John Elder Trygstad, 47, of rural Colman, died Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017.  

Funeral services are at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Lake Campbell Lutheran Church, rural Volga.  Visitation is from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Rude’s Funeral Home in Brookings.

John Elder Trygstad was born Aug. 24, 1970, in Dell Rapids, the son of James and Esther (Balo) Trygstad.  He was baptized at First Lutheran Church and Confirmed at Lake Campbell Lutheran Church.  

He received his early education in Colman and Rutland, and then graduated from Brookings High School in 1989.  John suffered a farm accident at the age of 15, resulting in the loss of some of his fingers.  John was top salesman two years in a row for Junior Achievement while in high school.  

After high school, he attended Lake Area Technical Institute and earned a degree in business and marketing. He then worked at Larson’s Manufacturing for seven years. He also worked part time at Twin City Fan.  With his love for farming, he bought a heard of Jersey cows and milked them on the family dairy farm.  He purchased an acreage north of Colman.  John then worked at the heating plant at SDSU, and was employed as a truck driver for various companies until purchasing his own truck in 2017.    

John enjoyed spending time with family and friends, visiting on the phone, riding dirt bike, working in the shop, and attending a good rocky mountain oyster feed.  John especially relished “being a kid again” while spending time with his nieces and nephews, who shared in a mutual admiration.  John appreciated the time spent with his family attending various activities of his family members.  

To John, strangers were just friends that he hadn’t met yet.  Being a very caring and sentimental person, he took the time to listen and talk with friends.   

John is survived by his parents, James and Esther Trygstad of Colman; sisters, Janel (Wayne) Nusviken of Larimore, North Dakota, and Jean (Timothy) Granum of Brookings; brother, Daniel Trygstad of Colman;  five nephews and four nieces.   

He was preceded in death by his sister, Elaine Rae Trygstad; grandparents, John and Gladys Trygstad; Elder and Carolina Balo.   

Condolences may be sent to the family through www.rudesfuneralhome.com.