Clarence Knouse, age 84, of Lake Norden, formerly of Huron died on Monday, March 31, 2014 at the Golden Living Center in Lake Norden, SD. A celebration of his life will be 11:00 am Saturday, April 5, 2014 at Welter Funeral Home in Huron including military honors. Cremation of his body will take place after the funeral service with burial of his cremated remains at a later date. Visitation with family present will be Saturday morning one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Clarence "Heavy" Edward Knouse was born on October 18, 1929 to Fred and Myrtle (Bond) Knouse in Kingsbury County on the Knouse farmstead. He attended a one room school house in Banner Township, NW of Iroquois. He attended school through the 8th grade and went to help his Dad on the family farm. At 21, he was drafted into the Army where he served 20 months in the Korean War. He served with the HQ, 65th Engineers attached to the 25th Division. He operated a bulldozer while there. Clarence received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his service during the Korean War. In 1953, Clarence married Mary Kay Ward of Mansfield, MO. They settled in Huron and during the next ten years they had four children; Edward, Bette, Linda, and Brenda. Clarence spent his years working for Simon Rhodes, Armour's, doing construction and numerous welding jobs. He loved working with hands. He enjoyed spending his time with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He enjoyed fishing. Clarence wrote many poems he shared with us all. In his later years he wrote to 92 pen pals from all over the United States. They were an extended family to him. One of his biggest joys in his life was playing Santa Claus too many children in the Huron area for almost 70 years. He loved a good joke and was known to play a joke or two over the years. Grateful for having shared his life are his daughters; Bette (Ken) Jenner of Watertown, SD, Linda (Bob) Bult of Huron, SD, and Brenda (Tim Nelson) Knouse of Huron, SD; 11 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; his sisters, Jane DeLong of Huron, Mary Myers of Cavour; a sister-in-law Marilyn Dollenbecker of Huron; a brother-in-law Jerry (Marty) Ward Columbia, TN; many nieces and nephews. Clarence was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Kay Knouse; his son Edward, his four brothers Frank, Melvin, Marvin, and Donnie, his sisters Dorothy Keopke , Fern Carstens Whitlow and a great-grandchild.