Joseph "Joe" B. McCabe, age 88 years and 7 months, of Watertown, SD, passed away on Thursday, January 24, 2019, at a local care facility.
Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, January 28, 2019, at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Watertown.
Father Michael Wensing will be the celebrant.
Music will be provided by Jane Rokusek as organist with Deb Schroeder as song leader and soloist.
The family is requested to meet at the church by 10:00 a.m. for a prayer service. Visitation will be at Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel in Watertown on Sunday, January 27, 2019, from 5:00-6:30 p.m. with a 6:30 p.m. Scripture Wake Service.
Visitation will resume prior to services at the church on Monday. Burial will be at Esterly Cemetery in rural Florence, SD.
Pallbearers will be Loren Fleming, Tom Jostad, Marty Tschakert, Jeff Wensing, Brandon Wik and Daren Gollnick. Joseph was born to John and Caroline (Haas) McCabe on March 23, 1930, on the home farm in Phipps Township where he grew up.
He attended rural grade school, Grandview #55; the same school which his dad attended years before in 1889.
Joseph was a farmer at heart and helped with farm life in his maturing years, taking over with his dad after graduation and continued farming his entire life.
He was always ready to lend a hand to any neighbors in need.
He worked as an ASCS committeeman and also served on the township board and as a supervisor for many years. In 1952, he was inducted into the Army at Fort Leonardwood, Mo. and was sent to Korea near Pusan, where he was a crane operator and did heavy duty machine repair work.
After serving in Korea, he returned home to farming until his retirement. Joseph enjoyed traveling to points of interest from Washington State, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Arizona, Iowa, Canada and Alaska.
Playing cards, fishing and exchanging stories and "words of wisdom" with his buddies were moments to remember. He was a member of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Florence in his early life and after moving to Watertown, he attended Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church.
He was also a member of Watertown's VFW. Joseph is survived by his sisters, Pauline McCabe and Helen Gollnick, both of Watertown, SD. Joseph is preceded in death by his parents; three infant brothers; his brother-in-law, Fritz Gollnick; and numerous uncles, aunts and cousins.
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