Cliff Bieber, 86, Java, SD, died at his residence near Java on Sunday, April 28, 2024.02
Clifford Fred Bieber, son of Letha (Haskell) and Arthur Friedrich Bieber, was born at Bowdle on January 16, 1938. He was brought up on the Bieber homestead seven miles south of Java. Cliff attended rural school, both W. Ryan and E. Ryan, through 6th grade. He then went on to Java Public School and graduated from Java High, class of 1957. He would have graduated with the Class of 1956, however a serious basketball incident which injured his lungs laid him up for so long, he repeated his senior year. Following his schooling, he kept busy farming with his dad and selling pelts of the fox and coyote that he hunted from his airplane. Cliff married Bernadette “Bernie” (Litschewski) Kosters at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Selby, SD on August 21, 1971. In the fall of 1973, they purchased a farm four miles NE of Java. In addition to ranching, where he had the first electric feed lot in Walworth County, Cliff also drove for Thorstenson Trucking in 1988-89. He was employed at the Java Equity (currently Agtegra) service station from 1990-2005 and sold Vigortone Feed. Cliff suffered a serious heart attack in 1994 which prompted his retirement from ranching. Bernie died March 21, 2004. Cliff married Trudy (Rice) Carpenter at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Java on July 24, 2009. He and Trudy would reside on the farm NE of Java for half the year and winter at Surprise, AZ the other half. Cliff was a member of St. Paul’s Church where he has served on the Council and the finance committee. For many years, he belonged to the American Paint Horse Assoc. and the American Quarter Horse Assoc. Cliff and Trudy did lots of traveling and horseback riding and joined many wagon trains.
Cliff is survived by Trudy, his wife of 14 years; three stepsons—Rodney (Char) Kosters of Pierre, SD; Josh (Kayla) Carpenter of Sioux Falls, SD, and Mark Carpenter of Chancellor, SD; three stepdaughters—Monica (Don) Kjerstad and Jennifer (John) Miller of Rapid City, SD and Rachel (Jesse) Bigelow of Sioux Falls; one brother, Clinten (Sharon) Bieber of Rapid City; one sister, June Gross of Rogers, MN; 12 Grandchildren; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In addition to Bernie, he was preceded in death by his father, Arthur, on May 14, 2005; his mother, Letha, on March 23, 1984; one brother (Charles); brother-in-law, John Gross; and one granddaughter (Denae Delzer).
Funeral services will be 10:30 AM, Thursday, May 9, 2024 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Java, led by Pastor Brian Nies. Interment follows at the Church Cemetery. Pianist will be Carol Fiedler and the congregation will sing “He Leadeth Me” and “For the Beauty of the Earth”. Recorded vocals will be “Well Done” by The Afters and “I Want to Stroll Over Heaven with You” by Alan Jackson. Ushers will be Carlyle Bieber and Larry Bermel.
Honorary bearers will be Randy Delzer, Tim Kosters, Lucas Kosters, Rob Kjerstad, Blair Williams, Tara Johnson, Heather Kjerstad, and Heidi Kjerstad.
Casketbearers will be Dan Rice of Aberdeen, SD; John Gross of St. Cloud, MN; Brendon Marker of Mound City, SD; Brad Stolsmark of Pierpont, SD; Arnie Roebuck of Glenham, SD; and Mark Bieber of Sioux Falls.
Visitation commences 5:30 PM at the Church Wednesday with a 6:30 PM prayer service.
Cliff’s funeral will be livestreamed at the Lien Family Funeral Care Facebook page.
Services are in care of Lien Funeral Home, Bowdle.
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