Urban Geurts

Urban D. Geurts, 82, Rosholt, SD, died Tuesday, June 22, 2010, at the Wheaton Community Hospital in Wheaton, MN.             Funeral mass will be Saturday, June 26, at 10:30 a.m. at St. John's Catholic Church in Rosholt with Father Dennis Deis, O.M.I., officiating. Music will be provided by his niece Beth Tiegs.             Burial will be in the St. Peter's Cemetery, Sisseton, SD. Honorary pallbearers will be all of his longtime friends and neighbors. Active pallbearers will be his sons, David, Richard, Mark, Carlton, Timothy and Brian Geurts.             Visitation will be Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Eggers Funeral Home in Rosholt. There will be a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. at the church. Visitation will continue Saturday one hour prior to the service at the church.     Urban David Geurts was born March 16, 1928, in Harmon Township, Roberts County, SD, to Cornelius "C. J." and Anna (Heckle) Geurts. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Browns Valley, MN. Urb attended rural school in Harmon Township and graduated from the Morris Agriculture School in 1945.     On June 14, 1949, Urb married Jean Pirmantgen at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in New Effington, SD. They farmed the Geurts family farmstead which was homesteaded by his grandfather and has been in the family for 118 years in Harmon Township. After they retired from active farming in 1989, they turned the work over to their oldest son, David. At that time Urb and Jean began their different lifestyle. They built a home in Mission, TX, and spent six months down south enjoying the warm weather and social atmosphere and six months in South Dakota with old friends. Urb and Jean just celebrated their 61st anniversary of marriage.     Urb was a member of St. John's Catholic Church where he served as a Eucharistic minister and was a 60-year member of the Knights of Columbus. He also served as an officer in the NFO and was a strong advocate of their bargaining.     Urb's hobbies included playing cards, especially bridge, and golfing. He enjoyed watching farm programs on TV, listening to country western music, and attending reunions at the Morris Ag School. Farming was his avocation. He was a hard worker, loved the land and fattened cattle for many years.     Survivors include his wife, Jean Geurts of Rosholt; his children and grandchildren, David Geurts of Rosholt, and his children Stephen, Andrea, and Matthew; Richard Geurts of Rosholt, and his children Christopher and Alicia; Monica (Dale) Braun of Dayton, MN, and their children Travis and Elizabeth; Mark Geurts of Minneapolis; Carlton (Mary) Geurts of Bend, OR, and their children Sarah, Kristin, Emily and Katie Jo; Timothy (Tati) Geurts of La Jolla, CA, and their children Andrés and Amy Sofia; and Brian Geurts of Rogers, MN and his daughter Sara; a brother, Nathan Geurts of Minneapolis; and a sister-in-law, Vivian Geurts of Gibson City, IL.     Urb was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Cletis; three sisters, Verona Hartzeim, Rita Tillman, and Joan Duprey.