Ronald Dean Opstedahl, 82, was called home to be with his Lord and Savior on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021.  He died peacefully with family by his side to comfort him during his final days on Earth.

Ronald was born Sept. 1, 1939, to Arnold and Gladys Opstedahl and was the oldest of three children. He was raised on the family's farmstead in Piedmont, SD, and attended grade school at Benoit School. In 1957, Ronald graduated from Rapid City High School.

From a young age, Ronald was set on being a cowboy. His first horse, named Birdy, was the start of a long and fulfilling life Ronald would spend cowboying. Throughout high school, he set trap lines in the Black Hills and would check them on his rides home. After high school, Ronald worked a team of horses – Queen and Prince – skidding logs in the Hills. In 1956, his parents purchased a plot of land in Union Center. He used to ride horseback between Piedmont and Union Center living out many adventures.

In the following years, Ronald worked in the Scenic area on ranches chasing and breaking wild horses. In the early years he competed in rodeos, addicted to thrill of saddle bronc. Ronald loved to ride horse and believed that the outside of a horse was good for the inside of a man.

Ronald's prayers of finding a wife began to fall into place in March 1966 at a dance in New Underwood, SD. He set eyes on a young, blonde woman named Linda Humphrey; and after finally deciding to approach her he said, "Hey pretty lady, come with me." And she did – that night for a dance and for 55 years of marriage.

The two married June 19, 1966. Ronald continued to cowboy and rodeo, until a rodeo injury prompted Linda to say, "We're not doing this no more." And from then on, Ronald turned his focus on being a family man. They were blessed with five children from 1968 to 1980.

In 1971, Ronald and Linda bought the adjoining ranch to the south and took ownership in 1972, jumpstarting one of Ronald's biggest pride and joys – Opstedahl Ranch. He ran a dairy farm, cattle ranch, grew crops and still continued to break horses. His son, Loren, continues to operate the family ranch.

Ronald was a founding member of the Prairie Bible Church of God in 1974. He was a member of Prairie Bible for 47 years. He taught the word of God to his family and was an adult Sunday school teacher for many years. He strived to be a man of God and was very open about his faith.

Another passion of Ronald's was flying. He earned his private pilot's license in the 80s and had multiple planes over the years. He loved to fly – whether it was short trips across the county or just checking cattle over the ranch. A few times he even flew to Idaho to visit his daughter, Rhonda.

Ronald was preceded in death by his parents, Arnold and Gladys; mother and father-in-law, Carl and Anna Lee Humphrey; and brother-in-law Fio Tibbs.

He is survived by "wifey nice", Linda; daughter, Rhonda (Darrell) Fitzwater, Boise, ID; son, Loren (Kathy) Opstedahl, Union Center, SD; daughter, Anna (Joe) Crockford, Newell, SD; daughter, Marsa (Michael) Klinski, Sioux Falls, SD; son, Laramie (Maria) Opstedahl, Owanka, SD; sister, Lory Tibbs, Mission Ridge, SD; sister, Bonnie (Dale) Seline, Princeton, MN; 16 grandchildren; and 2 great-grandchildren.

Memorials have been established for Prairie Bible Church of God and the Meade County Community Center in Ronald's memory.

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