David L Farmer

David Lyle Farmer, 84, of Crooks, South Dakota, passed away peacefully at home on October 24, 2025.

Prayer service will take place at 2:00 PM on Saturday, November 15, 2025 at Minnehaha Funeral Home in Baltic, SD. Burial will follow at Benton Lutheran Cemetery, rural Crooks, SD.

A time for visitation with family will be from 12:00 noon until the time of service at 2:00.

In lieu of flowers family will direct memorials to the Benton Lutheran Cemetery fund and the South Dakota Lions Foundation supporting eyeglass donation.

Dave was born on November 6, 1940, in Carroll, Iowa, the only child of Troy and Lorene Farmer. He met the love of his life, JoAnn Dicks, in 1962 when he stopped for dinner at a restaurant where she was working. The place was short-staffed, and when the manager offered a steak dinner to anyone willing to help with dishes, Dave jumped at the chance. JoAnn’s coworkers encouraged her to ask the handsome volunteer for a ride home that night—and the rest was history. They fell in love and were married later that year in Corning, Iowa. Together, they built a beautiful life and raised three children: Kevin, Bryon, and Troy.

In 1970, the family moved to Crooks, South Dakota, where they made their home and created decades of memories.

Dave spent his entire career on North Cliff Avenue in Sioux Falls and had a lifelong love of anything with an engine. He drove truck and worked construction before transitioning to repairing heavy equipment, rather than driving it, allowing him to stay close to the machinery he loved while being home with his growing family.

As an avid outdoorsman, he looked forward to heading west to the Black Hills for hunting trips with his sons and grandsons each fall. He also loved fishing—so much that he and JoAnn made a second home at the river in their RV, spending countless days together on the water.

Those who knew Dave will remember his strong will and stubborn streak—if something wasn’t done his way, it probably wasn’t getting done at all. He could often be found with his pipe in hand, wearing his trademark bib overalls, ready to fix, tinker, or offer his opinion on just about anything. Beneath that tough exterior, though, was a man deeply devoted to his family. More than anything, JoAnn was his best friend and the center of his world. He loved nothing more than having a house full of kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids during holidays and family gatherings. His easy laugh, strong work ethic, and generous heart will be remembered by all who knew him.

Dave was preceded in death by his parents, Troy and Lorene Farmer; his parents-in-law, Bob and Mary Dicks; his son, Troy Farmer; his great-grandson, Wicker Johnson; and his close friend, Jerry Moore.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, JoAnn; sons Kevin (Diana) Farmer of Whitewood and Bryon (April) Farmer of Crooks; daughter-in-law, Colleen Farmer of Dell Rapids; grandchildren Gina (Tim) Heggem of Rapid City, James (Lindsey) Fiorello of Spearfish, Corey Day of Coon Rapids, MN, Jonathan Farmer of Baltic, Tangi Andersen of Lake Preston, Matthew Farmer of Sioux Falls, and Skytanna Younger of Sioux Falls; and great-grandchildren James P.M. Fiorello, Lyric Fiorello, Oliver Emerson, Cian Fiorello, Andrew Heggem, Boden Fiorello, Hudson Hubers, and Emmitt Hubers.