George Dobesh was born January 30, 1911, in their sod house near
Burke, SD to Joseph & Anna (Zabransky) Dobesh. 

He passed on November 27, 1992 at Spearfish, SD. 

George was 81.

Services were held Monday at United Methodist Church in spearfish, with the Rev. Gordon
Higgins officiating.

Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery in Spearfish. Fidler Funeral Chapel was in charge of arrangements.

A memorial has been established to the United Methodist Church.

Only attending 8 years of grade school, he was once described
as a self-educated man.

He married Bernice Swallom on December 31, 1935, in Springfield, SD.




He spent a lifetime working in agriculture. He was the superintendent of 
South Dakota State College Experimental Station at Cottonwood. He later raised
top-quality registered Hereford cattle at his ranch in western South Dakota.

Retiring from his ranch, he and his wife moved to Spearfish. He took the 
position of supervisor of the South Dakota Dairy Herd Improvement Association in the 
Black Hills area from 1963 to 1972. They also operated a greenhouse and truck
garden in Spearfish.

He was always active in community activities, being a 4-H Club leader for 24 years, 
office of the State Leaders Association and adviser to the South Dakota
Junior Stockgrowers Association.

He was a member of the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, South Dakota Farm Bureau,
South Dakota Section of the American Society of Range Management, Meade County Fair
Association, South Dakota Livestock Production Records and Western Junior Livestock
Show.

He was very active in the Spearfish Senior Citizens and portrayed Matthew in the
Black Hills Passion Play for many years. He was a member of the Spearfish
United Methodist Church where he served on several committees.

He was also a very active member of the Spearfish Cemetery Association Board
and recording of graves at the Rose Hill Cemetery.

Survivors include his wife, Bernice, one son & daughter-in-law, Frank & Marilyn Dobesh
of Belle Fourche; one daughter & son-in-law Barbara & Kent Robinson of Belle Fourche;
one brother, Joseph Dobesh of Tyndall; two sisters, Lydia Stverak of Rapid City, and 
Gertrude Carter of Loveland, Colorado; nine grandchildren; and 10 greatgrand children.

He was preceded in death by one daughter, Janet Septka, four sisters and his parents.






George's daughter-in-law has a way with words and she wrote this about him:

MY FATHER-IN-LAW

Lord, you really blessed me well
And now I have a story to tell!

30 years ago one August day
Not only one man came my way!

But a new family and father-in-law
And the man to be our kids Grandpa.

The years I knew him best
Were not always his busiest.

And since he lived to be 81
He was 50 before we'd begun.

So my memories do not go way back
When he was active in this and that.

But the years we shared together
Through good and stormy weather

Will always be ones to remember
With memories to live on forever.

He's the only father-in-law I had
And the one to become my 2nd Dad!

Many thought I was a very young bride
But he always welcomed me with pride.

And he was always patient with me
As I learned to be a wife and Mommy.

Then as many foster kids came our way
He was there to share, love and play.

They could melt his heart and share his knee
And he would make their eyes glisten with glee!

He shared and cared and loved them all
Black, red or white whichever came to call!

He liked things simple and complete
And not lots of detail to make them neat.

His hands were kept busy for craft fairs
And we all have samples he did share.

Family and friends spent many an hour
Playing and challenging his card power.

I thank him too, for all my family
For without him, where would we all be?

HIS ONLY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW,
Marilyn (Crago) Dobesh
Novermber 30, 1992





I will lift up mine eyes unto
the hills, from whence cometh
my help.

My help cometh from the Lord,
which made heaven and earth.


The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord
is thy shade upon thy right hand.

The sun shall not smite thee by day,
nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve thee from
all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

The Lord shall preserve thy going
out and thy coming in from this time
forth, and even for evermore.

Psalm 121















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Last updated 9 May 2006



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