Robert Sangster

Funeral services for Robert “Bob” Sangster were held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at Clausen Funeral Home in Burke, SD, with Pastor Russ Grim officiating.

Music was provided by vocalists Kay Don Jons and Jace Jons, accompanied by Charlene Juran on organ. Amy Bailey and Jen Bailey were in charge of registrations.

Casket bearers were Tanner Reuer, Mark Fortuna, Cody Vogt, Stacey Boes, Marc Rolf, Collin Schweigert, and Gregg Thomas. Honorary casket bearers were Bob Boes, Dick Thomas, Cal Peck, Maurie Schlaht, Merle Nelson, Ronnie Vogt, Ronnie Shattuck, Ray Sand, and Harold Winter.

Interment was at Herrick Cemetery in Herrick, SD. Clausen Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Robert (Bob) Henry Sangster was born June 10, 1941, to Bert and Jessie (Sander) Sangster.

Bob and his sister Elaine grew up on the farm south of Burke that was homesteaded by their grandparents. He attended Neuharth District 52 Country School through eighth grade, the same school that his mother had attended. To get to school he would ride a horse or walk when the weather was nice, otherwise rides were exchanged with other neighboring families.

He attended Gregory High School, graduating in 1959. Since the farm was several miles from Gregory, he boarded in town and went home to help on the farm over the weekends. During high school, Bob was active in FFA. He worked at the Seeley Jewelry Store for Jay Seeley and helped unload trucks at the Buche Grocery Store during his junior and senior years of high school.

After graduation, Bob went to work on heavy road construction with various companies. While working on a construction project in Nebraska he met Claudia Daugherty while she was waitressing at a café in Merna, Nebraska. Bob and Claudia were married on September 4, 1965, in Merna, Nebraska, which led to 57 years of marriage. When they first married, they traveled and lived in many towns while Bob was working on road construction. During this time, their daughters were born – Cheryl Marie and Brenda Kay.

When Bob stopped working construction, he moved his family to the farm south of Burke and helped his father until moving to the farm that he and Claudia purchased from the Cressman family south of Herrick. Bob and Claudia milked cows, had stock cows, and raised crops for many years on their farm. When the milk cows were sold, he went back to working construction with various companies, while still putting up hay and tending to the stock cows. Bob’s last ‘dirt project’ was loading trucks for Opperman Inc. From there he went back to the farm to put up hay until his health made that too difficult and he decided to rent the farm out.

Bob did not have much time for hobbies but did enjoy reading books before his eyesight hindered that. He and Claudia enjoyed playing Canasta with good friends and meeting up with friends at different campgrounds during camping season and driving places to explore. He also enjoyed listening to the granddaughters’ sporting events on the radio and reading the write-ups in the newspaper.

Robert Sangster passed away November 24, 2025, at Community Memorial Hospital in Burke at the age of 84 years.

Bob is survived by his daughters Cheryl (Dan) Baxa, Herrick, SD, and Brenda Sangster, Dante, SD; granddaughters Dana (Travis) Byrd, Mitchell, SD, Chelsa (Dan) Jons, St. Charles, SD, and Mandy (Kelvin) VanHill, Herrick SD; 14 great-grandchildren; sister Elaine Mahanke, Burke SD; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, in-laws Claude and Dorothy Daugherty; brother-in-law Glen Mahanke; and niece Lora Ann (Mahanke) Petersen.