The funeral service for Dr. William Harrison “Bill” Fuhrman, 86, of Aberdeen, SD, was held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at Aldersgate Church in Aberdeen. He died on Friday, April 12, 2024 at the Strand-Kjorsvig Rest Home in Roslyn. Arrangements were made by the Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home.
Bill was born in Aberdeen, on October 18, 1937, to William and Margaret Fuhrman and grew up on the Fuhrman family farm near Mansfield. He graduated in 1955 from Warner High School, where he was active in music and athletics. He graduated from Northern State Teachers College in 1959 having studied music education and pre-medicine.
He married Betty Dunker in 1957 and soon welcomed two sons, Monte in 1959 and Chip (William) in 1961. Following his college graduation, he taught at Columbia High School and Northville-Northwestern High School.
He attended veterinary school at Kansas State University, graduating in 1970, then served in the Army Veterinary Corps 1970–1973. He was honorably discharged from the Army as a captain. After two years of private veterinary practice in Sisseton, he took over operation of the family farm and joined the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the USDA.
He met Lynne McIntire in 1987 while preparing for an assignment with APHIS International Services. They were married in 1988 and lived their first three years together in Tuxtla-Gutierrez, Mexico. Jacob and Naomi were born to them in 1989 and 1991. They returned to the United States in 1991.
The family moved home to Aberdeen in 1997, and Bill retired from full-time veterinary work. He enjoyed feeding and watching birds and caring for his trees and garden. Until recently, he was active in multiple Bible studies at Aldersgate Church.
He was predeceased by his parents William and Margaret Fuhrman, infant sister Marvis Fuhrman, and brother-in-law Ronald Morgan.
He is survived by his wife Lynne; two sisters, Shirley Morgan of Warner, and Charlean (Lynn) Croxton of Carmel, IN; son Monte (Kim) Fuhrman of Spirit Lake, IA; son Chip Fuhrman of Mansfield; son Jacob (Cameron) Fuhrman of Savannah, GA; and daughter Naomi (Samuel) Bjorkman of Aberdeen; twelve grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.