Duane C. Kleinschmit

Duane C. Kleinschmit, age 76, of Yankton, South Dakota, died Saturday, December 21, 2019, at his home in Yankton. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 AM on Friday, December 27, 2019, at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Menominee, Nebraska with Reverend Jim Keiter officiating. Military honors will be provided by the Crofton American Legion Post 128. Burial will be in St. Boniface Cemetery at a later date. Visitation is from 5:00 to 8:00 PM on Thursday, December 26, 2019, at the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home in Yankton, South Dakota, with a rosary and vigil service at 7:00 PM. Pallbearers are Doug Schurman, Mike Manas, Kelly Mauer, Troy Schmitt, J.R. Kleinschmit, Cory Sudbeck, Kyle Kleinschmit, Lepiro Kantai. Honorary pallbearers will be his goddaughters and grandchildren. Duane C. Kleinschmit was born November 9, 1943 in Menominee, Nebraska to Andrew and Agatha (Wiebelhaus) Kleinschmit. He grew up on the farm near Menominee and graduated from Crofton High School in 1962. He enlisted in the United States Army and served in Panama as a paratrooper. After he completed his service in the army he returned to the family farm near Menominee which he eventually took over and farmed until 2004 when he retired and moved to Yankton, South Dakota. While he was farming he also drove the school bus. He loved visiting with the kids and would make beef jerky for all the kids on his route. Duane was a member of St. Boniface Catholic Church, the American Legion, and The Center in Yankton. He loved visiting with friends and family and enjoyed going for coffee. He loved making salsa from his garden, jelly from his fruit trees, beef jerky and wine. He was a generous, kind and welcoming man who would help anyone who needed a hand, picking up hitchhikers and inviting them to supper or even to a Christmas Party. He loved dressing up as Santa Clause on Christmas and visiting with children. He enjoyed watching politics and westerns and was always ready for a card game. He loved spending time with his family and especially loved his grandkids. Survivors include his significant other, Linda Abbott of Yankton; seven children: Toni (Phillip) Stahl of Yankton; Camille (Francis) Kantai of Wayne, Nebraska; Ellie Mae Kleinschmit of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Pamela (John) Dickes of Wayne; Agnes (Brad) Wissink of Lincoln, Nebraska; Andrew (Shelby) Kleinschmit of Omaha, Nebraska; and Danielle (Tony) Becker of Tea, South Dakota; 15 grandchildren; three sisters: Gertie (Chan) Shippy of Colome, South Dakota; Gracie (Don) Mauer of Plainview, Nebraska; and Andrea “Andy” Sudbeck of Fordyce, Nebraska; two brothers: Vernon (Patty) Kleinschmidt of Pearl City, Hawaii and Galen (Betty) Kleinschmit of St. Helena, Nebraska; brother-in-law, Marvin Manas of Utica, South Dakota; Linda’s son, David Smith of Yankton and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Bonita; three sisters: Karen Kleinschmit, Bonita Kleinschmit; and Marie Manas; and brother-in-law, Ed Sudbeck. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the River City Domestic Violence Center/River City Family Connections, PO Box 626, Yankton, SD  57078.