Classmate Obituaries will be archived on this page. If you have older obituaries from classmates please send them to me and we will include them here. Thanks, Wes
John
Henry Dugan, of the Eastern Shore, Maryland, passed away on December
9, 2021, following a long battle with esophageal cancer.
He is survived by his daughter Shawn Louise Dugan Drysdale (Neil
Drysdale) and Michael Roby Dugan (Marlene Dugan) three grandchildren
John Henry Dugan, Katelyn Dugan and Lita Drysdale. He is survived by
five siblings, Joe Dugan (Jeanene Dugan), Mary Merz (Norm Merz),
Patty Marx, Jane Dugan and Jim Dugan (Jane Dugan). He is also
survived by his partner Nora Spicer and many nieces, nephews and
cousins.
John was born in Watertown on November 18, 1938, the oldest child of
Henry (Bud) and Inie Dugan. He graduated from Watertown High school
in 1956 and he went on to graduate from South Dakota State
University in 1960.
Following college John entered into the Naval Officers Candidate
school and became a jet fighter pilot. He was one of the Navy’s
early “Top Gun” pilots and was a naval test pilot. He served two
tours of duty in the Tonkin Gulf and was assigned to the USS Ranger
and the USS Enterprise during the Viet Nam War. Following his Navy
tour, John worked in the Aerospace Division at Westinghouse.
He lived in Ireland for a number of years running the Westinghouse
plant in Limerick. He later worked for Westinghouse’s successor
company, Northrop Grumman, and retired from that company.
John loved life.
He was a gifted storyteller, piano player and jokester. Having grown
up in South Dakota, John was an avid bird hunter and fly fisherman.
He would often travel with his friends and son and grandson to
Canada, Montana and Florida to fly fish. He returned to Watertown
every fall to hunt with his brothers. John became a collector of
antiques and was a talented woodworker.
He will be greatly missed.
The family would appreciate memorials to the Wounded Warrior
organization, a cause near to John’s heart.
Maralyn
(Bassett)Twombley, 79, of Arlington, passed
away on Friday, March 9, 2018, at the Arlington Care Center in
Arlington, South Dakota. Following her wishes, Maralyn will be
cremated, with a graveside service occurring at a later date.
Maralyn Bassett was born on May
26, 1938, to Loren and Mona (Goodrich) Bassett in Sioux Falls, South
Dakota. Throughout her youth, her family moved many times, and they
called several South Dakota cities home, including Mitchell,
Aberdeen, Watertown, Yankton, and Brookings. In the later part of
her senior year, Maralyn’s family settled in Watertown, South
Dakota, where she graduated from high school.
Maralyn was united in marriage to
LeRoy Twombley on July 28, 1957, in Watertown, South Dakota. To this
union three sons were born: Greg, Wayne, and Jim.
Maralyn was a wife and mother,
and spent much of her adult life caring for her husband and children
as a housewife. She will be remembered as a wonderful mother, wife,
and friend to all that she met.
Those surviving Maralyn include
sons: Greg (Jennifer) Twombley, of Woodbridge, VA, Wayne (Jenny)
Twombley, of Cedar Rapids, IA, and Jim Twombley, of Inwood, IA; 6
grandchildren, Lauran, Tyler, Lindsey, Andrew, Emily, and Jacob, 3
great-grandchildren, Benjamin, Connor, and Sebastian, sister-in-law,
Gladys Bassett, Beulah Stoltz, Lola Busch and 12 nieces and nephews.
Maralyn was preceded in death by
her husband, LeRoy, parents, Loren and Mona Bassett; brother,
Robert; and grandson Todd.
Found
this information on November 24, 2021
Robert W. Dunn
December 8, 1937 - June 13, 2019
Robert W. Dunn, 81, passed away June 13, 2019 in Grants Pass, OR. He
was born Dec. 8, 1937 in Watertown, SD to Joseph L. and Vyonne L.
Dunn. He moved with his family to Medford, OR in 1955. Bob graduated
from Medford HS in 1956. He proudly served his country as a Marine
from 1967 to 1969 attaining the rank of Sergeant.
After his military service, Bob worked for Medford Corporation and
Boise Cascade as an electrician. His hobbies included camping and
cruising.
Bob was a loving son, brother, uncle and great-uncle. He is survived
by brother, Joe (Mary) Dunn; and sisters, Colleen Miller, Karen
Read, Cheryl (William) Gates and Monica (James) Breedlove.
A graveside service will be held at Eagle Point National Cemetery on
July 8th at 11:00 AM.
