May 23, 1939 – August 11, 2022

Donald Pap, 83, of Beaver Creek, Minn., passed away peacefully while surrounded by his loving family on Thursday, August 11, 2022, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D.  

A funeral service was held Tuesday, August 16, 10:30 a.m. at the Christian Reformed Church in Luverne with burial following at Memory Gardens Cemetery in Luverne.  

Donald Pap was born in Doon, Iowa, on May 23, 1939, to Gerrit and Josephine (DeJong) Pap. He attended Doon Christian School through the 8th grade. He then remained at home to help his dad on the farm. In January 1957, the family moved to a farm west of Luverne and he continued to help on the farm. On June 25, 1958, he was united in marriage to Anna (Jean) Esselink. They lived on an acreage south of Luverne where they had some livestock while he worked at Lambert Lumber. In 1960, they rented and later purchased a farm by Hardwick where he started farming on his own. In 2000, after retiring, Don and Jean purchased a home by Beaver Creek. After moving to Beaver Creek, Don worked five years for Valley Springs Co-op Elevator and then became a farmhand for Marv and Dave Tofteland and Spencer Sells until being diagnosed with kidney failure and having to start on dialysis. This ended his being able to help with farming….a job that he loved.

Don was a member of Luverne Christian Reformed Church. He served 20 years as a supervisor for Battle Plain township while living in Hardwick. Don and Jean took many winter trips to Arizona where they met many new friends and called them their snowbird family. Don loved to play cards and shake dice with his coffee buddies.

Don and Jean were blessed with four children: Julene (Mark) Bredeson of Willmar, Larry Pap of Luverne, Denise (Loren) De Kam of Edgerton, and Dennis (fiancée Terri Roosendaal) of Chaska. They have nine grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. Don is also survived by a sister, Rose (Case) Feikema and a brother, Will (Marge) Pap, three sisters-in-law Sylvia (Ken) Ringling, Char (David) Kolsrud, and Carrie Hentges.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Gerrit and Josephine Pap, mother and father-in-law, Lance and Jennie Esselink, nephew, Jeffrey Ringling, and grandniece, Josephine Dilly.