A. Eugene (Gene) Kroell, 78, passed away March 3, 2018.

Funeral services will be held Friday, March 9, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Wilfrid Catholic Church in Woonsocket with Tom Baruth officiating. Burial will be in Eventide Cemetery, Woonsocket. Visitation will be Thursday, March 8, from 6-8 p.m. at the church, with a prayer service at 7 p.m., and one hour prior to the service at the church.

Gene was born Sept. 2, 1939, in Grand Forks, N.D., to Alvin and Helen Kroell. He spent most of his childhood in Aberdeen and graduated from Aberdeen Central High School in 1957. He immediately began his life-long career in the telephone industry, working for Northwestern Bell, Sully Buttes Telephone Company, and Santel Communications.

Gene married Janice Knittel in Aberdeen in March of 1959, and five children were born to their union. The family lived in Highmore and Woonsocket, until Gene and Janice moved to Pierre in 2013.

Gene was involved with the development of Mitchell Telecom and served on the board with SDN. He retired from the telephone and communications business in 2005. In 2014, Gene was inducted into the South Dakota Cooperatives Hall of Fame.

Gene was active in his community, serving as mayor of Woonsocket for 16 years and volunteer fireman for 25 years in Woonsocket and Highmore. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and being a do-it-yourselfer. Gene’s talents ranged from home and camper remodels, to car restoration, to catching angler fish.

Gene is survived by his wife, Janice of Pierre; three daughters: Sheri (Jim) Anderson of Mitchell, Laurie Reed of Sioux Falls, and Kandi (Tom) Millivan of Pierre; six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; a brother, Bob (Shirley) Kroell of Aberdeen; a brother-in-law, Gordon (Verdell) Knittel of Alpena; and a niece and two nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two infant children; and his best friend, Stuart Scott.