Donald Erwin Brassfield was born on December 4, 1934 to Edward and Rena (Castle) Brassfield. He was the youngest of nine children. He attended elementary school at Lakeside. As a child, Donald and his invisible hired man spent many hours playing at building roads and farmed many acres on his knees with Carlo, his faithful dog by his side.
Donald always had farming in his blood. As a young man he drove a team of horses in the fields for his dad. He and brother Tom later used a D4 Cat break up land in the Elm Springs area along with milking cows. He always had milk cows!
Don trucked, ran a dairy, farmed and built houses during his teenage years. One day he met a young lady from Viewfield (Darlene Gossard), and thus started a new chapter of his life. After courtship and both being baptized together in the spring of 1953, they were wed on September 1, 1953.
To this union were born five children; Teresa, Dale, Dawn, Holly and Shari. After several different moves, the family purchased and settled on Darlene’s family farm northeast of New Underwood in the spring of 1965.They ran a dairy and farmed there until they moved to the Black Hills in December of 1995. There they built high end custom cabinets and an occasional house.
Don and Darlene were long time members of First Christian Church in Rapid City. He remodeled the church and devoted time as an elder and mentored many young men.
Eventually Don and Darlene purchased a motor home and started traveling south in the wintertime. Yuma, Arizona quickly became their favorite home away from home. After several years, they sold their motorhome and moved from Eagle Mountain in the Black Hills to Sturgis.
As Darlene’s health began to fail, she went to the Good Samaritan Center in New Underwood and Don moved next door at the Sunny Haven apartments. Don would care for her everyday for almost five years. He also took care of the flowers at the nursing home. He took great pride in that. Darlene passed just short of their 71st wedding anniversary.
Don was an amazing farmer, dairy man, machinist, electrician, mechanic, carpenter and father; but above all, a true man of God.
Don is survived by his five children; Teresa (Dave) Peterson, Dale (Trudy) Brassfield, Dawn (Duane) Filholm, Holly (Albert) Bruch and Shari (Monte) Sandal; 15 grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren; and 1 -great-great-grandchildren.
Don made a difference in the lives of all the people he knew, especially the people that worked side by side with him.
A special thank you to Pete Ottoson for all the cribbage games.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, August 16, at 1:00 p.m. at The Foundry Church in Rapid City.
Funeral Services are Saturday, August 16, at 2:00 p.m. at the church.
Interment is Saturday, August 16 at 3:30 p.m. at Viewfield Cemetery in New Underwood.