Obituary of Michael Preston

Michael Preston, age 64 of Yankton and formerly of Rock Rapids, IA passed away on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 at his home following a brief and courageous battle with cancer. Memorial Services will be at 11:00 AM, Saturday, November 16, 2013, at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Chapel, Yankton with Rev. Rod Veldhuizen officiating. Visitations will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. The Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home and Crematory, Yankton, is assisting with service details. Mike was born on June 16, 1949, in Oakland, NE to Sidney and Shirley (Swanson) Preston. He was baptized in the Methodist Church in Lyons, NE and was confirmed in the Methodist Church in Wayne, NE. He married Donna Salmon on July 28, 1968 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Wayne, NE. During their over 45 years of marriage, they lived in Wakefield, Pender, and rural Concord, NE, before moving to Rock Rapids, IA in 1990. In 2011, after working 20 years in the emergency vehicle manufacturing industry, they made the decision to retire in the rural Yankton, SD area to be near the water. Mike graduated from Wakefield High School and then later from Universal Trade School in Omaha, NE. He was a man of many trades. He owned and operated the refrigeration/repair/appliance store in Wakefield. He worked as a well-driller at Salmon Well. He started his truck driving career for Stewart Trucking in Pender and later was an owner/operator back and forth to the west coast until 1978. He worked as a hired man doing custom farming east of Wakefield. He also worked in the Maintenance Department at Waldbaum's and worked on and operated heavy equipment for Kellogg Construction in Emerson. He then took up farming to include picking corn, two rows at a time and livestock production, all while working full time in Welding/ Machine Shops in Wakefield and Wayne. After moving to Rock Rapids to pursue his love of sprint car racing on the weekends, he started working at Cayel Craft building doors on ambulances. This progressed to him managing what became known as Amtech Emergency Products, which he later purchased, moved and renamed to Rescue Vehicles of IA. He was very passionate about dealing with people in the industry and building a quality product. Mike's interest included listening to music, cooking for friends and family, sailing and repairing boats, flying, racing, restoring old cars, hunting, and fishing. For his final "project", he built their retirement home. Mike was a fireman, an EMT, a school board member, a Kiwanis member, a FDIC and Harrisburg, PA truck show vendor for multiple years. Mike always treated people how he wanted to be treated. He had the ability to walk up to a stranger and make friends and make people laugh. He always wanted to help people. He loved his family and his high school sweetheart until the very end. He is survived by his wife, Donna, a son, Jim (Virginia) Preston, and their children: Brittney, Jonny, Tiffany (Zach Hovach) and son, Bryson; daughter, Dawn Simon (Tim Bowder) and her children: Caitlin, Taylor, and their dad, Mark Simon; parents, Sidney and Shirley Preston; father-in-law, Kenneth Salmon, siblings: Tom (Shannon) Preston, Nancy (Kirk) Preston, Mary (Scott) Nelson, and Gary (Barb) Preston; and aunt, uncle, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents, mother-in-law, an uncle and a cousin. The family requests memorials to be directed to the ASHH Hospice, Attn: Peg Stratman, 501 Summit Street, Yankton, SD 57078 or Nebraska Medical Center, Lied Transplant Center, Attn: Office of Development, P. O. Box 6688, Omaha, NE 68106-9921.