Rodell Meester

Rodell L. Meester, age 74, of Sioux Falls, passed away quietly after a long illness on Saturday, April 11, 2015, at the Veteran Administration Hospice in Sioux Falls. A casual open house to celebrate his life will be held from 2:00pm to 4:00pm on Saturday 25, 2015 at Chapel Hill Funeral Home. A brief memorial time will take place at 3:00pm Del was born July 7, 1940 to Joe A. and Bertha Meester in Willow Lake, South Dakota. Del grew up on his familys farm along with his four sisters and two brothers. As a young man, Del was a free spirit who enjoyed participating in demolition derbies and working on cars. Also in his younger years, he was employed at the local grain elevator as well as Hofer Chevrolet. Del answered his countrys call and joined the Army National Guard in 1958. Due to an injury incurred during his service, Del was honorably discharged from his tour of duty. In 1961, Del married Karen Larson. They were blessed with three children; a son, Kevin born in 1962, a daughter, Marla, born in 1963, and a son, Timothy, born in 1968. The family moved from Willow Lake to North Dakota where Del worked as the assistant manager of the Buttsville Grain Elevator located outside of Lisbon, ND. That first winter, however, Del suffered from pneumonia several times which was acerbated due to grain dust, and as a result, the family decided to move back to South Dakota. Returning to South Dakota, Dels family resided in many towns including Willow Lake, Watertown, Bryant, Yankton and Sioux Falls. For several years during this time, Del worked for the South Dakota Heart Association. During the Sioux Falls years, Del managed two very successful Mobil Oil Service Stations; it was while managing the station located on 41st and Western Avenue that Del won many awards for excellence from the Mobil Oil Corporation. After his retirement, Del continued to stay busy by working part time at various Sioux Falls grocery stores. Later on, he came back to his rural upbringing by working for the Country Apple Orchard located by Harrisburg, SD. One of Dels responsibilities while working there was to drive the tractor which transported customers to the apple orchards. Friendly and personable, Del would assist them in choosing the best apples for their tastes. Del always had a soft spot in his heart for children, and it was during the fall season that Del loved to be able to drive school children to the pumpkin patches and help them with their choices. Del also had a unique and uncanny talent for mechanical repairs. Whether it was assisting his children with restoring older cars or repairing a bicycle to make it look practically new, Del seemed to have an innate knowledge on how to give something new life. Del greatly enjoyed going to garage sales, purchasing broken bikes and then assembling a battalion of bicycles in his basement for later resale. Throughout the years, Del earned quite a large fan base of customers and was known for his excellent work on reasonably priced bicycles. As in his youth, Del continued to be a free spirit who loved to listen to country music and go dancing at the VFW. He enjoyed watching the birds which came to eat from of the multitude of bird feeders located in his backyard. Del eventually purchased a home on Edwards Drive in Sioux Falls; throughout the years, he was truly blessed by the strong and caring friendships he formed with the neighbors of this area. Del was also thankful to have shared his life with his special friend, Audrey Benning. Survivors include three children - Kevin Meester (Michele) of Sioux Falls, SD, Marla Gruber (Daniel) of Pierre, SD, Timothy Meester (JoAnne) of Chanhassen, MN and 6 grandchildren Brennan (Kristina), Noah, Duncan, Hudson, Ava, and Owen, and 1 great grandchild Braelyn Meester. He was preceded in death by his parents Joe A. and Bertha Meester, and a toddler sister, Donna.