Donald Krambeer

Donald Krambeer, 79, of Buffalo, SD passed away at the Fort Meade VA in Sturgis, SD, February 16, 2025. Celebration of Life for Donald will be held May 24, 2025 at the Ludlow Hall in Ludlow, SD.
Donald Robert Krambeer was born July 13, 1945 in Buffalo, SD to Robert "Bob" Krambeer and Violet (Wilkinson) Krambeer. He was the oldest of two children. Darlene (Welch), his younger sister, was born five years later. They lived in a sod house north of Sorum, SD during his childhood. Donald attended all of his grade school years at the Sorum School. He then attended all four years of high school in Hettinger, ND graduating in 1963. After high school, Donald worked and rodeoed until he was drafted into the Army in October 1965 during the Vietnam War. He went to Fort Leonard Wood, MO for basic training, then onto Fort Gordon, GA and to Fort Meade, MD until he was discharged in 1967. Even though it was wartime, Donald never left the US.
Once out of the military, he continued to work and rodeo. In the fall of 1970, at the age of 27, Donald started college at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT on a rodeo scholarship majoring in Agronomy. In 1972, he was part of the national championship rodeo team, competing in saddle broncs and barebacks. He continued to compete in rodeos in the MRA, NRA, SDRA, PRCA and the annual Miles City Bucking Horse Sale, until the college rodeo coach said No!
When college was not calling, Bozeman Livestock Auction Company was. Donald was part of the day crew and the night crew! He "camped" behind the sales ring with his friend Murry who also worked there.
Throughout college, Donald always found time to rodeo on the weekends no matter how busy school or work were. He and his buddies always enjoyed the July 4th rodeo weekend or as they called it their Cowboy Christmas! In 1972, they hired a pilot to fly them to rodeos in Ennis, Red Lodge, and Livingston, Montana and other rodeos in between. This helped Donald fill his PRCA card and he now faced a choice to professional rodeo or finish college, ultimately college prevailed.
During Donald's sophomore year, he started working with Dr. Taylor, a winter wheat breeder and became his research assistant. Donald helped with planting, managing field crews, irrigating, and harvesting twenty acres of field test plots in various stages of study. In 1973, Donad continued to work under Dr. Taylor for his research project required for graduation. This project involved a study looking at winter wheat survivability. This consisted of an extraction process that removed wax from the leaves and the more wax removed, the better the winter hardiness of the wheat. Many varieties of wheat became widely grown from this project including Winalta, Froid, and Cheyenne to name a few.
Donald maintained an honor roll status all four years of college. His research project put many varieties of wheat in the fields in Montana, North and South Dakota. In June 1974 at the CNFR, Donald came within a few points of the national championship in saddle bronc, so close, yet so far away! In September of that year, Donald and Jane Miller married at sunrise in the Soldier’s Chapel near Big Sky, Montana. December 1974 brought early graduation and a move to Camp Crook, SD. There he helped manage the Linde Ranch, raising registered Herefords. Donald bought registered cattle and started his own seed stock business.
In the fall of 1977, Donald and Jane purchased the Lowell Bergstrom Ranch. Ranching kept him busy and so did a custom farming operation. He was very involved with the community including the Camp Crook Volunteer Fire Department, the Fairview Cemetery Board, the Harding County Fair, the Montana Grain Growers Association, the Montana Stockgrowers Association, as well as his beloved rodeo groups.
The summer of 1979, drought brought enough grasshoppers to cover the ground, eating everything including wood fences, posts, tree bark, even Jane's sheets hanging on the clothes line. Donald was elected by the neighboring ranchers to head up the spray project with the USDA. During the winter months, he and a friend repaired farm machinery, hunted coyotes, and in the evenings, he could be found playing a guitar or piano to entertain neighbors that visited.
As Jane's parents neared retirement in 1980, Donald and Jane returned to Manhattan, MT to help run their ranch, but not before daughter Kathy was born in Belle Fourche, SD during a blizzard! In Manhattan, Donald and Jane formed a partnership with her parents and brother. Donald also opened Krambeer's Kustom Kure, a farm to fork endeavor providing beef, pork and lamb to eager clients.
In 1993, Jane and Kathy moved off the family ranch and Donald remained in the partnership until 2000. Over the years Donald worked running a moulder that made wood trim and assembled machinery for Bozeman and Belgrade New Holland.
After Donald started having health issues from hip replacements, he moved back to Buffalo, SD in the fall of 2012 to help his sister look after their mother. Donald enjoyed being back in Buffalo enjoying time with family and friends. He loved a good visit and telling stories of the good ol' days. Donald will always be remembered for the twinkle in his eye, mischievous smile, laugh and his love for riding broncs.
He is survived by his daughter Kat Krambeer; his brother-in-law Mick Welch; his nieces Lark Welch (Chad Schon), Jean (Will) Bellamy, Lacy (Jeromy) Schneider, great nieces Jaya Bellamy, Hannah Schneider, and great nephew Dawson Schneider; his aunt Bessie (Wilkinson) Campbell; and numerous cousins. He is preceded in death by his parents and sister and numerous aunts and uncles.