Clarence Hunsucker died of natural causes on Sunday, February 16, 2020, at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Fort Meade under hospice care.
Clarence was born on December 14, 1923, on the family ranch near Buffalo, SD, to Avery and Nora Hunsucker. Clarence was the seventh child out of eight. He graduated from high school in Buffalo in 1942. He went on to join the Navy in 1942, and became a naval aviator. After being honorably discharged in 1946, Clarence moved back to run the family ranch. Though he moved back, his biggest passion was always flying. He loved sharing his stories about those years, including all the time he spent as a flight instructor in Spearfish, SD. Clarence owned his own plane, never hesitating to help someone out who needed transportation in a hurry.
In 1955, he married Sena (Scheepstra) Ketel. Together, Clarence and Sena had two sons, Kenneth and Edwin. In 1979, Clarence and Sena sold the ranch to their son, Edwin. They moved to Lake Havasu, AZ, for the next 3 years.
In 1983, he and Sena bought a motel in Lake Andes, SD, and operated it for the next 13 years. Due to health reasons, they sold the motel and moved to Platte, SD. Sena passed away in 2011, and Clarence remained in Platte until his own health began to fail. In 2014, he moved back onto the family ranch under the care of Eddie and Debby, moving in to their new home in Belle Fourche with them in 2019. Clarence remained healthy and active until January of 2020. He spent all of his time with family and his step-grandchildren. A special thank you to his step-granddaughter, Ilaana, for all of the care she helped provide in the last 4 years. Clarence had been admitted to hospice the last three days, and passed away peacefully in his sleep.
In his younger years, Clarence was proud to be on numerous boards, such as Grand Electric, Midwest Electric, ASCS Board, and Grand River Lutheran Church Board. While in Platte, Clarence and Sena were active in their church, donating time and money to help those less fortunate.
Clarence is survived by his sons, Kenneth (Sheila) Hunsucker, and Edwin (Debby) Hunsucker, and their families.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Avery and Nora Hunsucker; his wife, Sena Hunsucker; and all of his siblings.
Private family services were held at Black Hills National Cemetery.