“Be thou faithful onto death, and I will give thee a Crown of Life” Revelations 2:10

He was born March 2, 1929, in Montevideo, Minn. and was the son of the late Roy Wallien and Valborg Wallien. He married Mavis Anderson, his high-school sweetheart, and they were blessed with daughter Pamela and son Paul.

Dave served his country as a Sergeant in the United States Army National Guard (1948-1952) with the 47th Infantry Division at Camp Rucker, Alabama, returning later to Montevideo, where he purchased Frisholm Shoes, which later became the Country Cobbler. While in Montevideo, Dave was active in leadership in the community and was elected to the City Council, Chairman of the Fiesta Days parade, and a committed member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, singing in the Senior Choir.

Dave bought Braun’s Shoes in Fairmont. After selling Braun’s, he traveled the road for 22 years throughout eight states, selling shoes. He married Shirley Wessel of Fairmont, and they enjoyed winters in Tucson, Ariz. A true lover of music, he played the violin and mastered the ukelele. He sang with the Mozart Marching Society in Fairmont and a choral group at Tucson Estates and was also a member of the choir at 1st Congregational Church while in Fairmont. He was a voracious reader and had a notebook labeled from A-Z tracking the titles of the many books he read. He said this was necessary to avoid reading the same book twice. Gardening was a favorite pastime, and his tomatoes, potatoes, and rhubarb were stellar! Dave was a downhill skier and ski jumper and taught Paul and Pam at the age of 4 and 5 to ski, engaging a man from Sweden to make their first pair of skis. His love for skiing took him to Alta, Utah for the 1960 Winter Olympics. A lover of travel, he visited Norway, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Amsterdam and Canada, favoring Viking cruises. He loved camping at national parks in the U.S., with the Grand Tetons as his favorite. He treasured hiking in the Tucson mountains and golf took up most of his spare time.

In addition to his parents, David was preceded in death by his wife Shirley and his son-in-law Thomas McKeown, grandson Andrew McKeown, step-son-in-law Steven “Tilly” Thielges, and step-grandson Cameron Whitmore.

Left on this earth to survive Dave are his daughter Pamela McKeown of Hudson, New Hampshire, son Paul and daughter-in-law Colleen Wallien of Aberdeen, South Dakota, stepdaughters Shari Thielges of Eden Prairie, Jodie Whitmore (Al Siebert) of Fairmont, and Elizabeth Duncan of Detroit Lakes.

He is also survived by his brother Robert (Betty) Wallien of Bloomington, Minn. and sister Alice Wallien of Roseville, Minn. His grandchildren include Megan Sears (Adam) of Westford, Mass., Andrea Dietterle (Lucas) of Papillion, Nebr., and Daniel (Meera) Wallien of Cypress, Texas along with step-grandchildren Dayton (Cami) and Colby (Krystal) Whitmore, Tanner (Emma), Garret (Vanessa), Corbin (Sarah) Duncan, and Makenna (Carson) Reep and Kesley (Jake) Kadlec. Dave was blessed with 20 great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild, and nieces Kathy, Chris, Patricia and Amy and nephew Mike.

Memorials are preferred to Bethesda Towne Square, 1425 15th Avenue SE, Aberdeen, S.D. 57401. Schriver’s Memorial Mortuary in Aberdeen is overseeing the arrangements. A service will be held at Lakeview Funeral Home in Fairmont, Minn. on Saturday, Aug. 1st at 11 a.m. with a private interment at Fairview Memorial Park.

The family is indebted to Bethesda Towne Square for the compassionate care Dave received while a resident there.

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