William "Bill" Ortmeier Sr.

William “Bill” J. Ortmeier Sr., age 99, of Watertown, SD, passed away on October 18, 2021.  Funeral Mass will be at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 23, 2021, at St. Liborius Catholic Church in Polo, SD.  Father Denis Meier will be the celebrant.  The service will be on Facebook Live via the Crawford Osthus Funeral Chapel Facebook page.

Visitation will be at Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel in Watertown on Friday from 5-7 p.m., with a scripture wake service at 6:30 p.m., and one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday.

Burial will be at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Polo, SD.  Active pallbearers will be: Joe Ortmeier, Nick Ortmeier, David Ortmeier, Aron Baloun, BJ Ortmeier, and Tracy Vomacka.

Bill was born March 10, 1922, to Max and Elizabeth (Schaefers) Ortmeier. Bill had 9 siblings, 8 of them preceding him in death. Bill grew up on a farm in Hand County, SD, and attended school in Polo, SD, where he met the love of his life and wife of 71 years, Katherine (Abernathy), who preceded him in death 6 years ago.

Bill and Katherine started their married life on a farm west of Polo. They farmed and raised 9 of their 11 children there, (2 having died shortly after birth).  Bill farmed for 43 years in Hand County, retiring in 1977. After a few years traveling in a motorhome to visit children living in Reno, they bought a home in Watertown, SD, to be near their son, Robert.

Bill is survived by one brother, Jim, who remains on the homestead in Hand County. He is survived by daughters: Judi (John) Bokenfohr, St Albert, Alberta, Canada, Mary (Stephen) Powers, Reno, Nevada, Gloria (John) Byrne, Buckeye, Arizona, CamMay (Brad) Baloun, Sioux Falls and Highmore, SD, and Dianne Zweifel, Reno, Nevada; sons: Bill Jr. (Brenda), Joe (Vicki Rehder), and Robert, all of Watertown SD. Bill has 29 grandchildren, 71 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great grandchildren.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife in 2015, son, Kenneth (Judy) of Calahoo, Alberta, Canada, in 2018, and babies mentioned above.

The family thanks Benet Place, StoneyBrook, and Prairie Lakes Hospice in Watertown, SD.  A very special thank you to ALL the staff at Jenkins Living Center, who welcomed him into their family, and loved him through times of no visitors, due to Covid. The family witnessed first-hand the excellent care and love they gave to Bill, every hour of every day until his death.

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

Watertown, Hayti, De Smet, Bryant

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