Eugene Fristad, 82, of Mt. Vernon, died Friday, Dec. 27, 2019, at Avera Brady Health and Rehab in Mitchell. 

Funeral services will be 11 a.m., Friday, Jan. 3, 2020, at Storla Lutheran Church in Storla, with burial at Trinity Cemetery in rural Letcher. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, at the Will Funeral Chapel in Mitchell, with a prayer service at 6:30 p.m.

Eugene Fristad, son of Richard and Lelia (Strand) Fristad, was born Nov. 6, 1937, in Mitchell. He grew up on the family farm and attended country school. He graduated from Mt. Vernon High School and attended South Dakota School of Mines for a year and a half. Eugene served in the South Dakota National Guard from 1959 to 1965.

Eugene was united in marriage with Mary Hall on Nov. 25, 1966, in Mitchell. Eugene farmed in rural Mt. Vernon his entire life.

He was a member of Storla Lutheran Church, where he taught Sunday school for 35 years and did the blueprints for the church sculpture at the front of the sanctuary. He served in various positions on the church council. Eugene also served on the Blendon Township Board and the Firemen’s Board. Eugene was chosen by the Mitchell Jaycee’s in 1970 as “Outstanding Young Farmer” of Davison County. In 1991, he was selected by Commercial Bank in the category of farmer in the “Sharing New Horizons” program.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Fristad of Mt. Vernon; two children, Pamela Fristad (Frank Wells) of Mitchell, and Monte (Heather) Fristad of Mt. Vernon; three grandsons; a sister, Ilene (Verne) Carpenter of Colorado Springs, Colo.; two brothers, David (Nancy) Fristad of Vivian, and Kalen (Darlene) Fristad of Dows, Iowa; a sister-in-law, Elva (Dennis) Engelhart of Puyallup, Wash.; and a brother-in-law, Dennis (Mag) Hall of Lake Stevens, Wash.

Eugene was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Lelia Fristad; in-laws, Marion and Leona Hall; two brothers, Vincent (died in infancy) and Verlon Fristad; two sisters, Joyce (Harold) Peterson, and Dorothy (Kenneth) Lane.

In lieu of flowers, memorials will go to the Storla Lutheran Church or Trinity Cemetery Association.