It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Terry Mudgett, age 70 of Clark, who left this world peacefully on October 28, 2025 after a long battle with cancer. He was at home surrounded by the love of his family.
Terry was born on November 30, 1954 to Harland and Viola Fern (Pierson) Mudgett of Henry, S.D. He was the 12th of 14 children born to this union and was a proud graduate of Henry High School. Terry was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend whose kindness, integrity and grit guided every part of his life. He married the love of his life, Renae (Larson) on July 10, 1976. For 49 wonderful years they lived and farmed in the rural Clark community, and together, they built a life grounded in love, laughter and hard work.
Terry was a proud father of Troy, Lisa and Trevor, a dedicated father-in-law to Chris, Melissa and Emma and proud grandfather. He was a a deeply cherished grandpa who was so proud of his eight grandchildren: Hunter, Conner, Avery, Caitlyn, Peyton, Champ, Camden and the newest addition Brooks, who brought him endless joy. Terry was never happier than being in the field, working at the "dumb farm" as he would say or when spending time with his family.
A lifelong farmer, Terry poured his heart into the land, taking great pride in his work and the legacy he built. Seeing the progress of the farm they expanded was one of his greatest accomplishments. His dedication, honesty and vision were also evident in his leadership beyond the farm. As a founding board member of Glacial Lakes Energy, Terry played an instrumental role in advancing agricultural growth and renewable energy in the Upper Midwest, work that he truly enjoyed. To some of his fellow GLE board members, he may have been know as 'I.T. Terry' due to his reluctance of technology use and reliance on his flip phone without any saved phone numbers or contacts. To this day, he may be the only person known to have boarded an airplane with only a checkbook as a form of ID to get through security while enroute to an ethanol conference. this is one of the many stories that will live on in his memory for years to come.
Terry will be remembered for his daily phone calls to his farmer friends, comical one-liners, steady wisdom, humble strength and his deep care for his family. His laugh and cackle are something his family will dearly miss, along with the worrisome calls regarding incoming severe weather and making sure his entire family was home safe. His handshake was firm, his word was trusted, and his laughter filled every room he entered.
He is survived by his loving wife, Renae; children Tory (Melissa) Mudgett of Clark, Lisa (Chris) Lee of Clark and Trevor (Emma) Mudgett of Aurora; his eight treasured grandchildren; brothers Larry (Sharon) of West Monroe, La., Randy (Candy) of Des Moines, Iowa and Marlin of Sioux Falls; sisters Arlene Asleson of Florence, Arlys (Jack) Kays of Florence, Sharyl Graves of Sioux Falls, Glenda (Dean) Woods of Florence, Denise (Dave) Brewer of Havre, Mont. and Beryl McClung of Watertown; sister-in-law Janene Gehrke of Clark; brother-in-law and sister-in-law Dennis and Theresa Larson of Clark; and numerous nieces and nephews. Terry was preceded in death by his parents Harland and Viola (Fern) Mudgett; mother-in-law and father-in-law Gordon and LaVonne Larson; sisters DiAnn Cooper, Verla Berner, Delores Mudgett and Gayle Brekke; brother-in-laws Berniel Aslesen, John Graves, Leonard McClung, Mike Cooper and Ron Berner; and sister-in-law Jan Mudgett.
Though our hearts ache with his absence, we take comfort in knowing Terry's love, faith and example will continue to guide us. His legacy lives on in the fields he cared for and the family he cherished.
A celebration of Terry's life included a visitation on Friday, October 31 from 5:00-7:00 P.M. at Furness Funeral Home in Clark. Funeral services were at 10:30 A.M. Saturday, November 1, 2025 at the Pymouth Congregational Church in Clark with Pastor Fawn Lamb officiating. the funeral service may be found on Furness Funeral Home's Facebook page.
Active pallbearers were Mark Schmidt, DuWayne Dekker., Larry Kahnke, Danny Gehrke, Jeremy Elsen, Francis Hass and Keith Larson. Honorary Pallbearers were his eight grandchildren and all current and past board members of Glacial Lakes Energy.
