Ronald Kulm

Funeral services for Ronald Kulm were held on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. at Fairfax City Hall in Fairfax, SD, with Rev. Keith Nelson officiating.

Committal service followed in Highland Cemetery in Fairfax. Koehn Bros. Funeral Home in Armour was in charge of arrangements.

Ronald was born on August 12, 1938, in Burke, SD to Rudolph and Clara Kulm. He was the firstborn son of four children: two brothers and one sister.

In his early years, Ronnie attended country school and then Naper High School where he graduated in 1956.

Ronnie was proud of his military service and loved to tell the stories of his adventures during this time. He entered the Army in 1962 and served in Germany for two years. At first very homesick for life back on the farm, Ronnie soon learned to enjoy his time in the military, using his German speaking skills, drinking German beers, and sharing his mechanical knowledge. He was quickly given top-level responsibilities during his military time. It is no surprise that they realized Ronnie was a trustworthy, intelligent, hard-working Nebraska farm boy with many invaluable talents.

After the Army, he returned to the family farm outside of Naper, NE, where he worked with his Uncle Otto Ahlers for many years. He raised, grew, fixed, and built so many things on the farm, though primarily he raised cattle and grew various crops.

On March 20, 1965, Ronnie married Arzella Woerpel and then split his time between the family farm and his home in Fairfax, SD, that he shared with his wife, Arlie, and their six children. After a lifetime of being a farmer, Ronnie moved from the family farm to Fairfax full time. He managed the Highway Service Station in Bonesteel, SD, and then worked at National Farms in Atkinson, NE. After many years of hard work and long, hard hours, Ronnie’s health began to let him know it was time to slow down. During this time, he still enjoyed fixing lawn mowers, changing tires, mowing, and helping others.

Ronnie will be remembered for many things, but most importantly the love and pride he had for his family. He also loved his family farm, animals, the great outdoors, John Deere tractors, and Ford trucks.

Ronald Keith Kulm, age 83, died at the Douglas County Memorial Hospital in Armour, SD, on Thursday, December 30, 2021, after a years-long battle with C.O.P.D. and more recently, lung cancer.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Arzella Kulm of Fairfax, SD; six children: Jason (Angela) Kulm, Mitchell, SD, Pam (Greg) Blume, Armour, SD, Amy (Steve) Harrington, Armour, SD, Becky (Shon) Koch, Parkston, SD, Ted (Corine) Kulm, Flandreau, SD, and Tom (Marie) Kulm, Mitchell, SD; 14 grandchildren: Jacob, Chelsea, Danielle, Brett, Mara, Maci, Jaxon, Riley, Jase, Austin, Katherine, Ben, Isabel, and Isaac; one great-granddaughter; brother, Ralph (Linda), O’Neill, NE;sister, Genene (Ray) Sand; brother-in-law, Herman Woerpel, Armour, SD; and four nieces and one nephew.

He was preceded in death by his eldest son, Todd Kulm; brother, Gerald Kulm; his parents, Clara Neumiller and Rudolph Kulm; and his mother and father-in-law, Nettie and Herman Woerpel.