Gene William Austad, age 83, of Oldham, SD, passed away on Monday, September 30, 2024 at Bethel Lutheran Home in Madison. Funeral services for Gene W. Austad, age 83 of Oldham, will be 2:00 PM Saturday, October 5, 2024 at the Oldham Lutheran Church.  Pastor Wanda Biel will officiate.

Visitation will be one hour prior to the funeral.

Interment will be in the Lake Whitewood Lutheran Cemetery.

Gene was born on June 11, 1941 in Volga, SD. He was the second of five children born to Melvin and Opal (Haufschild) Austad. Gene graduated from the eighth grade at Spring Lake School #6 and from Oldham High School in 1959. Gene attended Dakota State University for two years; then he started farming on the home place east of Oldham.

Gene married his high school sweetheart, Joan Brinkman, on June 30, 1961. The two of them farmed for 55 years before retiring. During retirement Gene continued to enjoy snowmobiling in the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming, and he collected and restored Ford Model A cars and International tractors. Gene and Joan restored a complete set of international F-12 tractors. Gene loved to show his tractors and cars to others in Parades, and he entered them in competitions where he won many trophies! On the drive home, his favorite stop was the Dairy Queen.

Grateful for having shared his life are his siblings: Dean (Cheryl) Austad, of Sioux Falls, SD; Darla (Jon) Folsland, of Mesa, AZ; De Ann (Dan Jasperson) Helm, of Bloomer, WI; brother-in-law, Daryl Otten, of Audubon, IA; sister-in-law, Donna Bart, of Glastone, OR, and many nieces and nephews.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Joan, in 2022, sister Deb Otten, in 2023, brother-in-law, Brad Bart, and niece Kollete Austad, in 2023.

Arrangements are with Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel www.crawfordosthus.com Watertown, Hayti, De Smet. Bryant, Arlington, Lake Preston, and Oldham.