Leonard William Haase

Leonard William Haase, 88, formerly of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, died November 27, 2017, a few days after rolling one last Yahtzee in Thanksgiving games with family in Spokane, Washington. He was born June 8, 1929 to Gus and Helen Haase on the family farm near Merricourt, North Dakota. He was their first-born son and second eldest of seven siblings. After completing school through eighth grade, he helped on the family farm for years before entering the U.S. Army in 1951. He fought in the Korean War as a tank sergeant. His military honors include the Korean service medal with two bronze service stars, the United Nations service medal, an overseas service bar, and an occupation medal for service in Japan. On Memorial Day 2001, he was personally presented the Republic of Korea War Service Medal by former South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson. Leonard was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. After the war, he returned to Ellendale, North Dakota, marrying Shirley Mae Reinke in 1954. He supervised road construction crews in Arizona, Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota, including building materials for children’s schools on the Navajo Indian reservation in Arizona. In the 1970s he worked as a field service supervisor for Brown County Implement in Aberdeen, SD. He and Shirley moved to Rapid City in the 1990s where he continued for Jenner Equipment. Leonard was excellent at diagnosing and fixing all kinds of farm mechanical equipment; he enjoyed his work until finally retiring at age 71. After retirement, Leonard and Shirley moved to live near their son: first Sioux Falls in 2006 and then Spokane, Washington in 2017. Leonard greatly enjoyed walleye fishing and pheasant hunting with his son every year for decades until his mid-eighties. Leonard considered the Spokane move to be another adventure to enjoy nature’s beauty and wildlife. Leonard is survived by 4 siblings; his devoted wife of 63 years, Shirley; daughter Debra (Bill) Harris of Phoenix, AZ; daughter Pamela (Richard) Willett of New York, New York; son Steven (Joanne) Haase of Spokane, Washington; three grandchildren (Billy Harris, Lauren Besins, Christina Steinke) and their spouses; and 5 great-grandchildren. A Celebration of Life will be Saturday, January 13, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at Hoven Funeral Chapel in Ellendale, ND.