Mark Ryan

Mark Ryan was born April 6, 1921, to Leo and Lillian (Meis) Ryan, the second of five children. After attending country school, he graduated in 1938 from Kimball, S.D., High School before farming the family homestead until 1998. He was married to Dorothy Schulte in February 1955.  

He spent many happy years in retirement, first in Mitchell, S.D., and then in Custer, S.D., where he greatly enjoyed being close to his brother Lynus, spending time in Custer State Park and enjoying the Black Hills. As his health failed, he moved into Maryhouse Nursing Home in Pierre, S.D., which allowed him to be close to three of his sons during his final years.

Mark loved raising cattle, and had a very good eye for livestock, continually improving the quality of his herd. He also continually improved the farmstead, putting in stock dams, grass waterways to prevent erosion and many acres of shelterbelts for wildlife habitat and to protect the farmstead from winter storms. When Mark was younger, he hunted deer, antelope and pheasants. He said they ate too many pheasants in the 1940’ when they were plentiful and wasn’t excited about pheasant hunting so much anymore.

A devout Catholic all his life, Mark was a member of St. Margaret’s Catholic Church for 77 years, belonged to the Knights of Columbus and attended St. John the Baptist in Custer while he lived there.

Mark died Monday, Oct. 1, 2012, at Maryhouse Nursing Home. He was 91.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Leo and Lillian.

He is survived by his four sons, Richard (Kate) Ryan of Seattle, Wash., and Steven, Paul and David Ryan, all of Pierre; two granddaughters, Sarah and Rebecca of Seattle, Wash.; two brothers, Lynus and Leroy Ryan; two sisters, Mary Linard and Veronica Gates; along with many nieces and nephews.

Funeral mass was Oct. 5 at St. Margaret’s Catholic Church in Kimball. A committal service followed at St. Margaret’s Catholic Cemetery.

Expressions of sympathy may be extended to the family through www.mountfuneralhome.com.