John Foiles, of Clark, S.D., formerly of Logan Township, passed away on the evening of November 6, 2025, at the age of 101 years and four months. Visitation will be Thursday, November 13, from 5:00 - 7:00 P.M. at Furness Funeral Home, Clark, and a Celebration of Life will be held Friday, November 14, at 10:30 A.M. at the Clark United Methodist Church; the Reverend Kim Hastings officiating.
John Oscar Foiles was born on July 1, 1924, on the family farm in Logan Township, south of Raymond, S.D., the sixth child born to J. Oscar and Jennie (Stenning) Foiles. He grew up attending the Logan Methodist Church and graduated from the Logan Consolidated School School in 1942. He later attended South Dakota State University.
During WWII, John was deferred by the Army to assist on the family farm. Once the war was over, he served 18 months in post-war Japan and the Philippines as well as pre-conflict Korea as a truck driver. Upon his discharge, he returned to farming with his father and brother Raymond.
On December 1, 1960, John was united in marriage to Alvira Bleeker at the First Baptist Church in Worthington, Minn. The couple made their home on a farm in Logan Township just one mile west of the farm John grew up on. To their union was born a daughter, Norma and son Dale. John and Alvira continued to live on this farm for the next 50+ years, well into retirement as Dale took over the farming operation. They moved to Stevens Point, Wis. in 2010, living near Norma. After Alvira's death in 2018, John moved back to South Dakota and became a resident at the Fay Wookey Assisted Living Center in Clark. He resided there until March of 2025, when he moved to Avantara Clark.
John was always proud of his family's long history in the Logan community and told stories of his Swedish maternal grandfather who came as a homesteader and eventually served in the S.D. State Legislature; and his father who came to South Dakota on a railroad construction crew, but stayed when he fell in love with the homesteader's daughter.
When asked about hobbies, John would reply with "Well, I'm a farmer..." as if those two things were mutually exclusive. However, he always enjoyed music and sand tenor for many years in the "Logan Quartet" with his brothers Raymond, Delmar and Bryl Logan. He never missed his kids' concerts, even when it meant traveling to Minnesota when Norma was in college choir. He was a lifelong member of the Methodist Church and served on various committees and projects over the years. He served for (four?) decades as Secretary of the Logan Township Board. And he and Alvira were deeply involved in Farm Bureau and American Cancer Society over the years.
His greatest joy came from his family. As a 'confirmed bachelor' for many years, he relished his role to Uncle John to his older siblings' children. Later he would entertain his grandchildren with tractor rides, family stories and singing. (Every toddler heard 'How Much is that Doggie in the Window' — both verses!)
Preceding him in death where his parents, his wife Alvira, siblings Verna Foiles, Mabel (Marvin) Logan and son Larry, Delmar (Hazel) Foiles and son Darrel (Rita), Alice (Curtis) Yates and their children Ron and Linda, Raymond (Carol) Foiles and their daughter Laura Foiles Hosman.
Grateful for having shared his life are his children: Norma (Lloyd) Roach and Stevens Point, Wis. and Dale Foiles of Raymond, S.D., six grandchildren: Laura (Mike Thompson), Katherine, Robert (Danielle), Jacob (Whitney) and Emily Foiles and Aiden Thompson along with numerous nieces and nephews. He is survived by one brother-in-law, Melvyn (Jan) Bleeker of Minneapolis, Minn.
The family would like to acknowledge the gracious care and support John received while a resident at both Wookey's ALC and Avantara Clark. He was always happy as long as he had a seat by a window to see outside and 'the food was good.' Thank you to everyone who made his last years so enjoyable.
Pallbearers will be grandsons Robert and Jacob Foiles, Daniel roach and nieghbors Wayne Schlagel, Jim Kapriva and Francis Haas. Honorary pallbearers include Gene Bethke and granddaughters Laura, Katherine and Emily Foiles.
Memorials in John's memory may be directed to the American Cancer Society or the United Methodist Church of Clark.
