DAUGAARD, FLORENCE M. - Minnehaha County, South Dakota | FLORENCE M. DAUGAARD - South Dakota Gravestone Photos

Florence M. DAUGAARD

Dell Rapids Cemetery - Dell Rapids Cemetery
Minnehaha County,
South Dakota

Raymond Daugaard, 90
Raymond V. Daugaard died at home on the farm on Friday, Aug. 6, 2004. He was 90.
Raymond Victor Daugaard was born to Martin and Margaret (Grav) Daugaard on a farm near Garretson, on July 29, 1914. He attended the South Dakota School for the Deaf in Sioux Falls. On July 9, 1950, Raymond married Florence Kennedy of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and they lived the remainder of their lives on the family farm.
Raymond participated in farming during all of his working years. Tall and strapping, Raymond picked corn by hand, plowed with a team of horses and pitched hay with a fork. His childhood home was heated with wood and corncobs, and lit with oil lanterns. It did not see electricity until Ray was in his 30's. He dug a basement under the existing farmhouse by tunneling down under the building, using a hand shovel to excavate from under the house.
Raymond believed in hard work, cheerfulness, honesty and frugality. He was stoic in the face of hardship and illness, and rarely complained. He was patient and forbearing. Profoundly deaf from birth, Raymond unfailingly attended his children's choral and instrumental concerts, demonstrating love and pride through his presence, unable to hear a single note.
In addition to farming, Raymond also worked in other fields. He was skilled in carpentry, built cabinets and houses and replicated historic benches for the Siouxland Heritage Museum, without using nails. He was an adept mechanic and could tear down and completely reassemble his tractor. He worked for many years as a custodian for Augustana College in Sioux Falls.
Ray was active in the deaf community, mentored sign language students and served as President of the Sough Dakota Association for the Deaf. He was also a member of the Nation Fraternal Society of the Deaf for more then 75 years and was active in the Evangelical Lutheran Deaf Association. He was inducted into the South Dakota Association for the Deaf Hall of Fame in 2004.
Raymond loved to travel. During his life, he visited Canada, Mexico, England, Israel and 47 states. He rode the train to Vancouver, Wash., flew in a plane over the Boundary Waters and fished in the Pacific Ocean.
Grateful for having shared his life are his three children; Joyce, and her husband, George Noble, Minneapolis, Minn.; Dennis, and his wife Linda, Garretson; and Sandra Spencer, Omaha, Neb.; his four grandchildren, Blake Spencer and Laura, Sara and Chris Daugaard; and his brother, Howard, and his wife Lucile, Sioux Falls.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Florence; his parents; and two sisters: Stella and Freda.
A funeral service was held at the Lutheran Church of Dell Rapids with Pastor Eugene Tjarks and Pastor Paul Stjernholm officiating. Interment was held at the Dell Rapids Cemetery.
Casket bearers included Blake Spencer, Laura Daugaard, Sara Daugaard, Chris Daugaard, John Rave and Steve Hainje.
Honorary Casket bearers included Palmer Larson, Jerry Berke, Arvin Massey and Everett Ruedebusch.
Dell Rapids Tribune Aug 18, 2004

Contributed on 3/9/09 by dellsfig68
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Record #: 3082

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Submitted: 3/9/09 • Approved: 3/9/09 • Last Updated: 8/13/15 • R3082-G3081-S3

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