Rod DeKam

Rodney Leon DeKam was born to Nelvin and Helena (Tinklenberg) DeKam on August 3, 1941 on the family farm in rural Pipestone County, MN. He was raised in Edgerton, MN, where he was baptized and professed his Christian faith at First Christian Reformed Church. He graduated from Southwest Christian High School in 1959, and then earned a degree in accountancy from Nettleton Commercial College in Sioux Falls, SD. In 1963, he began his employment at Pipestone National Bank where he was a cashier and consumer lender. It was there that he met and began dating a sweet young bookkeeper named LaJean Raschke. On September 4, 1965, Rod and Jean were united in marriage at St. James Lutheran Church in Holland, MN. They settled in Pipestone, where they raised their three children. In 1972, he began working for Pipestone Federal Savings and Loan. Ten years later he became the Corporate Branch Manager for TCF Savings and Loan, and later was promoted to Branch Manager-Corporate Vice President. In 1995, he went back to First National Bank and worked as a Trust Officer, retiring in 2007, after 44 years in banking.  He recently had entered the Pipestone County Hospice House and died there on Monday, February 5, 2024 at the age of 82 years.

Rod was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Pipestone where he served as church council president, council secretary, elder, and youth leader. He sang in the church choir for 50 plus years which was a special time in his life. Rod supported community involvement as an officer of the Pipestone Indian Shrine Assn., member of the Citizens Scholarship Board, and the PHS Band Parent Board, to name a few. Rod and Jean were proud supporters of their children’s and grandchildren’s marching bands, even chaperoning, and traveling with the band to Calgary, Winnipeg and the Macy’s Parade in New York City. They also loved to attend the grandchildren’s events, most recently streaming concerts and football games on their iPad. He  enjoyed an annual, family fishing trip to Northern Minnesota with the Raschke’s. Rod and Jean developed lifelong friendships through their Couples Card Club, which had been together for more than 40 years. Rod was an avid baker and had a green thumb. Some knew him for his delicious fudge, while the grandkids knew him as the “Cookie Grandpa.” Friends and relatives have spent many summer afternoons on the back patio admiring Rod’s favorite hibiscus tree and beautiful flowerpots. Rod and Jean took many vacations with friends and family, spending several weeks of the winter in Florida. A travel highlight was assisting the FB&T Heritage Club on an Alaskan Cruise and a Panama Canal Cruise. Most everyone knows he had the gift to gab and an infectious laugh. He loved people and making meaningful connections. Under his picture in his high school yearbook, it states “If silence were golden, he would always be broke”.  

He is lovingly remembered by his wife, LaJean DeKam of Pipestone; two daughters, Karla (Blair) Cazer of Sioux Falls, SD and Shelli (Jeremy) Mann of Farmington, MN; one daughter-in-law, Jodie (Sean) DeKam Valentine of Owatonna, MN; nine grandchildren, Noah, Ethan and Carson DeKam, Miles, Owen and Reed Lubben, Anika Tabetha and Donovan Mann; two step grandchildren, Morgan and Vivian Cazer; one great-grandchild, Theodore Cazer Landon; two brothers, Wayne DeKam of Edgerton, MN and Daryl (Karen) DeKam of Eden Prairie, MN; and one brother-in-law, Robert Voetberg of Cutlerville, MI; Brothers and sisters-in-law, Darwin (Barbara) Raschke, Verlyn Johnson, Loren (Diane) Raschke, Don (Deb) Raschke, Dale Raschke.  He was preceded in death by his son, Kyle; his parents; two sisters, Twyla Gortsema and Sharon Voetberg; sister-in-law, Faith DeKam; father and mother-in-law, Arnold and Evelyn Raschke; sister and brother-in-law, Janice and Bob Schulze; Sister-in-law, Judy Johnson.

A recording of Rod's Funeral Service will be uploaded to this page within a few hours of the service's conclusion.

Memorials may be directed to:

Camp Omega Camper Scholarship Fund for St. Paul Youth

St. Paul Lutheran Preschool