I
received this information from Kelly Small on July 12, 2021:
Jerry Small passed away Friday, March 5th
at 8:01pm from dementia related issues. He was with his wife, Kay,
myself and my daughter. He is greatly missed by his wife, 3
children, 9 grandchildren and 4 great grand children and numerous
other family and friends. His finally resting place will be at Fort
Gibson here in Oklahoma .
There is no
obituary.
Carol Mary
(Skells) Matthes peacefully passed away on November 13, 2020.
Carol was
born on December 25, 1937. She married Orval Matthes on October 2,
1959 in Mitchell, South Dakota, where the couple lived and raised
their family for many years.
Carol taught
elementary school in Mitchell for several years and continued to
substitute teach while her children were young. She enjoyed being
with her family, gardening, playing cards, and bowling.
Carol is
remembered as a loving, patient, and kind wife, mother, grandmother,
sister, niece, cousin, and friend. She saw the best in everyone and
always trusted God’s plans. She treasured her grandchildren and
embraced every moment with them.
Carol is
survived by her husband Orval Matthes, her daughter Susan Kobat, her
son Robert (Niki) Matthes, her sisters Patricia (Harlan) Bach and
Janette (Brian) Stubson; grandchildren Lucas (Tiffany) Kobat, Kayla
Kobat, Cassandra and Grace Matthes and great grandchildren Ariah and
Brooks Kobat. All of these she loved and touched deeply.
She is
preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Evelyn Skells and her
sister Ruth Steichen.
Family and
friends are invited to attend a walk through visitation on Tuesday,
October 17, 2020 from 1:00 — 2:00 p.m. at Crawford-Osthus Funeral
Chapel in Watertown, South Dakota. A Memorial Service will be held
immediately after at 2:00 p.m. following the visitation.
Burial will
be at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Watertown, South Dakota. Honorary
pallbearers will be Lucas Kobat, Richard Schaack, Harlan Bach, Brian
Bach, Brian Stubson, and Andrew Stubson.
In lieu of
flowers, the family has set up a Go Fund Me page where funds will be
utilized for the staff and residents of Wrage Village at Jenkins
Living Center in Watertown, South Dakota, where Carol spent the last
couple years of her journey.
E. Steeves Smith, 82, of Mitchell, SD,
died Friday, October 30, 2020 at Avera Queen of Peace Hospital. The
family of E. Steeves Smith would appreciate any written remembrances
sent to the care of Bittner Funeral Chapel at: 805 W. Havens Ave.,
Mitchell, SD 57301. Funeral arrangements are pending under the
direction of Bittner Funeral Chapel.
Tom was born April 17, 1937 in Waubay, South Dakota to Walter and
Flora Frankenhoff. He graduated from Watertown High School in 1956.
Many of his early years were spent in Summit, SD. Tom graduated from
Dakota Wesleyan College in Mitchell, SD with a degree in Education
in 1960. He then served in the US Army and spent time working in Ft.
Sam Houston in the burn unit of the Hospital. Tom had a 42-year long
career in education, working as a teacher, coach, principal, and
superintendent. He always enjoyed hearing from his former students.
Tom married the love of his life, Barbara Amdahl, in 1967,
celebrating 53 years of marriage together. They have 3 children,
Todd, Tim and Cara. They have 7 grandchildren.
Tom was an avid TV watcher and enjoyed watching Sunday afternoon car
races, football games (especially his beloved Packers), Western
movies (especially John Wayne), and all types of sports. Tom loved
to fish. His best fishing buddy was Larry Rumpca and he enjoyed many
fishing outings with friends and family. One of his favorite things
to do was to attend school activities of his grandchildren. Grandpa
Tom was a great gift giver, he bought many new bikes for his
grandchildren over the years.
Left to cherish his loving memory are his wife Barb of Summit, SD,
Todd (Dawn) Frankenhoff of Tea, SD, Tim (Laura) Frankenhoff of
Summit, SD, Cara (Chris) Frank of Maple Grove, MN and his 7
cherished grandchildren, Jackson, Madi Jo, Adriann, Allyson, Thomas,
Cassidy, Carson. He is also survived by siblings, Vaughn (Marlin)
Berger of Watertown, SD, Arvid (Karen) Frankenhoff of Lancaster, VA,
Darwin (Mariah) Frankenhoff of Salem, OR, Sister-in-law Sharon
Frankenhoff of Baytown, TX, Brother-in-law Allen Amdahl of Summit,
SD, and several special nieces and nephews. Their best friends of 55
years, Larry and Leslyan Rumpca of Maricopa, AZ.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents Walter and Flora
Frankenhoff, stepmother Luella Abrahamsom, Special Aunt Donna
Edwards, and brother David Frankenhoff.
