Dean Rasmussen

Dean Robert Rasmussen, 84, of Aberdeen, SD, was greeted into our Lord’s arms on March 23rd, where the love of his life, Judy was waiting for him.

Dean was born on December 1st, 1937 to Harry Sr. and Veda Rasmussen at Lake Benton, MN and was the youngest of five children. At a young age his family moved to South Dakota and farmed in the Carpenter area. He was educated at Carpenter and graduated from Willow Lake High School where he was voted most likely to succeed by the high school student body.

He married his hometown sweetheart, Judy Brede on January 4th, 1959 in Doland. Shortly after he began working for The Farmer’s Union Oil Company in Doland and this began his successful partnership and friendship with Cenex/Land O’Lakes. He excelled from general manager to District Marketing Manager and went on to win many sales and incentive trips including in 1985 his district received the “Big Wheel Award” which was the first and only time that a SD district had ever won the contest. His forty years of service with the co-op members was legendary and those involved with him knew the name Dean Rasmussen and deem his name with the utmost respect because of the success and development of the Co-ops in South Dakota. In 2004 Dean was very honored to be inducted in the South Dakota Cooperative Hall of Fame. Through his career he was issued seventeen new cars from Cenex/LOL and during his employment drove over a million miles on them.

Dean always believed in giving back and faithfully volunteered for many organizations including Salvation Army-delivering kids gifts from the Angel tree, Gideons, Habitat for Humanity and First United Methodist Church including a mission trip to Costa Rica.

Dean loved walks and train rides at Wylie with Judy, camping, boating, being with friends, traveling south for the winters, helping to remodel or fix his kid’s houses and spending time with all his grandchildren. He was a deeply devoted, kind, and loving husband and father, the kind most families dream of having.

Grateful for having shared Dean’s life are his three children- Doug (Jennifer), Jay (Brenda) and Dawn Rasmussen. His six grandchildren: Eric, Logan, Payton, Megan Rasmussen and Alex and Breleigh Brester. One great-granddaughter Faith Rasmussen. Sister-Genevieve McMillan.

He was preceded in death by his wife Judy, parents Harry and Veda, siblings Harry and Dale Rasmussen and Noreen Dwyer.