Funeral services for David Donald Demmer of Ellendale, will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at the First Lutheran Church in Ellendale. The Rev. Richard Sliper will officiate. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in the Hartland Cemetery, Hartland.

David died on Saturday, March 9, 2013, at the Countryside Senior Living in Owatonna. He was 88 years of age.

David was born March 6, 1925, in Freeborn County, the son of William and Lillian (Preiss) Demmer. He attended public school in New Richland. On Dec. 21, 1947, he was united in marriage to Ruth M. Kofstad at the Trinity Lutheran Church in New Richland.

David worked for a short time at the Wilson & Co. in Albert Lea before becoming a grain and livestock farmer in Steele County. He was an active member of the First Lutheran Church in Ellendale, taught Sunday school for 18 years and served on the church council. David was a 4-H leader, member of the county Holstein Board, state and national Holstein Association, Campers Club, the REA Advisory Board and the building committee for the Ellendale School. He enjoyed fishing, gardening, travel and fixing up the lake cabin. David loved being Santa Claus for the kids.

He is survived by his children Ricky (Gail) Demmer of Ellendale, Donna Demmer of Owatonna, Judy Whitney (Don Jensen) of Mankato, Jimmy Demmer of Austin and Cindy Vavra of Minneapolis. There are five grandchildren: Amy Demmer, Scott (Katie) Demmer, Lisa Demmer (Kevin Krecji), Najoni Demmer and Sally Demmer (Paul Sparby), one brother Boyd (Dorothy) Demmer of Faribault, sisters Devonna (Gerald) Olson of Winona, Verdelle (Phillip) Hansen of Clarks Grove, Arlis (Dick) Haug of Clarks Grove, and sisters-in-law Dorothy Gulbrandson and Norma Demmer, both of Albert Lea. Also surviving is a special friend, Ardyce Winter.

David was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Ruth, brothers Lester, Wallace, Melvin, Lyle Demmer, and sisters Oriet Ribbe, Luella Jensen and Doris Sigurdson.