Verne Dean Brakke
July 20, 1923 - April 24, 2020

​Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, there will be no public service for Verne Dean Brakke, 96, of Presho, SD.
The family wishes to invite you to join them in celebrating Dean’s life at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, 2020, through a live stream video link that will be posted the day of the service.
Burial will follow the service at the Presho City Cemetery of Presho, SD.
Verne Dean Brakke died April 24, 2020.
Verne Dean Brakke was born July 20, 1923, at Presho, SD, to Andrew and Anna (Overgaard) Brakke.
He graduated from Presho High School of Presho, SD, in 1940 and attended South Dakota State College of Brookings, SD, before returning home to farm and ranch with his parents on the Brakke homestead (1890).
Dean married Marion Lillebo on Sept. 11, 1947, and made their home on the Brakke homestead where they raised their four children – Curtis, Verne, Karen and Marc.
While farming was Dean’s greatest passion, he gave new meaning to the term, diversification in agriculture by also raising purebred Herefords, Hampshire, Duroc and Yorkshire breeding gilts and boars, laying chickens,
bucket lambs for the kids to raise, foundation and certified wheat seed and introducing milo to Lyman County of South Dakota with his 28 years with DeKalb seed sales. He truly loved the farm and the farming that went with it.
Dean found strength in the power of prayer and song. Beginning with a strong family faith, he was blessed with a beautiful voice. His singing was well recognized in his early years and throughout his life. His voice provided comfort and joy at funerals and family gatherings, not to be outdone by a spontaneous performance for grandkids or caregivers.
Dean was also extremely proud of his Norwegian heritage by frequently taking part in lutefisk and lefsa dinners, repeating his favorite Norwegian prayer at meals and even getting in two trips to Norway to visit family. His last trip to Norway included Curtis, Karen and Verne where they were able to visit the original Brakke Farm north of Skein, Norway, and travel to Oslo and Laerdal to meet up with many cousins on the Overgaard family farms.
The Norwegian food, fellowship and Norwegian dinner prayers were truly cherished memories by everyone.
Dean strongly believed in the leadership qualities that 4-H brought to youth. He was a 4-H leader for 19 years in Lyman County of South Dakota and truly left his mark on future generations to come because of their involvement with 4-H.
Dean’s involvement in local and statewide organizations also was felt through the Presho American Lutheran Church, 4-H Leaders Association, South Dakota Hereford Association, South Dakota Crop Improvement Association, South Dakota Farm Bureau and many others.
In the fall of 2016, sadly, Dean and Marion moved from the farm, where Dean had lived and worked for 92 years, to Edgewood Senior Living in Pierre, SD.
In December of 2019, he was transferred to Avera Maryhouse Skilled Care. He was ever so thankful and grateful for those who cared for him and gave him an opportunity to share his story of a wonderful life that his
Creator and Lord made possible. He always left you feeling better having shared time and conversation with him.
Grateful for having shared his life are his wife of 73 years, Marion Brakke of Pierre, SD; Curtis Brakke and wife, Barbara of Green Valley, AZ, Verne Brakke and wife, Debbie of Pierre, SD, and Karen (Brakke) Tuschen and husband, Wayne of Lake Madison, SD; 12 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Andrew and Anna Brakke; all his siblings; a son, Marc Andrew Brakke and a grandchild, Beth Lynn Brakke.
Isburg Funeral Chapel of Presho, SD, was in charge of arrangements.
Those not able to attend services are welcome to take part in the “Together In Spirit” option by e-mailing their name and a message of support to togetherinspirit@yahoo.com. The message will be placed on a heart that
will be attached to a chair at the service. The family will be able to read the heartfelt message and know that you are together with them in spirit.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made out to Presho American Lutheran Church or the Greater Lyman Foundation.