Mark A. Hawley

Mark “Buckwheat” Hawley, of Burbank, SD, passed away Saturday, June 20, 2026, at his home. He lived, he died, and I bet a dollar to a dog turd you heard about him.

Family and friends will gather at the Historic Burbank School House at 2:00 PM Saturday, August 29, 2026, to share their favorite memories.

Mark was born March 18, 1958, in Vermillion, SD, to Wayne and JoAnn (Brown) Hawley. He attended grade school in Burbank and high school in Vermillion.

He started his life working on his family farm and gaining the skills he would come to use throughout the rest of his life. Buckwheat drove truck for over 40 years. He worked for Burbank Grain, Ouellette Trucking, and Hawley Farms Trucking. He was a fixture at Whimps over the years and was the life of the party even though he also enjoyed being left alone. Over the years he made many friends and he always “knew a guy” to get things done. He was stubborn but charming “and everything an such”.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Calvin Hawley, and son Nick Hawley.

Survivors include two daughters, Allison (Scott) Jensen, Arika (James) Bartels, two sons, Cole and Aaron Ruhaak. Grandchildren Blake (Hailey) Jensen, Abigale (Matt) Stiegel, Rachel “Wildchild” Jensen, Natalie Stubbs, John Bartels, and Lorelei Ruhaak. Great grandchildren Oliver and Finnegan Jensen. Brother Larry (Lori) Hawley and sister Joyce Hawley. Nieces, nephew, and their children Michaela, Seth, Elizabeth, and Hunter Wright; Rebecca, Shawn, Payton, and Madison Kruse; and Harrison, Andrea, and Holden Hawley.

Allie and Arika would like to thank everyone who checked in on Buckwheat over the last few months. Even when he was grumpy, he appreciated your company.