Michael "Mike" Simonson

Michael "Mike" Simonson, 66, Rosholt, SD, passed away Monday, April 11, 2016, at his home.

Funeral services will be Friday, April 22, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. at Bethania Lutheran Church in Rosholt with Rev. Nancy Quatier officiating. Music will be provided by organist Lana Sand along with Mike's family, the Tremble Clefs Choir and the Bethania Lutheran Church Choir.

Burial will be in the Bethania Cemetery, Rosholt. Honorary pallbearers will be Mike's nieces and nephews and his great-nieces and great-nephews. Active pallbearers will be Mike's brothers Tim, Peter and Jonathon Simonson and nephews Chad Casanova and Joshua Braun.

Visitation will be Thursday, April 21, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. followed by a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. at the Eggers Funeral Home in Rosholt. Visitation will continue Friday one hour prior to the service at the church.

Michael (Brother Mike) Don Simonson was born November 24, 1949, to O'Donald and Maureen (Peterson) Simonson. As a child he was the most responsible – you could always count on him. He got excellent grades, and perfect penmanship while attending elementary country school and then school in Rosholt before graduating from New Effington High School with honors in 1968.  While in high school, Mike worked at Nerison Hardware in New Effington.

He grew up hunting upland game, waterfowl and deer. The outdoors was his first love. Always the adventurer, Mike once drove 3500 miles from Alaska to South Dakota in his Ford Bronco, to make it in time for goose opener.

Mike attended South Dakota State School of Mines and Technology majoring in chemical engineering until the middle of his junior year. He left to pursue an opportunity as an iron worker at the Big Stone Power Plant. In 1976, while working in Spiritwood, North Dakota, his life took a radical turn when he suffered a traumatic brain injury from a fall. After a lengthy rehabilitation, Mike found his passion in working with wood, which enabled him to live his life on his own terms and use his talents to rebuild and restore furniture and especially antiques. He was a perfectionist and many people proudly possess pieces he's made or restored for them. Mike never lost his unique sense of humor, which came out when you least expected it.

Mike became famous for his banana bread which he meticulously made one bowl at a time. He would hand deliver it, upon request fresh from the oven, in a special box, with a special knife, and his special cutting board and serve it one slice at a time.

He enjoyed his morning coffee group, the daily papers and especially the crossword puzzles.

Mike had a beautiful bass voice and loved to sing with the Bethania Church Choir and with the Tremble Clefs, a therapeutic singing group from Fargo.

Of utmost importance to him in his recovery was the Head Injury Support Group of Fargo and the Rocky Mountain Regional Head Injury Support in Denver, CO. He also helped in the start of other support groups in South Dakota.

Mike passed away unexpectedly on Monday, April 11 at his home in Rosholt. He is survived by his parents, Maureen and Don of Rosholt, and his nine siblings, Pat (Steve) Casanova of Aberdeen, SD, Jeanie Halpin of Anchorage, AK, Kay Braun of Rosholt, Tim (Linda) Simonson of Rosholt, Mary (Tom Hale) Paccatte of Seattle, WA, Annie (Poly) El Kadi of Beirut, Lebanon, Peter (Maria) Simonson of Birmingham, AL, Edie (Bryan Metcalf) Nelson of Barney, ND, and Jonathon (Sunny) Simonson of Atlanta, GA. There are also many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews who were Uncle Mike's pride and joy, and Uncle Darcy (Mary) Peterson, Hinton, IA, and cousins by the dozens.