Ronald Rabern July 09, 1940 – January 16, 2019 Sign Guestbook Ron Rabern, 78, of Presho, died Wednesday, January 16 while working at the family farm. Visitation will be 5-6pm, Sunday, January 20 at American Lutheran Church with a prayer service at 6:00pm. Services will be 10:00am, Monday, January 21 at American Lutheran Church with burial at Presho City Cemetery Ronald Lee Rabern was born July 9, 1940, at Pierre, South Dakota, to Orville and Florence (Osborn) Rabern.
He joined siblings Orville, Jr. and Elaine Rabern (Heisel). Ron was educated at Presho elementary and high schools in the class of 1958, eventually studying auto mechanics and drafting at Southern State College. After college, Ron was employed for one year at Rozun Motors in Watertown, SD, before returning to join the family business, the HiWay Garage in Presho, SD.
Ron served in the US Army from 1963-1965, completing a tour of duty in Germany where he worked with missile guidance systems. On June 15, 1968, Ron married Janet Brakke at the Presho American Lutheran Church. Later that year, Ron and Jan moved to East Moline, IL, where he was employed at F.W. Means, and then John Deere Harvester in Moline.
While living in Illinois, two daughters, Tracy Lee and Renee Janelle, were born. The family worshipped at St. John’s Lutheran, in East Moline. In 1974, the family moved back to farm and ranch southwest of Presho with Ron’s father-in-law T. J. Brakke.
Daughter Julie Beth and son Thomas Owen joined the family. In 2012, Ron’s son Tom joined the farming operation at Rabern Farms. He was proud to have his grandson Quinn working beside him in the summers.
Aside from the busy farm life, summers and fall found Ronald boating and hunting with his Rabern boys. He especially loved ice fishing. Ron could always tell his friends when the wheat was ready, where the fish were biting, and the where geese were flying.
His grandchildren’s activities kept his winter months full. As a younger man, Ron officiated many ball games, and served eight years as a volunteer fireman, including serving as fire chief. He was a talented mechanic, keeping any machine in the field from 1960s equipment to the sophisticated precision farming systems of today.
Those grateful for having shared his life include his wife Jan, with whom he had recently celebrated fifty years of marriage; his four children, Trace (Kevin) Rabern Jones, Renee Rabern Long, Julie (Cody) King, and Thomas (Kristi) Rabern; and six grandchildren, Avany, Mercy, Quinn, Leigha, Faith, and Elle. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Orville, and his sister Elaine Heisel.
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