Fred Winter

Frederick Venus Winter was born April 9, 1929 in Hot Springs, South Dakota to parents Venus and Lydia (Winters) Winter. He passed away July 11, 2016. He lived with his parents at Our Redeemer's Lutheran parsonage in Martin, SD. When Frederick was of school age, his father accepted a pastoral call to Broken Bow, Nebraska where Frederick began school.

Later, the family moved to Flint, Michigan. High school years were spent at Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw, Michigan. He graduated in June of 1947. During Frederick's years in high school, he spent summers in South Dakota working for his uncle, Bob Winters. He got to SD either by bus or by hitch-hiking. The destination was commonly referred to as "SouDa" in letters and conversations during those years.

Frederick served in the United States Army from June 1951 - June 1953 in Korea. He served as a medic.

He was very active in the Lutheran Church, serving on the council in every capacity numerous times over 68 years as a church member. He was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Batesland, SD until it closed. He then became a member of Our Redeemer's Lutheran Church in Martin, SD.

From the start of his career in 1947, Frederick was always interested in soil conservation, applying numerous practices such as contour and strip farming and terraces. In the early 1990's with the encouragement, knowledge, and assistance from his son Paul, they pioneered the long term no-till farming in this area. The father/son team was quite successful with it, and no-till is still used on the farm today. They have one field that has been continuously cropped and untilled since the spring of 1982.

On December 24, 1960 Frederick married Alice Jane Lulf of Oelrichs, South Dakota. To this union, four children were born. A stillborn infant, Beverly, Paul, and Richard.

Frederick was preceded in death by his parents, Venus and Lydia Winter, a stillborn infant, and brother Richard Winter of Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

He is survived by his wife Alice of Batesland SD, daughter Beverly (Brett) Heath of Martin SD, sons Paul (Gail) Winter of Martin SD, and Richard Winter of Mission SD; 9 grandchildren: Jeremiah, Anthony, and Trenten Heath; LeeVi, Megan, Carli and Clarence Winter; and Bryant Winter and 4 great-grandchildren: Brilee and Huntlee Heath, Livia Hiland, and Abbigail Big Crow; sister Barbara Buchholz of Tucson, AZ, brother-in-law Melvin Lulf of Oelrichs, SD, sister-in-law Karen Winter of Manitowoc, WI and sister-in-law Carol Lulf of Scottsbluff, NE.

Visitation will be Friday, July 15, 2016 at Our Redeemer's Lutheran Church in Martin, SD beginning at 7:30. Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 16, 2016, 10:30AM at Our Redeemer's Lutheran Church in Martin, with gravesite service to follow at Gordon Cemetery in Gordon, NE.
A scholarship memorial has been established and donations can be sent in care of Bennett County Funeral Service Box 65 Martin, SD 57551

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