Milton "Bud" Merkwan

Milton “Bud” Merkwan, age 87, of Yankton, South Dakota, died peacefully in his sleep at home on August 30, 2023.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 AM on Thursday, September 7, 2023, at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Yankton, South Dakota, with Reverend Tom Anderson officiating. The Mass will be live streamed and can be viewed at www.facebook.com/WintzRay or at the bottom of this obituary. Burial will be in the Sacred Heart Cemetery in Yankton, South Dakota. Visitation is from 5:00 to 7:00 PM on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, at the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home in Yankton, South Dakota, with a vigil service and rosary at 7:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made out to the Yankton Catholic Community Foundation at 509 Capital Street, Yankton, SD 57078 and they will be deposited into the Bettie Merkwan Endowment Fund.

Pallbearers will be Nic Dwyer, Tim Cody, Danny Warren, Jim Williams, Jon Williams, and Joe Williams.  Honorary pallbearers will be Marvin Merkwan, Dennis Breck, Loy Gravholt, Bob Koletzky, Donavan Dean, Gary Pedersen, Mike Miller, and Dan Lammers.

Milton “Bud” Merkwan was born January 31, 1936, in Avon South Dakota, to William and Hattie (Uherka) Merkwan. He grew up in Avon and graduated from Avon High School in 1954. After high school, he served in the US Army, National Guard. He married his high school sweetheart, Bettie Jean Halsey on December 1, 1958, in Yankton, South Dakota. They settled in Yankton where Bud worked for Zimmerman Motors later becoming their top salesman. Bud eventually joined his wife, Bettie in the real estate business.  Together they owned and operated Merkwan Real Estate in Yankton which later became Lewis & Clark Realty.

Bud was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, Yankton Elks Lodge, VFW and the Old Iron Association. He was a happy easy going man who loved being around people and spending time with his coffee friends at Tastee Treet, Fryn’ Pan and Yesterdays Café. He enjoyed fishing, boating, playing cards, but especially loved spending time with his family.

Survivors include his three children: Kris Merkwan of Irvine, CA; Tod Merkwan and his wife Dory of Huntington Beach, CA; Sarah Worman and her husband Jeff of Sandia Park, NM; son-in-law, Brad Adamson of Sioux Falls, SD; five grandchildren: Matt Adamson and his wife Stacy of Sioux Falls; Ryan Dwyer and his wife Jill of San Francisco, CA; Malorie Adamson and her partner Joseph Ducey of Sioux Falls; Nic Dwyer and partner Megan Cocrin of Juneau, AK;  and Scott Merkwan of Huntington Beach CA; four great grandchildren: Veronica, Corinne, Adrianna and Francesca; brother, Marvin and Rayna Merkwan of Tabor, SD; two sisters-in-law, Beverly and Wayne Everson of Cape Coral, FL and Denise Samboceti of Placerville CA; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Hattie Merkwan; wife, Bettie Merkwan; daughter, Kimberly Adamson, sister, Lenore and Jim Williams; Tom Halsey; and Margie Halsey.