Richard "Dick" Dwayne Beynon,
82, Vancouver, died July 14, 2020.
Evergreen Memorial Gardens Funeral Chapel
Splinter, Donald Eugene,
81 , of Renton, Jan, 26, 2020
Dwight
Small passed away last night, March 8, 2020 in Tucson, AZ He had
interstitial pneumonitis -- Donna Yocom
There hasn't
been a Memorial Service yet and as far as I know, no official
obituary. He "flew West" (pilot terminology for passing away) on
Sunday evening March 9th in Tucson. I can tell you that he was
retired from FedEx where he flew Captain for them for many years
after that company bought out The Flying Tigers where Dwight worked
first. He was an accomplished photographer and he volunteered in a
program which taught youngsters the basics of flying. He is survived
by wife CarolAnn (one word) and daughter Sheila (Dave) Rivera,
daughter Susan Small and granddaughter Erin, and sister Donna (Ken)
Yocom, brothers Gayle Small, Rick Small, Michael Small and Steven
Small and many nieces and nephews.
DeWayne
K. Hjermstad age 80, of Shoreview, formerly
of Burnsville, passed away on September 13, 2018. DeWayne will be
remembered for his love of life and family, contagious smile and
laugh, and love for golf and fishing. He was preceded in death by
his parents, and ex-wife, Barbara. Survived by children, Steve
(Kathy), Dave, Lori (Jeff) Crandall; grandchildren Michael (Cali),
Madison, Aaron (Leah) Crandall, Justin Crandall; also by other
loving relatives. A private family memorial will be held.
Published on
September 23, 2018
JoAnne
“Jo” Wietgrefe Wayrynen, 81, of Watertown
passed away on November 16, 2019 at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux
Falls.
Jo was born
on November 6, 1938 in Los Angeles, CA to Fred and Gladys (McKay)
Benz, and was soon after adopted by “Dad”, Lonnie Wietgrefe, when he
married Gladys in November of 1940.
Jo graduated
from Watertown High School in 1956, and went on to pursue her
teaching certificate from Northern State University in Aberdeen and
a bachelor’s degree in History from Dakota State University in
Madison. During her early career in elementary education she taught
in Castlewood and Scotland, SD.
She married
Lynn Wayrynen in 1965, and together they had three children: Shawn,
Laura, and Michelle. In the words of Lynn’s cousin, Leland Olson,
“The Lord puts opposites together and then sits back and smiles, as
they try to bring out the best in each other.” Although they
eventually parted ways, Jo told her kids that she never had any
regrets because in her words, “I wouldn’t change anything that
brought you three kids into my life.”
Beyond her
family, the focus of Jo’s life was on helping other people — be that
as an educator, an activist for women’s rights, a volunteer for
various family services agencies like Habitat for Humanity, and as
the Executive Director of the Women’s Resource Center (now the
Beacon Center) in Watertown. She served the community in this
position for over 20 years up until her retirement in November 2005.
For herself,
Jo enjoyed the arts in all forms, and particularly enjoyed classic
movies. Her kids would often tease her by changing the color
settings on the television to black & white, tuning into MTV, and
exclaiming her words, “If it’s in black & white, it must be good!”
She was always an avid reader, and her musical tastes ran from
classical to doo-wop to rock, or whatever her kids were listening
to. She would go to all of the local live music that she could, and
particularly liked the Thursday Night Live outdoor concerts in
downtown Watertown.
Jo had a
group of very close friends who for years would meet the first and
third Friday of every month for dinner at each other’s houses. Jo’s
favorite month to host was December. She loved to decorate her house
and yard for all holidays, but Christmas in particular was special
to her. It makes sense because it’s the season of giving, which was
what Jo was all about. She was also a member of the local Red Hat
Mamas group, and a lifelong member of St. Martin’s Lutheran Church
in Watertown.
Jo remained
very active in her later years, always surprising people who thought
she was much younger than she was. She was always very
strong-willed, successfully fighting stage 3 breast cancer in
2016-17. She had an infectious energy, a whimsical disposition, and
a silly sense of humor, and she loved Christmas, cats, and her two
grandkids, Alex & Gracie, the joys of her life.
Jo is
survived by her daughters, Laura (Michael) Shaeffer of Fairbanks, AK
and Michelle (Jamie) Kakacek of Watertown, her grandchildren,
Alexander and Grace Kakacek, and her kitty, Mittens.
She was
preceded in death by her parents, Lonnie & Gladys Wietgrefe, her
brother, Irvin Wietgrefe, her sister, Lorraine Benthin, and her son,
Shawn.
