Selmer Hatlestad Obituary

Reverend Selmer "Sam" Hatlestad ObituaryReverend Selmer "Sam" Hatlestad passed away at the age of 91 on July 19, 2025, at Edgewood Assisted Living in Watertown, South Dakota.
Funeral services will be 11:00am, Friday, July 25, 2025 at Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer in Watertown. The church will live stream the service https://www.youtube.com/live/0ehlgrj1JEs?si=NW00jyuXtqRq_8IJ
Visitation will be 5:00pm-7:00pm, with a time of sharing at 7:00pm, Thursday, July 24, 2025, at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel in Watertown.
Interment will be at Toronto Cemetery.
Honorary casketbearers will be Vivian Westgard, Rev. Will & Geri Olsen, Rev. Arley & Pam Fadness, Rev. Gene Peterson, Rev. Don Gaarder, Rev. Paul & Bobbi Knudson, Myron & Lory Retzer, Harley & Marilyn Petersen, Kermit & Doris Rye.
Casketbearers will be Doug & Shelly Alvine, Allen & Julie Rude, Rory & Lisa Olerud.
Memorials may be directed to Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, University Lutheran Center (Brookings), Augustana University, Concordia College, or a charity of the donor's choosing.
Rev. Selmer "Sam" Hatlestad was born on October 5, 1933, to Herbert and Amey (Hawley)
Hatlestad on his maternal grandmother's farm near Astoria, South Dakota. He was baptized on
October 22, 1933, by the Rev. Harold Bestul at Woodlake Lutheran Church, rural Astoria. He
attended one year of country school near his grandmother's farm and completed elementary and
high school at Clear Lake. He confirmed his faith in Christ on May 9, 1948, at St. Paul's
Lutheran Church in Clear Lake during the pastorate of Robert Bragstad. During his junior and
senior high school years, he worked at Paulson's Drug Store in Clear Lake.
His preparation for pastoral ministry included the Lutheran Bible Institute in Minneapolis,
Augustana University in Sioux Falls, Chicago Theological Seminary, Luther Theological
Seminary in St. Paul, and a year internship at Bethel Lutheran Church in Encino, California. He
was ordained into the Christian ministry on September 19, 1965, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in
Clear Lake.
On May 30, 1964, he was married to Mary Quam of Toronto, South Dakota at First Lutheran
Church in Sioux Falls. From 1965 to 1996, Pastor Hatlestad served six Lutheran parishes in
South Dakota: Salem and Unity at Freeman, Hayti and New Hope at Hayti, Our Savior's at
Veblen, Our Savior's at Wessington Springs, Salem at Parkston, and Bethany and Belleview at
Howard. He and Mary moved to Watertown in September 1996, and he took early retirement in
October of that year. Having taken the basic training for interim ministry, he served part-time
interims at churches in Pierre, Summit, Castlewood, Webster, Volga, Estelline, Bristol and
Butler, the Prairie Star Parish at Vienna, rural Henry and Willow Lake, and the Langford Parish.
He served as a part-time visitation pastor at Trinity Lutheran in Arlington and Lutheran Church
of Our Redeemer in Watertown.
Pastor Hatlestad's gifts for ministry included his organizational skills, his visitation and grief
ministry, his "coffee-cup ministry," encouraging and accompanying youth to Bible camp, and his
presence and support of youth in their school activities. He treasured the support and friendship
of clergy friends and spouses. He was proud of his writings, especially his book of personal
essays 'Put It in the History Book'. He was an avid fisherman and an amateur historian. In
retirement, he enjoyed membership at Grace Lutheran and Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer in
Watertown.
Pastor Hatlestad's colleagues remember him as someone who took a sincere interest in every
community he served and who mentored many young pastors.
He is survived by his son Thomas of Plymouth, Minnesota, his daughter Susan (Ian) Morris and
grandson Elliot of Bainbridge Island, Washington, his nephew Lauren (Brenda) Quam of Copley,
Ohio and their children Jeremy (Rebecca), Lucas, and Kianna (Bradley).
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Mary, and brothers Kenneth Hawley and Glen Hatlestad.
Reverend Selmer "Sam" Hatlestad passed away at the age of 91 on July 19, 2025, at Edgewood Assisted Living in Watertown, South Dakota.
Funeral services will be 11:00am, Friday, July 25, 2025 at Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer in Watertown. The church will live stream the service https://www.youtube.com/live/0ehlgrj1JEs?si=NW00