Paul Austin Tieszen, 85 of Spearfish, passed away on December 26, 2010 at his home.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, December 31, 2010 at Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapel in Spearfish with Pastor Jean Higgins presiding. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Cemetery in Spearfish.

Paul was born April 10, 1925 to Jacobina and Abraham Tieszen in Creighton Nebraska and raised in Dolton South Dakota among 3 sisters, Ruth Epp of Niabrara Nebraska, Dorothy Gunnels and Norma Reimer both of Kansas, (deceased) and a brother Karl Tieszen of Freeman South Dakota.

Paul met Maria Santos of La Plata Puerto Rico while working in a Mennonite hospital returning to the states where they married and raised three children, a daughter Bonnie Witt of Spearfish, Carol Smith of Tulsa Oklahoma and Richard Tieszen of Pierre South Dakota. Paul was predeceased by Maria in January of 2003 while residing in Pierre. Thereafter he returned to Spearfish where he first became a resident in 1970. In 2004 Paul married Ann Franklin of Greybull Wyoming and has since that time resided in Spearfish near his daughter Bonnie and her family.

Paul retired from Metropolitan Life Insurance Company as a life agent for 33 years after first having farmed near Marion and moving his family to Lead South Dakota in 1957. He began working underground for Homestake Mining Company later moving to the Yates shaft where he worked as a hoist operator before leaving to join Metlife.

Paul was a prolific reader who loved to spend time gardening, and enjoying his family. In later years they traveled to Texas to avoid the cold winters and were known to sneak across the border to Mexico regularly to enjoy the festive life of South America which reminded him of Puerto Rico.

Paul loved to hunt big game and bagged his last elk at the age of 83 while hunting in the Black Hills with his son.

He is survived by his wife Ann, three children, Bonnie, Dick and Carol, seven grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren.