Harold Dale Safgren 91 of Rapid City passed away at his home Monday, March 13, 2023.

Harold was born March 8, 1932 in Sisseton, SD to Oscar and Alice (Eggestein) Safgren. He graduated from Sisseton High School in South Dakota.  The graduated Northern State Teachers College in Aberdeen and completed a fellowship at Stanford University for Math teachers.  He was drafted in the Army during the Korean war and trained in radar operations.  He married Shirley June Westman in 1958 in Browns Valley, MN.  Harold taught in Parkston and Rapid City in South Dakota and Vicenza, Italy.  He left teaching to work for the South Dakota Education Association followed by a career in building and carpentry.  He lived in the house Shirley and he designed and built.

Those who know Harold will remember his humor complete with puns, relaxed nature, and desire for equity.  His actions spoke to his character.  Shirley was his one love. They were suddenly engaged, and married, after he drove from Sisseton SD to Yellowstone to "say bye" before he left to teach at a military base in Italy.  He encouraged her independence and her career and saw her through her death from cancer in August 1996.  He was an equal partner with her to raise 2 children and he was there in her place when his grandsons where born.  Harold is proud of the young men his grandsons have become.

Harold fought to improve the community he lived in.  He was proud of working with a group of Rapid City teachers 50 years ago to improve the wages and contracts for teachers and to correct the improper diversion of funds from teacher salary raises to a building fund.  Similarly, he and his friends presented to the Rapid City Counsel the dismal bankrupting pattern of a company that proposed to privatize the city water treatment facilities.  There are other examples too numerous to mention.  In his retirement years, he met frequently with his coffee groups to discuss many topics, except sports.

Harold is survived by his daughter; Stephanie (Chad Jorgensen) Safgren of Byron, MN, son Stephan (Jean Berry) Safgren, grandchildren; Aren Jorgensen of Rapid City, Aric Jorgensen of Byron, MN, sister; Ruth Seal of Oakdale, MN, sisters-in-law; Verle Safgren of MN, Corinne Darrow of Custer, SD, Delores Mobley of Olive, MT, nephews; Mark Seal, Scott Safgren, Todd Safgren, nieces; Karen Husom, Julie Bilbery, and Megan Mobley.

Harold was preceded in death by his wife Shirley, brother Gordon and brothers-in-law Vern and John.