To request a copy of this photo for your own personal use, please contact our state coordinator. If you are not a family member or the original photographer — please refrain from copying or distributing this photo to other websites.
Thank you for visiting the South Dakota Gravestone Photo Project. On this site you can upload gravestone photos, locate ancestors and perform genealogy research. If you have a relative buried in South Dakota, we encourage you to upload a digital image using our Submit a Photo page. Contributing to this genealogy archive helps family historians and genealogy researchers locate their relatives and complete their family tree.
Submitted: 11/20/21 • Approved: 11/22/21 • Last Updated: 11/25/21 • R273022-G273022-S3
Donald Eugene Boen
October 03, 1933 - January 04, 2015
Don Boen loves you, and you know it's true because you're here today. Whether you are family, friend, colleague or co-worker, you know he cared about your life and your family, that he wanted to make something great happen with you, or lend a hand, or make the day a good one with a joke, a round of golf or a game of pitch. And you know he enjoyed your company. That's why you're here today, and from the bottom of our hearts, we thank you. Don was born on October 3, 1933 to his Norwegian parents Nellie and Austin, Sr. in Colton, SD. The second youngest of eight children (Jerome, Mildred, Austin Jr., Dolores, Audrey, Gloria, and Roger), they called him Bud for a few weeks because his folks couldn't settle on a name. He started his career at age 5, collecting milk bottles with Jerry and Austin Jr. for 5 per week. He worked nearly every day of his life. In 1959, he met his future wife of 55 years, Helen Benson. They fell in love and got married that December 26th. Daughter Shelley was born in 1961, Carol in 1964 and Dan in 1967. In 1969, he started Don Boen Insurance in Sioux Falls after nearly a decade as an agent for Howalt-McDowall. The company evolved into Boen & Associates, his life's work. It is now a prominent independent insurance agency, and will be for years to come thanks in part to his great leadership, along with its terrific management team and employees. Don loved his company and cared for everyone who ever worked there. He always voiced concern at home when someone at the office had a life issue, and figured out what he could do to help. He believed Boen & Associates didn't exist just to make money, it also existed for its employees to build their lives and careers, and to provide the best service to each of its clients. If any employee outgrew Boen & Associates and moved on to bigger opportunities, he was proud to have helped them get there. Most of all, he loved developing the careers and good fortune of those who stayed to help build the company into what it is today. He sacrificed a lot to make that happen, but he made sure his wife, his kids, his mother, siblings and extended family were never wanting for his love, care and attention. He worked hard for years to make sure his kids and their families had every opportunity they could dream of, and to make the great times happen. We'll always remember countless great family celebrations, vacations, weddings and birthdays, and weekend visits up to Colton, down to Rock Valley, out to Pickstown, and around Sioux Falls to visit family and friends. If you asked him what he was all about, he would tell you he wanted to make the world a better place for those around him, and have a great time doing it. He was all about learning and growing, and about building a wonderful life for those after him to make even better. Until his last day, he never stopped learning or thinking about what was next. Even though he wrapped up his business, he was planning for the future and looking forward to what he could make happen tomorrow. He did it all, and he did it the best he could. Small-town depression-era kid, child worker, bootstrapper, baseball player, soldier, son, brother, family man, husband, father, grandfather, maverick, entrepreneur, futurist, strategist, hardass, eater of oysters fried, shucked or on the half-shell, golfer, card shark, pool shark, ping-pong punisher, singer, dancer, storyteller, joke teller extraordinaire, bringer of the love. That was Bud Boen. He made it all happen. He'll still be around for a long time to come. A very special thanks to Don's health care professionals, from Don himself and from all of us. You made his later life healthy, active, productive and joyous. You have our utmost gratitude and admiration. He is survived by his wife Helen (Benson) Boen; his children Shelley Frazee and husband David of Eagan, MN; Carol Sigler and husband Chad of Blaine, MN, and Daniel Boen of St. Paul, MN; his four grandchildren, Alyssa Frazee, Kayla Frazee, Miranda Sigler and Zach Sigler; his sister Gloria Edwards (Pickstown, SD); and many nieces, nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews--all who loved him dearly. Visitation will begin at 12 pm with the family present from 5 to 7 pm on Friday, January 9, 2015, at Miller Funeral Home, 13th & Main. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, January 10, 2015, at the Miller Funeral Home Chapel. The family requests in lieu of flowers, memorials be directed to Augustana College or to the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation.
Section Memorial Parkway
Colubarium #2
Contributed on 11/20/21 by 9katz
Email This Contributor
Suggest a Correction
Record #: 273022