Hans Julius Solheim, 88, of Redfield, SD, passed away Saturday, September 30, 2023, at Community Memorial Hospital Avera in Redfield.  

   Visitation will be on Thursday, October 5, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., at Hyke Funeral Home in Redfield.

   His funeral service will be Friday, October 6, at 10:30 a.m., at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Redfield.  Reverend Keith C. Kraft will officiate.  Lunch will be served in the church hall after the service.  Following this time of lunch and fellowship, burial will take place at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Frankfort, SD.  

   Both the prayer service and funeral service for Hans will be live-streamed on the funeral home’s website below his obituary.  Arrangements have been entrusted to Hyke Funeral Home (www.hykefuneralhome.com).

   Hans was born on November 22, 1934, to Leif and Jennie (Bruins) Solheim on the family farm that was located about five miles north of Frankfort.  He was the youngest of three boys, having two older brothers, Oscar and Marlin, and two younger twin sisters, Janet and Janice.  He attended his early school years at a country school and later attended and graduated from Frankfort High School.  During his high school years, he participated in basketball and track.  He continued his love for sports into his adult years, playing amateur basketball, softball, and bowling with his son, Tony.  His love of slow-pitch softball included playing alongside his sons, Terry and Tony, and brothers Oscar and Marlin.  Hans also boxed when younger and played the accordion. 

   On March 29, 1952, Hans married Vesta “Chick” Ida Gavette in Webster, SD.  Together, they began a life of farming, first settling on the home place with his parents.  Hans and Chick’s family quickly grew with four children: Terry (1952), Michael (1954), Penny (1955), and Tony (1958).  Life was busy for them!  Over the next few years, Hans and Chick moved to places north of his parents, south of Redfield, and then the place north of Frankfort, where they made their home for 38 years.  In later years, they lived in Frankfort and then Redfield, where Hans was currently living.  Aside from farming, Hans also spent many years custom combining, mostly with Art Solheim.  Chick would occasionally accompany him for periods of time.  However, Hans’ true pride and joy was always farming.  He worked hard to move through tough times and grow his farming operation.  As many will say, “those farmers are tough guys” and that could surely have been said of Hans!  

   Hans and Chick enjoyed several vacations to Las Vegas, fishing trips, and visits with family in Oregon, Florida, and Washington.  In later years, they enjoyed several winters in Casa Grande, AZ.  As the years passed and visits were generally to places close to home, he truly enjoyed a drive to the farm and a view of the crops or the livestock.  As visits to the farm decreased, he would keep up with the farm news at coffee with friends at Appel Oil or visits from his son, Tony.  Even in death, he will be checking his crops and cattle!

   Hans is survived by his daughter, Penny Swope, and her daughter, Kristin (Derek) Louwagie; and his son, Tony (Denise) Solheim, and their children: Stacy (BJ) Wiest, April Wilke, Heather (Randy) Zens, and Michael (Christine) Solheim.  Also surviving are the children of Terry Solheim:  Kevin (Wendy) Solheim, Ryan (James) Zens, Daniel (Becky) Rose, and Casey Solheim; 21 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and sisters Janet Reich and Janice (Robert) Patterson.

   He was preceded in death by his parents Jennie (1988) and Leif (1991); beloved wife “Chick” (2017), son Michael (1954), son Terry (1992), grandson Kraig (2004), and brother-in-law Gene Reich (2020), brother Oscar (2019) and his wife Bernice, brother Marlin (2019, brother-in-law Perc.