Those
wishing to honor Jo with a memorial gift are encouraged to give to
an organization of their choice that provides support to members of
their local community who are in need.
Obituary
Judith
"Judy" Ann Redemske, 80, of Watertown, passed
away on August 24th, 2019 at Avantara Watertown Care Center with
family by her side
Funeral mass will be 10:30 a.m., Thursday,
August 29, 2019 at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in
Watertown with Fr. Richard Fox as celebrant.
Burial will be at Mt. Hope Cemetery in
Watertown.
Visitation will be from 5-7:00 p.m., with a
scripture service starting at 7 p.m. and rosary to follow,
Wednesday, August 28, 2019 at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel in
Watertown.
Memorials may be directed to the Salvation
Army or charity of your choice.
Pallbearers will be Donald Kranz, Jason
Redemske, Brennan Kranz, Jeff Webster, Landen Geerdes and Drew
Bakken.
Honorary Pallbearers will her grandchildren,
great-grandchildren, Kenny Wight, Dennis Webster and the entire
Avantara Care Center staff.
Judy was born on January 20, 1939 at Bartron
Hospital in Watertown, South Dakota to Clarence J. (Butch) and Jean
M. (Webster) Langenfeld. She attended Immaculate Conception Catholic
School through eighth grade and graduated from Watertown Senior High
School in 1956. During her teen years, Judy was employed at
Langenfeld’s Ice Cream, the family business. Judy then went to work
as a secretary for Gribbin & Burns Law Firm in Watertown.
On February 13, 1965, Judy was united in
marriage to Willard Redemske at Immaculate Conception Catholic
Church in Watertown, South Dakota. Her daughter, Leslie, was born on
January 12, 1966 and her son, Jason, was born the same year on
December 14. She was so very proud of her “Irish twins”. Judy was a
stay-at-home mom and homemaker for most of her life. She entered
Avantara (formerly Golden Living Center) in August of 2015.
Judy was a life-long member of Immaculate
Conception Catholic Church and was a very proud Catholic. She was an
avid supporter of many different charities. Judy loved watching the
New York Yankees, Jeopardy, and Wheel of Fortune. Her favorite go-to
snack was Oreo cookies and she loved anything chocolate, especially
ice cream. She was an amazing crossword puzzle enthusiast. Judy
loved and adored her children, grandchildren and
great-grandchildren.
Judy is survived by her daughter, Leslie (Don)
Kranz and her son, Jason (Bridget) Redemske, all of Watertown, SD;
her grandchildren, Brittany (Jade) Cowan of Wellington, CO; Brennan
(Amberly) Kranz; Landen (Maria) Geerdes; Breyanna Geerdes (Jacob
Ronke); and McKenzie (Drew) Bakken, all of Watertown, SD; and five
great-grandchildren: Veda & Bennett Cowan, Hannah & Hailey Geerdes,
and Emma Arment. Judy is also survived by her sister, Lonnie (Jim)
Soyer of Watertown, SD; her brother, Richard Langenfeld of Eureka,
SD; and her brother-in-law, Rollo Korth of Watertown, SD.
Janice Hubbard, 80, was welcomed
into Heaven on Saturday, May 4, 2019 after a long illness.
Janice was born in Watertown, SD on August 12,
1938 to Albert and Anna Turbak. Janice, known as “Jan” to her
friends and her 11 siblings, went on to graduate from Watertown High
School in 1956. Born into a banking family, Jan followed in her
father’s footsteps and spent her career serving in a variety of
capacities in the banking industry.
Jan met the love of her life, James (Jim)
Hubbard, in Rapid City. The two were wed on August 20, 1965. They
were truly meant for each other, making the most of every minute
they had together with love, laughter, and service to one another.
In their retirement, Jan and Jim were very active in their church,
community volunteer work, and the Republican Party. Jan was
especially proud to have received an award in 2002 for “Hauling
Water for the Elephant” at the annual Pennington County Lincoln Day
Dinner. After Jim’s passing in 2006, Jan made the most of life
without her soulmate by spending time with family and keeping
herself busy with her marvelous sketching, though her daily focus in
life had now become her faith and her ultimate reunion with her
beloved Jim and her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Janice was preceded in death by her parents,
Albert and Anna Turbak; husband, Jim; sisters, Kathleen Wirtz, Joan
Kluckman, Ann O’Toole, Maxine Smith; brothers, Terry Turbak, Jerome
Turbak, Alfred Turbak, and Butch Turbak.
