Donald Pearson, age 92, of Lemmon, SD, passed away on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at the Faulkton Senior Living Center in Faulkton, SD.
Mass of Christian Burial for Don will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Lemmon, SD. Fr. Adam Hofer will officiate with burial and military honors to follow at the Greenhill Cemetery in Lemmon.
Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 23, 2025 at the Evanson Jensen Funeral Home in Lemmon, SD. A rosary/vigil service will be held at 7:00 p.m. Monday evening at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Lemmon.
Donald Hugh Pearson was born February 4, 1933 in Corson County, SD to Charles and Marcella (Brodigan) Pearson. He attended country school 1st through 3rd grade at the Moe School and 4th through 8th grade at the Brodigan School. In 1953, he was drafted into the US Army and served two years, where he was stationed in Germany. He was discharged from service in March 1955 with the rank of Corporal and had earned the Army of Occupation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and Letter of Commendation from his Commanding Officer.
Don returned home to Thunder Hawk, SD to ranch and farm with his father, uncle, and neighbors. He began to build his ranching operation. He met the love of his life, Phyllis, through his sister, Pat. Don and Phyllis were married in 1957. In October 1960, Don lost his arm in a farming accident. Following his long recovery at the VA Hospital in Hot Springs, SD, he returned to the ranch. Don raised cattle and horses and grew small grains. To say that Don overcame the loss of his arm would be an understatement. It has been said that Don could do more with one arm than most men could do with two. Don was very independent and rarely asked anyone for help. If you were asked to help him with a task like buttoning his shirt cuff, you were a very important person to him. He worked the land, cared for his livestock and built a respectable operation. Don and Phyllis adopted their daughter, Barbara, in 1968. Don had many hired men on the ranch whom he also mentored and taught. He woke the family and hired help with his saying, “It’s about that time again,” which he thought was funny and those he was waking were annoyed. He stopped active ranching and farming in 1991, but kept a small number of cow calf pairs and horses. He worked for the neighbors until 2013 when he and Phyllis moved to town. In 2014, Don and Phyllis were the Boss Cowman Honorees.
Don volunteered countless hours to his community through his service on the Farmers Cooperative Elevator Board, the Lincoln Township Board, and Smith-Lyman American Legion Post #279. He considered participating with the Color Guard for the Legion at funerals and celebrations to be an honor, privilege, and duty. He was forever grateful for the support of the community at the time of his accident and quietly gave back to many local charities and for many medical benefits. He also donated blood until he was no longer able to donate due to his age.
Don loved raising horses, talking about horses, and riding horses. He enjoyed western shows and movies. He was a US History buff and enjoyed reading about historical events and visiting museums. After Don and Phyllis moved to town, he walked a couple miles every morning and enjoyed being able to go to coffee with the guys. Don loved his family even though he didn’t say it often, but when he said it, it was at meaningful times. He loved his grandchildren and great grandson with his whole heart and spent so many hours holding the sleeping babies and taking the kids on adventures. He especially loved family celebrations and visits from his extended family, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. He would tell everyone, “If you get down by the creek, drop in,” and he meant it! Don and his brothers were known to tell a few tall tales, and always tried to one up one another. He had a great sense of humor, laugh, and smile. Even in his last days, he was making others smile with his humor.
Grateful for having shared in his life are his daughter, Barbara Pearson-Cramer and son-in-law, Trevor Cramer, of Faulkton, SD; four grandchildren, Taylor, Teralyn, Trisha, and Garrett Cramer; one great grandchild, Ezekiel Cramer; his sister, Patricia Ebel, of Cottage Grove, MN; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Phyllis; his parents, Charles and Marcella; brothers Al, Howard, and Chuck, sister Joan, brother-in-law, Adrian Ebel, sister-in-law Carol and nephew, Steven Pearson.
In lieu of flowers, memorials will be given to the Smith-Lyman American Legion Post #279 and a local charitable organization that Don quietly supported every year.
