Lester Ensz

Lester Ensz, 87 died Sunday, November 3, 2019 at the Bethany Home in Sioux Falls.  Funeral services will be at 10:30am Friday, November 8, 2019 at Bethesda Church, rural Marion with burial in the Tieszen Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 5-7pm Thursday evening at the church with a Prayer Service at 7:00PM.

Lester was born on May 11, 1932 to John C. and Clara (Tieszen) Ensz of Marion, SD.  Lester was united in marriage to Loretta Miller on December 23, 1951.  They celebrated 67 years of marriage until Loretta passed on August 2, 2019.

To this union “one and a half dozen” children were born – Deborah, Julie, Daryl, Ronald, Tim, Terry and Arlan.

They began farming in 1951 in the Marion area where they both enjoyed the “love of the land”.  They moved to their present farm in 1957 where they both lived the last 62 years until Loretta became ill and moved into the Tieszen Memorial Home in June 2019.

Lester served on the Board of Trustees for the Bethesda Church for many years.  He also served on the Dolton Township Board and received an award from the SD Association of Towns and Townships for 48 years of service.

Lester had a love for fireworks.  His dad, Johnny, was born on the 4 ^th of July and he started the tradition of a big family celebration on his birthday.  Lester continued this tradition and the 4 ^th of July was celebrated jubilantly by the Ensz family for many years.  The locals would line the roads around the farm to see the Ensz Fireworks Display.

After retiring from full-time farming, Lester was able to spend his free time on his favorite hobby, the orange Allis Chalmers tractors.  Mom always said dad has a mistress, her first name is Allis.  Dad restored many Allis Chalmers tractors and travelled to Allis Chalmers and Graham Bradley tractor shows across the Midwest.  He made many friends at these shows and looked forward to seeing them each year.

Lester enjoyed his coffee and always invited anyone that stopped at the farm into the house for coffee.  He also knew every good coffee stop around the country.  He was also a connoisseur of lunch buffets across the area.

The grandkids looked forward to visiting the farm and getting tractor rides from Grandpa.  They fondly remember the 4 ^th of July and blowing firecrackers and fireworks.  He also taught them about working hard, playing hard and to love the Lord.

Those preceding him in death are his wife, his mother and father, his two sisters, Delora and Melvin Schmidt and Lois and Larry Stewart, and a son-in-law, Wayne Noess.  Lester leaves behind his children, Deborah Noess, Julie (Douglas) Decker, Daryl (Roxane) Ensz, Ronald (Paula) Ensz, Terry (Roxane) Ensz, Tim (Laurie) Ensz, Arlan (Lisa) Ensz, many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.