Coping with Grief
We would like to offer our sincere support to anyone coping with grief. Enter your email below for our complimentary daily grief messages. Messages run for up to one year and you can stop at any time. Your email will not be used for any other purpose.
Hilmer Moen, age 87 of Watertown passed away on Thursday, June 24, 2021, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. Funeral Services will be at 10:30 am, Saturday, July 3, 2021, at Grace Lutheran Church in Watertown, SD. Rev. Cheryl Rondeau-Bassett will officiate. Music will be provided by A.J. Sherril as the organist and Leland Harding III as the soloist. The service will be streamed on Crawford-Osthus Facebook Live.
Visitation will be from 5-7 pm, on Friday, July 2, 2021, at the Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel in Watertown.
Burial will be at the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Watertown, SD. Military graveside honors conducted by: Codington County Post #17 of the American Legion, Watertown. Honorary pallbearers will be Himer’s great-grandchildren. Active pallbearers will be his grandchildren.
Hilmer was born on April 7, 1934, in Roseau, Minnesota to Henry and Betty Moen. They moved to Dahlen, North Dakota where he was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. Hilmer attended school in Dahlen and graduated in 1952 with six classmates. He was drafted into the Army in 1954 and was stationed in Seoul, Korea, working at Army Headquarters. After his honorable discharge in 1955 he returned to school at UND. On March 29, 1957, Hilmer was united in marriage with Elvira Svedberg at United Lutheran Church in Grand Forks.
He worked for Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. in Minot, Aberdeen, Fargo, and ended up in Watertown SD in 1963. He started working for Morton Buildings in 1970, as a salesman and retired in 1998. He always enjoyed a new adventure whether it was a business selling appliances, tires, boats & snowmobiles or converting a hospital into living spaces and office spaces.
Hilmer was an adventurer throughout his life. He was an avid snowmobiler, racing and participating in the Watertown Snowmobile Club. He enjoyed traveling in their motor homes and used one to tour Alaska after his retirement. He loved nature and the outdoors, watching the wildlife along the river behind his home and collecting wildlife paintings.
He was a life member of the American Legion, the VFW, the Elks, and the NRA. He was very active in the American Legion, first as Finance Officer and later became Post Commander in 2009. Hilmer was presented with an honorary life membership for all the work he did at Post #17. He worked hard for the Watertown Friends of NRA annual banquet and the Watertown Sportsfest for kids.
He enjoyed Cowboy Action shooting as well as reloading shells. In April of 2019, he flew to Washington DC, with the Midwest Honor Flight. His daughter Traci was his guardian.
Most of all he loved to be with family and friends. He always had a kind word or funny story to share and wanted nothing more than to help and make others happy. He loved to watch his grandkids and great grandkids grow up. He traveled many times to Minnesota to watch Apple Valley Wrestling.
Hilmer is survived by his wife, Elvira Moen, Watertown; his children, Jeri Wagoner, Watertown, SD, Lori (Pat) Sandor, Buckley, WA, Traci Meyer, Burnsville, MN, Loni (Lisa) Moen, Watertown, SD; his brother, Carmen (Julie) Moen, West Fargo, ND; six grandchildren, Briana Britt, Justin Meyer, Tyrone Meyer, James Meyer, Cassie Harding, Spencer Moen; and 16 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Bertha Moen.
Arrangements by Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel Watertown, Hayti, DeSmet, Bryant
www.crawford-osthus.com
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Hilmer J. Moen, please visit our floral store.