Donald C. Arends was born August 16, 1945, in Sturgis, SD. He was the son of Barney and Shirley (Simons) Arends.
Don grew up on the family homestead near Enning. He attended Sturgis Brown High School. Don developed an interest in cars early in life and his love for classic cars and racing never stopped. This love of cars would land him a job in Deadwood where he repaired and later sold cars for many years. He would later move on to driving truck and spent many hours traveling across the country, almost always accompanied by his dog, Donk. They put a lot of miles on Don's old Peterbilt. He enjoyed attending NASCAR races with his wife and friends in Phoenix and Las Vegas. You could also find him at the local drag strip. Don had a lot of interests, but never enough time for all of them. He was a hardworking man who never wanted to slow down.
Even though Don left the farm where he grew up, he never lost his love for tractors. If he wasn't out tinkering or hauling a load, you could find him working on his equipment or using it on his place. Outside of his family, there wasn't much Don loved more than a car or tractor show. One of the things that will be most missed about Don is his genuine love for people. He never met a stranger, and he could talk to anyone about just about anything.
Don died at his home surrounded by his family on Thursday, February 21, 2019, at the age of 73. He fought a long, courageous battle with cancer. He will be deeply missed by his friends, family, and all who knew him.
Don is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; daughters, Brenda Hawks of Lewistown, MT, and Casey (Josh) Englin of Rapid City, SD; step-children, Samantha (Chris) Henson of Chickasha, OK, Crystal Peterson (Dustin Duprel) of Atlanta, GA, and Benjamin Peterson of Sturgis, SD; brother, Clark Arends of Enning, SD; grandchildren, Rani, Ragen, Oakley, Elijah, Kloe, Kanan, Haley, Breana, Willow, and Crystal; and great-grandchildren, Gavin and Nolan.
He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Brian Arends; infant daughter, Peanut; grandson, Chase Hawks; and brother, Norman Arends.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to The Chase Hawks Association or to the Mayo Clinic.
Visitation will be 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 26, at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis and resumes one hour prior to services on Wednesday in Union Center.
Services will be 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 27, 2019, at the Central Meade County Community Center. Burial will follow at the White Owl Cemetery.

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