Clifford Pederson

Dates

Obituary

Clifford Pederson, 96, of Mitchell, SD, passed away on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at Browns Valley Health Center in Browns Valley, MN. Funeral Mass will be at 1:00 PM Friday, March 28, at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Mitchell. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the Church. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in Mitchell. Arrangements by Bittner Funeral Chapel.

Clifford LeRoy Pederson was born on March 8, 1929 to Elwyn and Delight (Beschen) Pederson in Egan, SD. He attended eight years of country school and graduated from Eagan High School. While growing up Clifford lived in Iowa, Kansas and South Dakota.

Cliff was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1950. He trained with the SD National Guard at Ft. Carson in Colorado. Cliff was wounded in Korea by an enemy hand grenade on August 31, 1951, and hospitalized for five months. He received the Infantry Badge and Purple Heart for his service in Korea.

On October 10, 1953, Clifford married Esther Henkel at St Paul’s Catholic Church in Iroquois, SD. To this union they had three sons.

Cliff worked as an automotive repair machinist with General Motors of Mitchell for 12 years and at Automotive Supply in Mitchell for five years. He retired in 1993 after 20 years in the Avera Queen of Peace Hospital Maintenance Department in Mitchell.

Cliff was a founding member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus, VFW and DAV. Cliff was a charter member of the Scouting Program in Mitchell for 30 plus years. He served several years as Scout Master of Troop 246. He was the recipient of several scouting awards including the Silver Beaver Award.

Cliff enjoyed fishing, big game hunting, water skiing, and sewing patchwork denim quilts. Cliff and Esther spent many years of summers at their trailer home at West Whitlock Resort along the Missouri River.

Clifford is survived by his sons, David (Brenda) Pederson of Browns Valley, MN and Daniel (Janelle) Pederson of Detroit Lakes, MN; grandchildren: Kristina Pederson, Eric (Mandy) Pederson, Justin (Michele) Pederson, Tyler Pederson, and Jordan Pederson; great-grandchildren: Mariah and Logan Bock, Joshua, Ella, Jenna, Crosby, and Nora Pederson; brothers, Donald (Jean) Pederson of Dell Rapids, SD, and Ray Pederson of Dell Rapids, SD; sister, JoAnn Fields of Dell Rapids, SD; brother-in-law, Duane Kummer of Mitchell, SD; sister-in-law, Elaine Schlosser of Kenosha, WI; and friend, Linda Neugebauer.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Esther; son, Darwin Denis Pederson; great-grandson, Benjamin Bock; sister, Diana Kummer; brother, Patrick Pederson; sister-in-law, Jean Pederson; brothers-in-law, Glen Fields, Martin Zapp, Robert Schlosser; brothers and sisters-in law, Harold and Vieva Henkel, Walter and Dorothy Henkel, Joe and Gila Henkel; mother and father-in-law, Emil and Marie Henkel.

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