Donald M. Lee

Donald Marinus Lee, age 91, of Arlington, SD passed away October 6, 2025, at The Neighborhoods in Brookings, SD.

Celebration of Life for Donald M. Lee will be 1:00 PM Monday, October 13, 2025, at Calvary Free Lutheran Church in Arlington. Visitation will be from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the church on Monday, October 13, 2025, with Pastor Seth Moen officiating. Military honors will be provided by American Legion Post #42 of Arlington.  Arrangements have been entrusted to Crawford-Osthus/Johnson-Henry Funeral Chapel in Arlington.

Donald was born February 2, 1934, in rural DeSmet, SD to Alfred and Anna (Hoyer) Lee. Donald attended a one room schoolhouse west of Arlington until starting fifth grade at “town school” in Arlington. He graduated from Arlington High School in 1952. He had a love of math and science and was offered an engineering scholarship to SDSC (now SDSU).
After starting college, Donald figured out engineers spend most of their time in an office and he knew that was not the life for him. He changed his major to Dairy Science because he loved working with cows.

Donald participated in Air Force ROTC during college and upon graduation in 1956 he received a First Lieutenant commission. He qualified for pilot’s training and piloted several different planes during his time in the Air Force. He flew over the Atlantic Ocean many times in a B47 using only the stars for navigation. One of his crew’s missions was to carry nuclear bombs over Russia during the Cold War, prepared to drop them of ordered. He had the opportunity to travel the world while in the Air Force and he visited many countries, but his goal was to return to farming. He often shared that “I knew people who were looking up at the airplanes in the sky saying I wish I could fly, but I was in the airplane looking down thinking I wish I could farm.” Donald reached the rank of Captain in the Air Force.

On October 31, 1959, Donald married Mary Anita Weigand from Ottawa, Kansas. They met at a Halloween party in 1958, and he described it as “love at first sight”. Mary’s father said they had to know each other at least one year before they could get married so they agreed to his wish. In 1960 Donald and Mary returned to South Dakota to begin farming with Donald’s parent's west of Arlington. Together they built a prosperous dairy herd and raised their four children. Donald opened their farm to 4-H, FFA, and SDSU students for cattle judging clinics and tours. They milked cows together for 37 years. After selling their herd, they purchased the Dairy Mart in Arlington in partnership with their son and daughter in law.

Donald was involved in several boards throughout his lifetime including the Arlington Creamery Board, AMPI, Kingsbury / Brookings Dairy Herd Improvement Association, Production Credit Association, Farm Credit Services of America, and the Arlington Farmers Elevator. In the 1990’s Donald was appointed by the governor to the South Dakota Dairy Promotion Board. He also served multiple terms on the Kingsbury County Commission.

Mary passed away in 2006. In 2011 he received a phone call from a person he had not seen in over 55 years. A couple weeks later he boarded an Amtrak train headed to Walla Walla, Washington to reconnect with his high school girlfriend, Joan (Sween) Oberg. They spent the next decade dividing their time between her home in Walla Walla and his home in Arlington. Together they traveled the country. Don’s favorite trips were the ones with no plan and no itinerary. Joan passed away in 2023.

Donald was preceded in death by his wife Mary, an infant stillborn daughter, his parents Alfred and Anna Lee, his brother Warren Lee, and his sisters Maxine Berg and Lorraine Risch.

Donald is survived by his children Patty (Brad) Busch, Belvidere, SD; Chris (Jolene) Lee, Dell Rapids, SD; Curt (Julie) Lee, Arlington, SD; and Donna (Kelly) Bittiker, Arlington, SD; nine grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren (plus one more on the way) and four step great- grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister Lucille Reed of Sioux City, Iowa.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Crawford-Osthus/Johnson-Henry Funeral Chapel, of Arlington.

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