Marvin Leroy Heesch

Marvin L. Heesch, 80 of Garretson died Saturday, August 4, 2007 at Palisade Manor in Garretson. Funeral services will begin 10:00 am Wednesday, August 8, 2007 at the United Church of Garretson, Garretson, SD. Burial will be in the Summit Hill Cemetery, rural Garretson. Visitation with the family present will be from 5-7:00 pm Tuesday, August 7, 2007 at the Minnehaha Funeral Home, Garretson.


Marvin Leroy Heesch was born on February 21, 1927 in Brandon, South Dakota to Claus and Mae (Zweep) Heesch. He grew up on the Heesch farm southwest of Garretson. In September of 1945, he was drafted into the U.S. Marines in the last year of World War II. He served in California and on the U.S.S. Philippine Sea. The following September, he was honorably discharged from the Marines and returned to his family farm in Garretson.


On August 10, 1949, Marvin married Lois M. Berdahl in the Zion Lutheran Church in Garretson, South Dakota. Following their marriage, they lived their lives on the family farm near Garretson and were members of the United Church of Christ in Garretson. In August 1999, they celebrated their 50th Anniversary with a family dinner and picnic.


Marvin was not only a farmer, but a truck driver for Case Company, Pam Oil, and Sioux Steel where he retired from in 1998. With his truck driving, he was able to see many of the states in this country. He and Lois also visited many other places including: Hawaii, California, Washington, Virginia, South Carolina, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri and Texas. They also got a chance to see where the first atomic bomb was tested on the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico in 1999.

Grateful for having shared his life are his wife, Lois, Garretson; his sons, Bruce (Mely), Virginia Beach, VA; Steven (Sharon), Garretson; Wade, Sioux Falls; Michael, Brandon; and Brian, Garretson; his daughters, Carol (Al) Abbott, Summerville, SC; Christie (Keith) Ballinger, Brandon; eleven grandchildren: Terrence, Johanna & Jason Heesch, Amy Heesch and Julie (Jeremy) Felcher, Alvin Abbott III, Amanda & Kyle Ballinger, and Steven, Zachariah and Noah Heesch; 1 great grandchild, Dandre Felcher; two brothers, Delbert (Matie) Heesch, Sioux Falls; Wesley Heesch, Higgins, TX and many other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his father in 1953 and his mother in 1965.