Obituary of George Safar

Mitchell – George Safar, 101, went to his heavenly home Monday, September 4 at Firesteel Healthcare Center.  Funeral service will be Saturday, September 9 at 10:00 am, with visitation beginning at 9:00 am, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Stickney.  Arrangements by Koehn Bros. Funeral Home in Stickney.

George was born July 4, 1922 to James and Fannie (Dolezal) Safar at Lake Andes, SD.  He attended country schools near Lake Andes and had many memories of growing up on the Lake and the Missouri River where he would often hunt and fish.  At about the age of 18, he came to Stickney, SD to work for John and Lena Assmus.  It was here that he met Dorothy Hargens.  They were united in marriage on September 26, 1942.  They moved back to Lake Andes for a short time before moving back to Stickney where he began farming and doing custom corn shelling.  With his good work ethic, he put his heart and soul into his work.  Over the years, he served on the Dudley Township board for 21 years and the St. Paul Lutheran Church council, where he was a member.  After retirement, he pursued a hobby of restoring and selling old windmills, which took him around the country making new friends.  He enjoyed dancing, Bohemian music and vacationing and traveling throughout the states with Dorothy.  It is very fitting that he was born on July 4 because he was a firecracker and died on Labor Day because he was a hard worker.

Grateful for having shared his life are his 3 children:  Sharon (Ken) Artz of Stickney; Marilyn (Curt) Bloemendaal of Luverne, MN; and Roger Safar of Stickney; grandchildren:  Rhonda Punt, Lisa Anderson, Stacey Niewenhuis, Kirk Bloemendaal, Cory Bloemendaal, Kristine Van Gorp, Melynda Jauert, Traci Munneke and Troy Safar; 17 great-grandchildren; 3 great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife of 55 years, Dorothy in 1999; son, Rodney; daughter-in-law, Brenda Safar; 3 brothers, William, Victor and Richard; a sister, Ella; brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews.