Pastor Mark R. Guthmiller
Pastor Mark Roman Guthmiller of Watertown, SD was called home by his Lord and Savior on Monday, December 8, 2025 at 70 years of age after a 5 1/2 year battle with metastatic prostate cancer.
He was born on Sunday, October 30, 1955, in Quinn, SD,(his dad was working on the I-90 road construction project) to Roman and Ramonanee Beck Guthmiller. He was baptized at St. Paul’s Evangelical LutheranChurch, Roscoe, SD, on November 27, 1955, by Pastor Scheutze. He wasconfirmed in the faith at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Aberdeen, SD, onMay 25, 1969, by Pastor Wayne Schulz. His confirmation verse is Hebrews13:5.
He attended Henry Neil Elementary and Simmons Junior High in Aberdeen, SD. His high school years he spent at Northwestern Lutheran Academy in Mobridge, SD, where he was in the pastor track of learning. He graduated from high school in 1973. He continued his pastoral training at Northwestern Lutheran College in Watertown, WI, graduating in 1977. From there, he went on to Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, WI, to finish training as a pastor. His vicar year found him serving/interning at Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church on Howard Avenue in Milwaukee, WI. It was during vicar year that he was united inmarriage to Linda Ross on July 5, 1980, at St. Matthew’s Evangelical LutheranChurch in Winona, MN. He finished his training at the seminary andgraduated in May of 1981. He was first called to serve at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Helen Township, rural Glencoe, MN. He servedthere until September of 1999 when he moved 3 hours west on Highway 212 toserve at Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Clark, SD, and BethlehemEvangelical Lutheran Church in Raymond, SD. He began serving a thirdcongregation Willow Lake Evangelical Lutheran Church in Willow Lake, SD, fulltime in March of 2002. He retired December 31, 2014.
In retirement, he served at various congregations inthe area as fill in for the pastor. He also served as vacancy pastor for Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Milbank, SD, and St. John’s EvangelicalLutheran Church, Mazeppa Township, Summit, SD, for about 10 months.
The marriage was blessed with four children: Rachel,Rebecca, Daniel, and James.
When he had time, he enjoyed getting out and enjoyingthe outdoors helping several farmers in his congregations. He could drivered and green machinery, though red was his preferred color. Mark enjoyedcoaching and watching his children and now his grandchildren participate intheir sports and fine arts events. He also enjoyed his many volunteeractivities at Great Plains Lutheran High School in Watertown, SD.
Survivors include his wife of 45 years, Linda; children: Rachel (Darin) Duvall, of Aberdeen SD, Rebecca (Matthew) Biegler, of Aberdeen SD, and Daniel (Amber) Guthmiller, of Watertown SD; his mother, Ramona Guthmiller, of Aberdeen SD; mother-in-law, Jane Ross of Winona, MN; siblings, Peg (Dale) Martens, of Aberdeen SD, Ronald Guthmiller, of Aberdeen SD, and Katherine Cooper, of Maricopa AZ; sisters and brothers–in–law, Cindy (Chris)Foerster of Milwaukee, WI, Dale (Jody) Ross, of Edina MN, and John (Teresa) Ross, of Glencoe MN; grandchildren: Dylan (Tiffany), Noah, Isaiah and Abigail Duvall, Maddilyn, Levi and Lucas Biegler, Calvin and Willow Guthmiller; great-grandson, Drake Duvall; and numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews and other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents; Fred andKatherine (Katie) Beck, Ludwig and Katherine Guthmiller; father-in-law RichardRoss; father Roman Guthmiller; stillborn son James; and aunts and uncles.