Earl Dean Nebelsick

Earl Dean Nebelsick, age 88, of Mitchell, SD died Sunday, November 7, 2021 at Firesteel Healthcare Center.

Funeral services will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, November 13 at the First Presbyterian Church in Mitchell, with burial with military honors at Graceland Cemetery. Visitation will be at the Will Funeral Chapel from 6:00 to 8:00 pm Friday, with a prayer service and time of sharing at 7 p.m.

Earl Dean Nebelsick was born in the family farmhouse in rural Hanson County, SD on February 12th, 1933, to Louis and Habie (Heronimus) Nebelsick. He graduated from Farmer High School in 1951, farmed with his dad and custom baled with his brother Duane for one year, then began his studies at Dakota Wesleyan University, where he was on the varsity basketball team.

Earl served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955 as a paratrooper in the 11th Airborne Division. 

Earl returned to farming and DWU, graduating in 1959. He completed his MA in Ed. Admin. from SDSU in 1969, with 30 hours of graduate work at USD and UW.

His years in teaching and coaching included Fulton (4), Emery (1), Hudson (6); Asst. Supt. in Moorcroft, WY (4), and Jr/Sr High Principal in Howard (19), where he also coached his daughters. He served as Pres. of the NE WY Sch. Adm, Pres. of Howard LCC, Sec. of SE SD Principals, & Sec. of Tri Valley Conf. 

He was an active member of SASD, SDASSP, NASSP, Area 2 Adm., and NCA Accreditation Teams. He was nominated for SD Principal of the Year in 1987, named DWU Outstanding Educator in 1991, and inducted into the Hanson School District Hall of Fame in 2019.

In retirement, Earl drove school bus for 17 years, served on the Howard City Council, enjoyed traveling with sister Ivadell and Will Hafemeyer, supported the DWU Tigers and faithfully followed 16 grandchildren in their church and school activities. Earl volunteered as a lay pastor, including services at the Good Samaritan Home in Howard.

Earl and Rowena (Roman) were married on January 14, 1956. They raised five children. He was proud that his family represented over 240 years of teaching.

Earl is survived by his wife, sons Terry (Diana Hall), Huron; Larry (Dawn Northrup), Canistota; Gary (Barb Grassel), Elk Point; daughters Lori (Dave Gullett) Nebelsick-Gullett, Castle Rock, CO, and Linda (Doug) Pietz, Huron; 16 grandchildren: Jennifer (Brian) Lowery, Kayla (Dave Hartz) Nebelsick, Jeremy (Rachel Tschetter) Nebelsick, Candice (Jason) VanLiere, Keri Nebelsick, Kelsie (Kevin) Hagelin, Lindsey (Mike)Swenson, Leslie (Blake) Allard, Michael (Brittany VanderHeiden) Nebelsick, Mary (Joel) Haveman, Danielle (Matt) Monroe, Jake (Sidney Hulse) Gullett, Lukas (Ashley Delva) Nebelsick-Gullett, Katelyn (Patrick) Tschetter, Robert (Marissa Murphy) Pietz, and Tanner Pietz; 27 great-grandchildren; sisters Virginia (Dale) Tutje and Ivadean Nebelsick; brothers-in-law Ted Roman and John (Kathy) Roman; sisters-in-law Marjorie Nebelsick, Holly Roman; and over 100 nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers (and spouses) Leonard (and Lillian), George (and Eunice), Harold (and Melissa), Duane, Virgil, Ervin; sisters Adeline Montgomery, Myrna Nebelsick and Ivadell (& Will) Hafemeyer; brother-in-law Robert Roman; and sister-in-law Helen Roman.

Memorials may be directed to the Nebelsick Endowed Scholarship at DWU or the First Presbyterian Church of Mitchell.