Sheldon Cotton, 80, of Volga, passed away on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at Edgewood Vista in Brookings.  
Funeral services will be held on Monday, June 6, at 10:30 a.m. at the First Reformed Church in Volga, South Dakota.  Burial will immediately follow the service at Trinity Cemetery in Volga.  A time of visitation will be held the evening prior, Sunday, June 5, from 5 until 7  p.m. at the First Reformed Church in Volga.  Eidsness Funeral Home is assisting the Cotton family with arrangements.
Sheldon Eugene Cotton was born at the Volga Hospital to Leslie Eugene and Marjory Elizabeth (Dill) Cotton on Aug. 16, 1941.  He received his elementary and secondary education in the Volga Public School system, graduating from Volga High School with the Class of 1959.
He married his high school sweetheart, Carolyn Marie Nagel on Sept. 9, 1959, at the Lake Campbell Lutheran Church.
Sheldon attended South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts for two years, and then transferred to Augsburg College in Minneapolis, where on June 7, 1964, he received a baccalaureate degree in Business Administration and History.  He returned to Volga in 1964, and in 1966 began farming and raising Angus cattle.  The family moved to Bangor Township in 1966, where they lived, farmed, and raised Angus cattle until May 7, 1983, when upon liquidating the farming operation they moved to Volga.
Always active in Republican Party Politics, he was elected to the South Dakota State House of Representatives in November 1980.  There, he served for two terms on the Committee on State Affairs, as well as the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, where for the last two years of his term he was Vice Chair.  In the spring of 1984, he was engaged by the South Dakota Department of Economic Development as the Agricultural Resources Development Coordinator for the State of South Dakota.
In November 1984, Cotton was appointed by Governor Janklow to be commissioner of school and public lands for the State of South Dakota, a position he held until January 1987, when he became territory manager for Gerber Industries.
In March 1990 he was hired as a marketing manager by the Dakota Minnesota & Eastern Railroad, where he was employed for 21 years.  He was appointed by Governor Dennis Daugaard to the South Dakota Railroad Board.
An accomplished genealogist, his great passion was to help others in their search for truth.  Sheldon’s beliefs were deeply rooted in the Reformed Faith throughout his life.  He was a member of the First Reformed Church in Volga, and served as a deacon, elder, and led several men’s Bible studies.  Sheldon also had a great love for music.  
He started singing solos in high school, which translated into singing in church, weddings, and funerals in his adult life.  Sheldon always made sure that later generations, particularly his grandchildren, participated in band and chorus, and loved to attend their concerts.  He also enjoyed attending their sporting events.
Sheldon is survived by his wife, Carolyn, of Volga; three sons: George (Beverly), John (special friend Kathy Engel), and Michael (Jennifer), all of Volga; eight grandchildren: Leslie Eugene and his wife, Melanie (Kellen) Cotton, Aubrey Ann Cotton Vanderbush (David) and their children: Maximillian Douglas, Porter Lawson, and Nora Bea, Erika Lauren Cotton, Thomas John Cotton, Rachel Corrine Cotton, Elizabeth Eris Cotton, Barrett Owen Cotton, and Laura and Ryan Haver, and son, Ben. Sheldon is also survived by two sisters, Carol (Donald) Fischer, of Warroad, MN, and Kathryn (David) Simmons, of Remer, MN.
He is preceded in death by his parents.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Volga Christian School, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, or a charity of your choice.