Harlan's family would like to extend a heartfelt "Thank you!" for the

generosity and support they received during this difficult time.

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Harlan Henry Pietz was born April 6, 1942, on Gramm Place in Hutchinson County, South Dakota, to Edward and Alma Pietz. He passed away comfortably in his own home, fulfilling his last wishes, on October 9, 2024.

Throughout his life, his family rented and farmed various parcels of land in South Dakota. During his younger years, he attended Lake Pointe Elementary, but ultimately graduated eighth grade at Grant School. His family moved in March of that year and after graduation, he became a full-time farmhand for his father. He worked on the family farm until he was 16.

In August of 1958, he started working for Hattendorf Construction. The company built churches in many small towns in southern South Dakota. In 1960, while working on a church in Lennox, he met Harriet Klinghagen.

During that same year, he left the company and went to work for a previous Hattendorf Construction employee at Swanson Sheet Metal. While he worked, he was an apprentice sheet metal worker attending school every Friday night. Finishing his apprenticeship early, he became a journeyman and later, a supervisor.

At one of the churches he helped build, on December 9, 1961, he married the love of his life Harriet. Throughout their marriage, the couple moved to several different cities in different states. They eventually settled down in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 1964.

In 1965, Harlan, who didn't know at the time, would go on to create a name for himself at a local company named Tessier's Sheet Metal. He worked for them for 37 years and retired in 2002. In May of this year, he celebrated 59 years with the Sheet Metal Workers Union. While co-workers knew him as "Hans", he was better known at home as a very loving brother, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

Harlan and Harriet were inseparable. They raised their children Krystal and Kerwin on Pendar Lane. Together, they created a magnitude of memories with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Over the years, they traveled all fifty states. They frequently went antiquing with their daughter, Krystal. They cheered on their son, Kerwin, in tennis and softball leagues. In the spring and summer, Harlan enjoyed spending time with his grandkids going fishing at the river. There wasn't a moment in his life that he wasn't "half proud" of anything each and every grandchild and great-grandchild did. Grandpa was both "grand" and "great", living up to the very meaning of his titles.

He lived a long life and thankful for sharing it is his wife Harriet (Klinghagen) Pietz, son Kerwin (Jennifer Haskell) Pietz, son-in-law Brian Beuckens, grandchildren Alexandra (Adam) Wollman, Kyler Pietz, Kassandra (Anthony) Hewitt, Isabella (Gunnar) Barbee, Gabriella (Nicholas) Beuckens Rickert, great-grandchildren Lincoln Wollman, Callan Wollman, Liliana Beuckens-Conlan, Matilda Beuckens-Conlan, Sunnie Barbee, and Noah Rickert, and siblings Milbert Pietz, MayDene Fuerst, Darryl Pietz, Lola Baum, Martin Pietz, and Larry Pietz, along with a number of relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his daughter Krystal Beuckens; his brothers Vilmer Pietz, Ivan Pietz; sisters LaVerna Guericke, Arlene Rieger, Glendora Bartunek, JoAnn Kirschenman; and his father and mother, Edward and Alma (Hirsch) Pietz.

A visitation with the family present will be held Friday, October 25, 2024, beginning at 4:30 pm. A service to celebrate Harlan's life will commence immediately after at 5:30 pm with fellowship to follow. All will be held at Miller Westside Chapel, (located at 6200 W. 41st Street, Sioux Falls SD).