Otto Kolb

Otto Kolb, 88, of Aberdeen, SD, and formerly of Leola, SD, passed away Monday, May 18, 2015, at Aberdeen Health and Rehab.

Mass of Christian burial will be 10:00 a.m., Thursday, May 21, 2015, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Leola, SD, with Father Russell Homic, Celebrant.

Burial, with military rites, will follow at the church cemetery.

Visitation will be 6-7 p.m., Wednesday, at the church, with a Liturgical Wake Service being held at 7:00 p.m. Visitation continues one hour prior to Mass on Thursday.

Schriver's Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen is in charge of arrangements. Friends may sign his online guestbook at www.schriversmemorial.com.

Otto Kolb was born March 8, 1927, in rural Leola, SD, to Jacob and Lydia (Rau) Kolb. Otto lived on various farms around Leola and attended country schools nearby. After leaving home, he lived with and worked for his brothers Art and Gus.

In 1950, Otto entered the United States Army and remained there for two months. Due to failing eyesight, Otto was honorably discharged and again returned to work for Gus. In 1952, he started working for Katy Hereford Ranch near Frederick.

Otto married the love of his life, Dorothy Mack, on June 2, 1955. They made their first home on the Katy Hereford Ranch near Frederick. They moved to the farm in 1962 and remained there until he sold the farm a few years later. After that, Otto worked for several places in construction. In 1977, he began working for Sam Schauer. Even after his retirement, he continued to work part-time for Sam and Mack Brothers. Otto and Dorothy moved to the Paul Kallas farm in 1984, where they lived until 1990, when they moved to Leola. They then moved to Aberdeen.

Otto could always be seen mowing and tending to many lawns in the city of Leola. He and Dorothy spent countless evenings driving around Leola checking out which lawns needed mowing the next day. Even after he no longer tended to the lawns, Otto could be seen driving around Leola on his lawn mower. He loved visiting with people and especially enjoyed handing out candy to all the children he met.

Surviving Otto are his children: Kurtis Kolb of Leola, SD, Scott Kolb of Aberdeen and Kent (Stacey Anliker) Kolb of Aberdeen; his grandchildren: Amber (Corey) Wipf and Jordan Kolb, all of Aberdeen; and one sister, Amelia.

Otto is preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy; siblings: Anne, Martha, Art, Emil, Leo, Gus, Freda, Matilda, Viola, and Lydia; and daughter-in-law, Brenda Kolb.