Arthur F. Erpenbach, age 87 of Ethan, died Saturday, July 11, 2009 at Firesteel Health Care Center. Funeral services will be at 10:30 AM Wednesday, at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Ethan. Visitation will be Tuesday from 6 to 8 PM at the church in Ethan with a prayer service at 7:00 PM. Burial will be in Holy Trinity Cemetery in Ethan. Will Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.

Arthur F. Erpenbach was born in Ethan, SD on May 22nd, 1922 to John and Anna (Bowar) Erpenbach. He grew up in the Ethan area and attended grade school at Tobin Township and high school at Ethan, SD. He married Marie J. Wisner on October 13th, 1943 at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Dimock, SD. Arthur and Marie farmed west of Ethan for the first two years of their marriage and then moved to a farm 2 miles north of Ethan, SD where they farmed and
eventually retired.

Arthur loved hunting, snowmobiling, trap shooting, and when he was younger, water skiing. He loved telling hunting stories about the times he took his Grand Sons goose hunting. Arthur loved playing cards and hardly a week went by that he was not playing pinochle or pitch. He and his wife also belonged to a square dancing club and spent many years dancing. He served on the Lisbon Township school board for many years and was also a member of the Ethan Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

Grateful for sharing his life are his wife Marie, of Ethan; children Sharon (Erpenbach) Weber and husband Jerome of Dimock, and Carol (Erpenbach) Graves and husband Dennis of Ethan, SD; 8 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, 1 great, great grandchild. His is also survived by four sisters; Angeline McTighe, Marie Roth, and Lorraine Allbee all of Mitchell, and Lillian Roth and husband Leonard of Hastings, NE and one brother-in-law, Joe Maier, also of Mitchell. And also many nieces and nephews.

Arthur was preceded in death by his parents, John and Anna Erpenbach. Four brothers, Urban, Leo, Anthony, and Joseph, and one sister Jeanette Maier.