Solomon Tschetter: 1932-2022
Solomon Tschetter, age 90, of Huron, S.D., passed away Saturday, March 19, 2022, at his home.
His funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, March 25 at Mount Olivet Church. Burial will follow in the Riverside Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Kuhler Funeral Home, with his family present from 5 to 7 p.m. A prayer service and time of sharing will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Kuhler Funeral Home.
Solomon S. Tschetter was born to Paul P. and Barbara (Gross) Tschetter on Jan. 26, 1932, in Bridgewater, S.D.
Solomon went to a country school until 1943, when his family moved to town where he finished the 8th grade in 1945. Solomon and his brother, Melvin, worked many hours and days helping their dad unload train cars of lumber, shingles and coal. He never went to high school, but went to work on farms in the Bridgewater and Freeman, S.D. area.
Upon his confession of faith, Solomon was baptized August 28, 1949, by Rev. Albert Ewert, becoming a member of the Neu Hutterthal Mennonite Church of rural Bridgewater.
In 1950, Solomon moved to Beadle County to work for Ike and Ann Tschetter. He enjoyed this time very much. It was during this time that he met the love of his life, Edna Hofer. They were married on June 10, 1952.
After marriage, he attended Grace Bible Institute in Omaha, Nebraska for 2 years. After moving back to South Dakota, Solomon farmed for 5 years, hauled milk in 10-gallon cans for Lake Preston Creamery for two years, and worked for Ed & Eb’s Grocery and Meat Market for two years. In 1961, Solomon ventured out to buy a grocery store and locker plant in Bridgewater. Solomon, Edna, Cheryl (2nd grade), Myron (1st grade), Solomon’s sister, Diane and his dad were the full crew for a short time. As the plant grew, so did the number of employees. A new plant was built in 1971 and opened in 1972. This new plant was known as “Sol’s Packing Plant” and grew to have 40 employees with Cheryl and Myron still part of the crew in the busy plant. Solomon was known for his country pork sausage that he prepared for the St. Stephen’s Catholic Church’s bazaar for 33 years. This grew from making sausage from 6 hogs in 1961 to 22 hogs in 1994.
He was an active member of Neu Hutterthal Church as an adult, teaching Sunday school for over 30 years and serving on the church board. Later he became a member of Zion Mennonite Church, Bridgewater and most recently a member of the Mt. Olivet Church of Huron. Along with his church involvements, he was also involved in the community by serving on the Bridgewater City Council. He was very much involved in getting the Diamond Care Center started in Bridgewater, serving on this board for 18 years, 10 years as chairman.
Solomon retired from the meat plant in 1994, and moved to Huron where he continued being busy driving combines and semi-trucks for farmers. The ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship was very important to him. He and Edna spent several months volunteering in Warrenton, Missouri for CEF. Solomon enjoyed traveling, especially with family. He was always ready to gather family for birthday parties or game nights. He was proud of his children and their families and always appreciated their visits and time together.
Grateful to have shared his life are his wife, Edna of Huron; daughter, Cheryl and Kendall Carlson of Barnum, Minn.; son, Myron and Nita Tschetter of Wentzville, Mo.; grandson, Kristopher and McKenzie Carlson and great-granddaughter, Molly Carlson of Forest Lake, Minn.; granddaughter, Joelle and Jordan St. Clair and great-grandson, Joah of St. Peters, Mo.; four sisters; Darlene and Victor Schaffer of Yankton, Evelyn Wallmann of Huron, Diane Graber of Winner and Judy and Allen Schofield of Chamberlain, S.D.; brother-in-law, Wilmer Bunger of Emery, S.D.; sister-in-law, Lavonne Tschetter of Freeman; and a multitude of nieces and nephews.
Solomon was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Paul S., David, Melvin and Edwin; his sisters, Marie Hayes, Susie Edna Bunger, Elizabeth (Betty) Gross and Elsie Wipf; brothers-in-law; Eli Wipf, Erwin Gross, Kenneth Wallmann and Orval Graber; and several nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be directed to Child Evangelism Fellowship of South Dakota or Byron Bible Camp.
