Dwayne Middleton
Dwayne Glen Middleton, 94, of Springfield, died on Friday, April 26, 2019, at St. John Lutheran Home in Springfield.
Visitation preceded the funeral service held at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd, St. John Lutheran Home. Pastor Rick Frederickson officiated at the service. Interment was in the Springfield City Cemetery.
Dwayne Middleton was born to Bruce and Martha (Essig) Middleton at the Essig farmhouse just south of the family farm, Sanborn, Minnesota, on December 26, 1924. He lived on the Middleton Century Farm Homestead for 78 years. He was the last survivor of five brothers. He attended rural School District No. 53 through ninth-grade after which he farmed with his parents in Germantown Township until his parents’ retirement in 1948. He married Mildred Williams at the Lester Crowell home near Windom, on September 10, 1945. He enjoyed farming and caring for the animals, continuing the path of his ancestors dating back to when the farm was homesteaded in 1888 by Henry Essig. They continued farming on the Middleton Farm until retirement in 1993. However, they divorced in 2004, after which he moved to Springfield. He greatly enjoyed fishing, camping, traveling; and gardening became a passion after moving to his
Springfield home. He was deeply devoted to Christ and attended the Springfield United Methodist Church. He continued listening to daily recorded devotions, after due to poor eyesight, he was unable to read. In December 2016 he moved into an assisted living apartment in The Maples, and then, in January 2018, he moved to the St. John Lutheran Home after a severe diabetes attack. Severe dementia limited his activities during his last year.
He is survived by his two sons, Glen and Lynne Middleton, Plano, Texas, and Arlan and Debra Middleton, St. Michael; three grandchildren, Heidi (Jamie)Highet, Ambre (Jed) Rappe, Nathan (Alexis) Middleton; three step-grandchildren,
Julie Knight, Christine Steffen and Heather (Brent) Benningfield; 18 great-grandchildren; and numerous nephews and nieces.
Besides his parents, Dwayne was preceded in death by all four
brothers, Lawrence, Alvin, Andrew and Darwin Middleton, and his ex-wife, Milly Middleton.
Sturm Funeral Home in Springfield was entrusted with funeral arrangements. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sturmfh.com.