Martin Seppanen

Lake Norden, South Dakota

Prayer Service 7:00 P.M., Wednesday, October 1, 2008 Lake Norden Apostolic Lutheran Church Lake Norden, South Dakota

Funeral Service 11:00 A.M., Thursday, October 2, 2008 Watertown Apostolic Lutheran Church Watertown, South Dakota

Visitation 5:00 to 7:00 PM Wednesday at the Lake Norden Apostolic Lutheran Church in Lake Norden.



Martin N. Seppanen, son of Mathias and Ida (Kangas) Seppanen, was born December 19, 1921, on a farm near Bryant, South Dakota. He grew up there and received his education in a rural school in that area. He started farming with his father and then served in the United States Army during World War II from September 10, 1942 to October 9, 1945. After his discharge he returned to South Dakota and resumed farming. He was united in marriage to Bernice Johnson on June 16, 1948, in Kintyre, North Dakota. They operated a dairy farm in the Lake Norden and Watertown areas. During those years he also was a cabinet maker for 15 years. Martin retired from farming in the mid 1990's and later entered Parkview Care Center in Bryant in November of 2006. He died there on Sunday, September 28, 2008, at the age of 86 years, 9 months and 9 days.

He was a life long member of the Apostolic Lutheran Church.

Grateful for having shared his life are his wife Bernice of Bryant; their children, Janet (Reino) Maunu of Watertown, Phyllis Boyd of Watertown, Linda (Kenneth) Matson of DeSmet, SD, Dale (Jane) Seppanen of Waubay, SD, Carol Seppanen of Watertown, Timothy (Deloris) Seppanen of Watertown, Gail (Robert) Max of White Lake, SD; 30 grandchildren; 16 great grandchildren; two brothers, Elwood (Martha) Seppanen and Stewart (Cora) Seppanen, all of Vienna, SD; one sister, Minnie (Willard) Isaacson of Lake Norden; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Martin was preceded in death by his parents, 2 grandsons, 2 great grandchildren; 6 brothers and 2 sisters.