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Clarence "Pete" Rootof Rapid City, South Dakota, formerly of Midland, South Dakota, died on Friday, January 21, 1994
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Clarence S. Root, better known as "Pete" to his family and friends, was born December 6, 1900, at Aurelia, Iowa, to Charles and Elizabeth (Moist) Root.
In 1907 he moved with his parents and other members of the family to the Midland area. His father had homesteaded earlier south of Midland where they lived part-time to prove up on the homestead.
His father was a railroad man in Iowa and when the railroad was being built he was transferred to Midland. The family moved into the section house and this is where Pete grew up. Years later Pete purchased the section house and had it moved to the west end of Main Street where he and his wife lived for over 63 years.
Pete began working on the C&NW Railroad in 1915 and in 1924 he joined the Army and served for several years at Ft. Schafter, Hawaii. After his discharge he returned to Midland where he continued to work on the railroad until retiring in December 1965.
Pete was united in marriage to Margarite Pitz on January 9, 1926, at Ft. Pierre, South Dakota, by the Reverend C.M. Wierauch and to this union were born five children: Merlene, Karen, Phyllis, Donald, and James.
They made their home in Midland until the spring of 1990 when health reasons forced them to make the hardest decision of their lives, and that was to leave the home town of Midland and move to Rapid City.
He attended Trinity Lutheran Church of Midland and was a life member of the Brotherhood of Railroad Maintenance of Way. He enjoyed deer hunting in the Black Hills for over 25 years, enjoyed fishing and gardening and giving garden produce to friends and neighbors.
Grateful for having shared his life are his wife of 68 years, Margarite Root of Rapid City; two daughters, Merlene Rank of Rapid City and Karen Helmer of Tucson, Arizona; two sons, Donald Root of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and James Root of Kadoka; five grandchildren: Larry and Craig Rank of Rapid City, Barbabra Rank Foster of Chandler, Arizona, Michael Helmer of San Manuel, Arizona, and Eddie Seidler of Tucson, Arizona; seven great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends.
Pete was preceded in death by a daughter, Phyllis Root in 1945 at the age of 9 years; his parents; four sisters; and three brothers.
Services
Tuesday, January 25, 1994
2:00 p.m.
Trinity Lutheran Church
Midland, South Dakota
Officiating
Reverend Martin Osterloh
Music
Bob Sheeley - Organist
Marlis Doud, Rick Doud, Lennard Blucher,
Wylie Schwalm, & Wallace Willoughby - Vocalists
"How Great Thou Art"
"Beyond the Sunset"
Ushers
Ronnie Sammons - Bob Evans
Active Pallbearers
Clifford Phillips - Ivan Schilling
Kandus Woitte - Ernest D. Nemec
Richard Doud - James Bierle
Honorary Pallbearers
All relatives and friends in attendance
Interment
Midland Cemetery
Midland, South Dakota
Services
Tuesday, January 25, 1994
2:00 p.m.
Trinity Lutheran Church in Midland