3/22/14 by lavernwinge
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Record #: 210740