Randy Schelske, 73
Rendell “Randy” Schelske, age 73 of Olivet, S.D., passed away Monday, March 24, 2025 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, March 28 at Zion Lutheran Church, Scotland, with Rev. Scott Neumann and Rev. Chuck Asche officiating. Burial will be in the Rosehill Cemetery, Scotland. Visitations will be 5 to 7 p.m., Thursday, March 27 at Zion Lutheran Church, Scotland, with a scripture service at 7 p.m. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. Online condolences may be sent at: www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com. To view Randy’s service livestream, click this link: https://server.attend.live/static/event/NkE08.
Randy was born Aug. 15, 1951 in Parkston, S.D., to Eldon and Beatrice Walters Schelske. Randy was baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Scotland. He attended Pleasant Hill and Olivet grade school where he played basketball, and graduated from Scotland High School in 1969, participating in wrestling and FFA.
After high school Randy enlisted in the South Dakota national guard and served for six years in the Springfield Division. He also attended Aberdeen tech school for diesel mechanics. Randy spent his years working many jobs, including working as a mechanic at Vern’s Standard in Menno, running Schelske and Son trucking company, farming with his dad and starting his own herd of registered Charolais cattle. Randy also worked at the Menno Livestock Auction for the last 50 years.
Randy met Peggy Herrboldt in 1976 and they were married in 1977. They lived on a farm near Olivet and quickly started a family of four girls. He adored his daughters, grandchildren and sons-in-law. Randy made his daily rounds of phone calls including his mom, his sisters and many friends to visit with them; often sharing his wealth of knowledge on caring for cattle. His way of showing love for those he cared for most included giving them nicknames, pestering and teasing them. He had a quick wit, unique sense of humor and knack for storytelling, balanced by his fiery temperament. He sure was one-of-a-kind.
Randy had many interests. As a young person, he was involved in Youth 4-H where he showed cattle, participated in the Scotland saddle club, and loved riding horses. He raced his ’69 Dodge Dart RT at Thunder Valley Dragway, and enjoyed watching drag racing, sprint car, NASCAR and tractor pulls. He loved riding motorcycle and took his girls on many rides around the area. He was a die-hard Nebraska Cornhusker fan and spent countless Saturdays cheering them on or cussing them out.
He is survived by his wife, Peggy; children, Kelli (Justin) Kuper, Kacey Schelske, Jessica (Rob) Bern and Jacque (Kevin) O’Leary; grandchildren, Peyton, Sutton, Raylee, Leona, Emma and Landry; his mother Beatrice Schelske; sisters Lonna (Deono) Miller, JoLynn (Bill) Baker and Julie (Scott) Hayes; mother-in-law LaVanna Herrboldt; brothers-in-law Perry (Janet) Herrboldt and Todd (Deborah) Herrboldt, along with many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father Eldon, brothers Todd and Timothy, father-in-law Clifford Herrboldt and nephew Nathan Baker.
