Funeral Service for Theodore Alexander Yochim, 94, of Sisseton, SD will be held on Monday, April 15, 2024, at 10:30 A.M. at the Emanuel Lutheran Church, Sisseton, SD with Rev. Thomas Mueller officiating. Organist will be Steve Eneboe. Pallbearers will be Kevin Pistorius, Mark Moen, Donny Reichert, Dylan Reichert, Riley Nelson, and Tanner Eastman. Honorary Pallbearers will be all of Ted's nieces, nephews, and friends, Dale Rinas, Steve Eneboe, Tim Thoennes, Duane Brandt, Jard Apartment Residents, Tekakwitha Living Center Residents and Staff. Military Rites by the Otto-Quande-Renville American Legion Post #50 and Ft. Sisseton VFW Post #3342. Visitation will be on Sunday, April 14, 2024, at Cahill Funeral Chapel from 3:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. Interment will be at the Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery, Hoffman, MN. The Cahill Funeral Chapel is in charge of funeral arrangements.

Theodore (Ted) A. Yochim was born on November 22, 1929, on a farm near Barrett, MN to Alexander and Tryphena (Haley) Yochim. He was baptized and confirmed by Pastor Lohman. He attended school in rural Herman, MN and graduated from Hoffman High School, Hoffman, MN. in 1949. He was 4th out of 18 students academically and served as class president. He participated in basketball and baseball and wrote high school basketball articles for the Hoffman Tribune. In 1950 he attended Moorhead State Teachers College in Moorhead, MN. While in college he was employed at the Comstock Hotel and Café as a dishwasher.

He enlisted in the United States Air Force on Jan 9, 1951. He was sent to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX for Basic Training. He was then sent to Scott Air Force Base near Belleview, IL for Radio Operator Training and graduated in September 1951. In October 1951 he received orders to be shipped to Germany. While at Camp Kilmer in central New Jersey he received a telegram that his dad had suddenly passed away. He bought a bus ticket and returned home for the funeral. He returned to Camp Kilmer in November 1951 and left for Germany in December. While in Germany he was stationed at Rhein-Main Air Base near Frankfurt, Germany. He was then stationed at 4th Allied Tactical Base near Fontainebleau, France. In 1953 he returned to Germany and was stationed near Trier, Germany. While in Germany he was promoted from P.F.C to Corporal, to Seargent and finally Staff Seargent. He oversaw Radio Site Tiger #1. In 1954 he rotated back to the United States and was discharged on December 11, 1954.

In 1955 he met his future wife at a dance in Hoffman, MN. They were married on June 8, 1957, at Kongsvinger Lutheran Church near Donnelly, MN. They lived in Morris, MN, Marshall, MN and moved to Sisseton, SD in August 1971.

From June 1955 to January 1959 Ted was employed by Morris Bakery in Morris, MN. In January 1959 he began working for Fairmont Foods of Moorhead, MN and worked for them until September 1980 when they were purchased by Cass Clay Dairy of Fargo, ND. He continued working with Cass Clay until his retirement in 1995. Over the years after his retirement, he worked part-time for Warren's Red Owl, farming with Verlyn Steiner and Dale Rinas, driving bus for Tekakawitha Nursing home and Community Transit.

Ted was active in his communities' churches and military organizations. From Sunday school teacher, usher and elder at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Marshall, MN to church president, secretary, elder, trustee and usher at Emanuel Lutheran in Sisseton, SD. Ted was a Post Commander at Sisseton American Legion Post in 1976 and 1983, Americanism officer and Dist. 4 Adjutant. He was a long-time member of the Black Hawk Drill team and Sisseton American Legion Honor Guard and Firing Squad and participated in military rites for more than two hundred veterans.

Ted was an avid letter writer to close and extended family. His daughter, son and their families were the recipients of two to three letters per week, at times. He also enjoyed writing columns while in the service overseas for the Hoffman Tribune. In his later years he wrote human-interest articles for the Sisseton Courier. Other interests included following the Minnesota Twins baseball team on Tv or radio; watching the Sisseton youth teams play, maintaining his vegetable and flower gardens, especially his gladiolus. He enjoyed fishing with friends and his wife. Most Saturdays, you could find him watching or listening to Lawrence Welk or some other Polka music program on Tv. His miniature poodle, Muffy, would often accompany Ted on his milk delivery route. Ted passed away on April 4, 2024 at the Tekakwitha Living Center.

Ted is survived by his loving wife, Donna; daughter Theresa (Gary) Heggeset of East Helena, MT, and son Scott (Deb) Yochim of West Fargo, ND; Granddaughters, Marlana (Donny) Reichert, Kimberly (Aaron) Denault, Kelcie (Tim) Thoennes, Ashley (Riley Nelson) Yochim and Brooke (Tanner Eastman) Yochim; Great-grandchildren Dylan Reichert, Ava Reichert, Luke Denault, Rey Denault, Maya Thoennes, McKenna Thoennes, Gabriella Nelson, Harper Nelson and Audrey Eastman; Brothers Leonard Yochim (Minneapolis, MN), Larry Yochim (Golden Valley, MN) Sister-in-law Beverly Yochim (Hoffman, MN) and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceeded in death by his parents, son Bruce, sister-in-law Ila Yochim, Brothers Vern Yochim, and sisters-in-law Torgney and Loraine Awsumb, Henning and Darlene Awsumb, Vivian and William Fahey, and Gert and Paul Brandt.