ARNOLD SATTLER
Arnold Lowell Sattler, 101, of Avon, passed away Thursday, March 17, at the Tyndall Good Samaritan Center.
Arnie was born to Louisa and Christian Sattler on September 8, 1920, in Avon. He attended Avon public schools and graduated from Avon High School in 1938 during the depression era. With money in short supply and two brothers in college, Arnie found employment as a bellboy in the Widman Hotel in Mitchell where his brother, Maynard, was also working part-time. In 1940, Arnie and a group of friends set their sights on Alaska but made it as far as Tacoma, WA when all their cash had been expended. He found employment at a dry-cleaning business that had a contract to press military uniforms for the Army base at Ft. Lewis Washington. Arnold stayed in Tacoma until shortly after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. After registering with the Tacoma Draft Board, he returned to Avon with an amassed fortune of $50. In October 1942, Arnold enlisted in the Navy and attended boot camp at the Chicago Naval Training Station. Upon completion of boot camp, he attended Yeoman Naval Training School in Newport, RI. He was then stationed in Seattle, WA where he was assigned to the office of Naval Officer Procurement of 13th Naval District. A few years later he served on the USS Denver in the South Pacific where he was assigned to the Cruiser Division Twelve which covered the evacuation of men from the Allied forces rescued from Japanese prison camps. After that mission was completed, the ship returned to the US and Arnold was discharged on March 31, 1946.
In June 1946, Arnold enrolled at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. After completing two years of pre-dental requirements, he attended Loyola School of Dentistry in Chicago, IL, graduating in 1952. He returned to Vermillion where he practiced dentistry for 30 years, retiring in 1982. Upon retirement, Arnold and his brother Donald returned to their family home in Avon. They spent many years traveling together in their motorhome to Vancouver Island, BC, as well as various locations on the Missouri
River where they would camp, drink beer, and fish. Winters were spent in Avon where Arnie enjoyed bowling, golf, fishing, hunting, and gardening. Arnie was a supporter of Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, the SD Community Foundation, and the SD Parks and Wildlife Foundation, and generously supported his hometown of Avon. Arnie and his brother Donald were ardent supporters of the outdoors, and generously donated 630 acres of land located four miles southwest of Avon which was converted into a public wildlife area known as “The Sattler Area” with the intent to make the outdoors accessible for future generations.nts.
Arnold is preceded in death by his parents and all of his siblings — brothers Eldon, Chester, Maynard, Donald, and Burnell, sister Marian Smith; niece Patricia Nielson, nephew Rex Sattler, and great-nephew Jay Nielson.
As per Arnold’s request there was no formal funeral service.
The Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Onsite Crematory, Yankton assisted the family.
He is survived by his nephew Rick (Kathleen) Sattler of Conroe, TX, great-nephews Chris (Sonya) Nielson of Norfolk, NE, Brian (Angela) Sattler of McKinney, TX, great-niece Kristen (Kent) McMahan of Conroe, TX, eleven great-great nieces and nephews, and eight great-great-great nieces and nephews.