Donald Roy 'Don' Fish, age 98, of Oral, SD, passed away Monday, May 18, 2009 at the Custer Regional Senior Care Center in Custer, SD.

Don was born August 21, 1910, at Randolph, NE, to Roy and Beulah (Athey) Fish, being the second of five children. He attended grade school near Hemmingford, NE, and graduated from Alliance, NE high school.

He married Frances Pelley at Chadron, NE in 1940, and started farming, ranching and trucking around the Chadron, Hay Springs, Hemmingford, NE areas. They had two sons, Donald Sam and Larry Dean.

In 1950 he brought his family to South Dakota to a place he bought between Oral and Smithwick. He recalled that day many times. The truck broke down at the state line and they arrived at their two room shack at one in the morning the day before Thanksgiving to their first South Dakota blizzard. He resided there farming, ranching, trucking, fishing and helping neighbors. His son, Don bought his place but he continued to live there and continued to combine, truck, fish, hunt, play cards, golf and help neighbors. He had owned a truck since he was nineteen years old. At 95 years old Don moved to Brookside Apartments in Hot Springs where he resided until the fall of 2008 when an illness caused him to move to Custer.

Survivors include his sister, Lorraine Mohr of Butte, NE; brother, Dean Fish of Lakewood, CA; his son, Don (Jerry) Fish of Oral; grandsons, Josh (Misty) Fish of Custer; Ty (Kelly) Fish of Buffalo Gap, SD; granddaughters, Tracy (RT) Hartshorn of Osakis, MN; Sunnie (Dustin) Reeves of Owanka, SD; Bunny (Roy) Boldon of Buffalo Gap; great grandchildren, Destynee Fish; Dustyn Fish; Logan Hartshorn; Laynee Hartshorn, Josee Hartshorn; Thor Fish; Zane Boldon; Breezy Boldon; Baxter Boldon and numerous nieces and nephews.

Don was preceded in death by his wife, Frances, two sisters and his son, Dean.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m., Sunday, May 24, 2009 at McColley's Chapel of the Hills in Hot Springs.

Funeral Services will be at 2:00 p.m., Monday, May 25, 2009 at St. John Lutheran Church in Hot Springs with Pastor Dwayne Hunzeker officiating. Interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery in Oral.

A memorial has been established in Don's name.

Arrangements have been placed in the care of McColley's Chapel of the Hills in Hot Springs. Written condolences can be made at www.mccolleyschapels.com.