William Virchow

William Virchow, age 82, of Lake Preston, SD, passed away on Monday, September 16, 2024, at Avantara in Lake Norden, SD.

Memorial Services will be held at 2:00 PM on Monday, September 23, 2024, at Lake Preston Lutheran Church in Lake Preston, SD. Reverend Marjie Brewton will officiate.

Visitation will be held from 12:00-2:00 PM on Monday, September 23, 2024, at Lake Preston Lutheran Church in Lake Preston, SD.

There will be no burial at this time.

William was born on September 10, 1942, the second of Frank and Edith (Anderson) Virchow’s four sons. He grew up on a farm North of Lake Preston.

A lifelong resident of Kingsbury County, he attended Country School and Erwin High School. He was a proud veteran, completing his United States Army Basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, and serving six years in the South Dakota National Guard. William married Gloria Gilbertson on June 27, 1964. They had one son, Dale William Virchow. William was a member of the Erwin American Legion Post 241 and the Erwin United Church of Christ.

William’s passion was farming and ranching. He worked hard and enjoyed bringing his dog along with him wherever he went. He took pleasure in collecting antique tractors. When he wasn’t in a tractor, he liked to attend antique tractor shows.

During the 1970s, he was active in the American Agriculture Movement (AAM). This included traveling to Washington DC with thousands of farmers from across the nation in their tractors.

He was a good a neighbor, made many friends, and was always willing to offer a helping hand. William held a wealth of memories of local history and had the ability to know which stream or slough each lake drained into.

A loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, William is survived by his wife of 60 years, Gloria of Lake Preston; his son, Dale (Nadene Powell) of Lake Preston; grandchildren, Casey (Wade) Nelson of Burns, WY, and Kyle (Jessica) Virchow of Lake Preston; two great-grandchildren, Richard and Harper; two brothers, Frank Virchow of Lake Preston and David (Janelle) Virchow of Arlington; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Edith (Anderson) Virchow as well as an infant brother, Harold.

Arrangements by Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel               www.crawfordosthus.com

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