Clifford Viessman January 29th, 1930 - December 28th, 2016 Cliff Viessman, of Clarkfield and Dawson area, died Wednesday, December 28, 2016, at Johnson Memorial Hospital in Dawson at the age of 86. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 31, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. at Clarkfield Lutheran Church in Clarkfield. Rev. Gwen Bohlke will officiate and interment will be at the Clarkfield City Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Friday, December 30 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Clarkfield Lutheran Church in Clarkfield . There will also be visitation at the church for one hour before the service on Saturday. Clifford Virgil Viessman was born on January 29, 1930, to Virgil and Caroline (Giesen) Viessman in rural Adrian, Minnesota. In November of 1939 they moved to Wilmont, MN where his father ran a maintenance truck. Cliff went to country school in Adrian for three years and then public school in Wilmont and later attended Worthington High School for six months. Cliff's father purchased the gas station and a gas truck in February of 1947 at Wilmont. Cliff's first truck was purchased in February of 1949 and was used to haul pigs, coal, water and hay. On October 15, 1950, Cliff was united in marriage to Rose Wajer in Wilmont. In January 1952, Cliff entered the armed services and was stationed at Ft. Leonardwood, Missouri and Ft. Hood, Texas. He served his last six months in Germany. He was discharged from the Army in Chicago in 1953. He returned home to Wilmont to truck eggs for Westbrook Poultry & Egg Co. in March of 1954 and eventually moved to Westbrook in the fall of 1954. In March of 1958 he moved his family to Primghar, Iowa, and became part owner of Viessman & Einck Livestock & Trucking, a hog buying and trucking operation. He also started doing some fertilizer trucking of O & O Farm Service, later called C & D Farm Service. In 1965 after the death of his father, Cliff purchased two milk trucks with milk routes from his mother. In 1970 with five fertilizer trucks and five milk trucks, he moved his family to Clarkfield, MN, to continue his association with Five Star Dairy later called Associated Milk Producers, Inc. The business continued to expand with the first terminal opening in New Prague, Minnesota, in 1974 and another in Waco, Texas, in 1976. In 1982 the main office of Cliff Viessman, Inc. was moved to Dawson, MN. From there, terminals were opened in Mankato and Marshall, Minnesota. It was also at that time that Marshall Truck Salvage and Dawson Truck Parts were established. The main office was moved to Gary, SD, in 1987 where it remains today. Terminals were then opened in Columbus, NE, Wapeton, ND, Dayton, OH, Cedar Rapids, IA, Eitzen, MN and Paynesville, MN in the following years. Today, Cliff Viessman trucks can be seen in most of the 48 states. Wayne Viessman started trucking with his father in 1970. Each of Cliff's boys took turns with maintenance of the shops and trucks before becoming drivers. Today, Wayne, Douglas, Randy, David, Terry, Alan, Rod and daughter, Barbara Jorgenson are all involved in the trucking business. In 1992, Cliff and Rose moved to Watson, MN, and Cliff started a small ranch, something he had always dreamed of doing. Cliff was a member of United Methodist Church in Montevideo. He served as chairman of the Board for the United Methodist Church of Clarkfield from 1971 to 2002. Cliff also served as a board member of the Minnesota Truckers Association from 1984 to 1998. He was also a member of the Clarkfield American Legion. Family remembers that Cliff enjoyed being with his family, especially on Christmas Eve. He loved hunting deer and elk with his sons and fishing in Canada. On weekends in the summer time he could be found fishing at the cabin with family and friends. Cliff is survived by his wife of 66 years, Rose Viessman; his children: Linda (Jerome) Kosbab, Elbow Lake, MN, Wayne (Angela) Viessman, Gary, SD, Douglas (Darlene) Viessman, Mankato, MN, Randy (Cindi) Viessman, Gary, SD, David (Lorrie) Viessman, Gary, SD, Terry (Annette) Viessman, Grenville, SD, Barbara (Mike) Jorgenson, Clarkfield, MN, Sandra (Gary) Nelson, Dawson, MN, Alan Viessman, Watson, MN, Sandra Viessman (Clayton Amundson), Dawson, MN and Rodney (Tierney) Viessman, Gary, SD; 39 grandchildren; 76 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great grandchildren and numerous cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; Virgil and Caroline Viessman; son, Micky Viessman; infant brother, Rodney Eugene Viessman; and grandson, Timothy Virgil Viessman. Organist, Karen Donner Soloist, Tom Listul "What A Wonderful World" "Amazing Grace" Congregational Hymn "How Great Thou Art" CD Selection "Happy Trails" Reader, Teresa Nelson Casket Bearers Brent Kosbab, Ryan Viessman, Jennifer Burt Jason Viessman, Andy Viessman, Trig Viessman Trent Jorgenson, Brandon Nelson, Sarah Gehring Micky Viessman, Peyton Viessman Honorary Casket Bearers Joe Vaske, Wayne Johnson Bill Graven, LeRoy Moseng Jim Irvine, Larry Mead Steve Mitlyng, Kevin Stroup Scripture Psalm 23 Arrangements by Lynner Funeral Home Since 1891 Clarkfield Minnesota