Obituary for Duane York, Longtime Sponsor and Owner of Duane's Floor Covering. Watertown

Duane A. York, age 78, of Watertown, SD, passed away on Thursday, April 28, 2022, at the local hospital. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church. Pastor Paul Janke will officiate. Music will be provided by Karen Livingston as organist with congregational singing. The service will be Live-Streamed on the Crawford-Osthus Facebook page and the church website.

Visitation will be at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church on Monday from 4-7 p.m. Arrangements by Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel.

Burial will be at Mt. Hope Cemetery. Honorary pallbearers will be Duane’s grandchildren and the staff at Prairie Lakes Healthcare Center.  Active pallbearers will be Todd Tegethoff, AJ York, Kris York, Duane Hanson, Darrell Crider, and Chad Walkins.

Duane was born on March 17, 1944, to Alvin and Jenny (Fish) York, in Watertown. He attended school in Watertown for most of his education, then started working with his father doing construction. On August 20, 1966, Duane was united in marriage to Nancy Geiszler in Watertown. He continued working at Gray’s Construction and at Falk’s Floor Covering, before starting his own business, Duane’s Floor Covering, in 1971.

Their first child, Lisa, was born in 1968, Duane II (DJ) followed in 1971, and Andy in 1974. Duane ran the family business until 2009, when DJ and Janet became owners, although he still worked every day. Duane will be most remembered for loving his family and took great pride in all of their accomplishments. He would be seen at all of his grandkids' events. His second love would be his pets. Duane enjoyed camping, gardening, and hunting. He was a jokester and a prankster, a man of many hats.

Duane is survived by his wife, Nancy, of Watertown, SD; his children: Lisa (Joe) Haider, DJ (Janet) York and Andy (Michelle) York, all of Watertown, SD: his grandchildren: Tyler Haider, Tiffany Haider (Fiancé Dylan Duvall), Sierra York, Michael York, Brooklyn York, Mali York and Myles York: his brothers, Ed (Linda) York of Watertown, SD and Alan (Susan) York of Sioux Falls, SD; and his sisters: Donna (David) Beynon of Watertown, SD, Lauretta (Jim) Haney of Watertown, SD, Collen (Martin) McNeese of Arizona, Cathy (Curt) Karpinski of Watertown, SD, Chris (Scott) Stroup of Nebraska, and Annie (Richard) Bailey: his sisters-in-law, Shirley Cates and Judy York; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers, Dennis York and Daniel Cates.