Grateful for having shared in her life are her
surviving siblings, Mary Lue (Turbak) Johnson, Melvin Turbak, Larry
Turbak; dozens of nieces and nephews; Jim’s children, Dennis
Hubbard, Bradley Seagul, Lindsay Alire; and the amazing entire staff
from Willow 1 at the South Dakota Human Services Center, who cared
for her as if she were their own until the moment of her parting.
Her love, laugh, faith, sweet smile and fun,
feisty spirit will be forever missed.
Gary Grundy, a gifted process engineer who
loved people, dies at 80
Gary
Grundy lived his life quietly working in the background to ensure
that others would reach their full potential.
Grundy, who
worked as a business consultant mentoring corporations and
nonprofits on how to improve their work processes, died Dec. 10 at
his Lakeville home. He was 80. But as his many friends and admirers
will tell you, his legacy lives on in the good works of others.
Grundy was
born in South Dakota and was raised by his grandmother. He had a
physical disability that made walking progressively difficult and a
learning disability — likely dyslexia — that led some of his early
teachers to say he wouldn't amount to much, said Laura Vannelli, a
lawyer at the Mayo Clinic who counts him as her godfather and
lifelong mentor.
Vannelli
said an aunt of Grundy's pushed him to break through his
limitations, and he discovered that hard work, together with careful
and creative analysis, could overcome most obstacles. It's a lesson
he passed on liberally to colleagues, clients, friends and
neighbors.
"He had a
positive attitude," said Karen, his wife of 52 years. "He was always
trying to get well so he could keep doing all of his things, but his
body let him down in the end."
At the age
of 3, Grundy began whittling alongside his grandfather, and he went
on to become a master woodworker. He carved dozens of clocks, and
those he didn't give away hang all around the home he designed after
he could no longer make it up and down the stairs at his longtime
abode in Apple Valley.
"He'd make
beautiful pieces of furniture. The guy could design something just
in his head and sketch it out just roughly and make something — a
real Renaissance man," said Karl Oestreich, a Mayo Clinic spokesman
and longtime friend.
Grundy got
his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from North Dakota
State University. He went to work at Unisys, which later became
Lockheed Martin, and ultimately retired from Blue Cross and Blue
Shield. Along the way, he earned a master's degree in business
administration from the University of St. Thomas.
"Gary was
always the guy making introductions — making friends with people who
had nothing in common," Vannelli recalled. "He'd facilitate the
conversation without driving it. He was incredibly bright. And when
the conversation was dying down, he was the person to jump in with a
joke or something."
Grundy
served twice on the board of Lifeworks, a nonprofit organization
serving people with disabilities, and he volunteered more than 300
hours teaching the Lifeworks staff management tools and processes
that he called the Business Capability Model, which is outlined in
his 2009 book, "The Fifth Breakthrough."
In 2012,
Lifeworks gave him its Advocate of the Year award.
Judy M.
Lysne, former president and CEO of Lifeworks, wrote in an e-mail
that Grundy shared the insights he had gained from his career.
"His work
demanded excellent process skills and infinite attention to detail.
His humorous explanation for his passion for detail was that 'no one
likes it when airplanes fall from the sky,' " Lysne said. "He deeply
understood that the individuals doing the work need to be involved
in designing the flow of work processes and procedures."
Oestreich,
who worked with Grundy at Blue Cross and Blue Shield, said he was a
champion for his team members. "He was very respectful, but he was
never afraid to go toe to toe with a leader," Oestreich said. "He
was one of those guys you just gained a lot of energy from."
Services
will be held at a later date, his family said.
JoAnna
(Jody) Mae (Cooley) Leisure, 80, of Brookings, passed away
peacefully in her home on December 30, 2018. She was born on
June 4th, 1938 in Forest City, IA to Hugh and Adella (Hauge)
Cooley. She attended school in Northwood, IA, Glenwood, MN, and
graduated from Watertown High School. She married her High
School sweetheart, Orie W. Leisure and they have lived in
Brookings, SD for the majority of their life together. She
worked in various jobs throughout her life, but is best known
for her work at The Index Stationers and Office Supply until her
retirement.
Jody was a kind and
fun-loving lady, who had a unique and wonderful gift of making
all who knew her...family, friends and strangers alike...feel
loved and welcome. Most of her favorite activities include
interacting with others. She enjoyed having coffee with loved
ones...at her favorite cafes, or on her back patio. She was an
active member of First Lutheran Church, especially in the choir
and handbell choir. She was active in her community, including
community music events and Aeolians Music Club. She enjoyed
playing tennis, sewing, quilting and reading. But, her "first
love" was tending to her beautiful gardens at her beloved
Buffalo Lake. You would often see her admiring her newest blooms
as the morning dew sparkled just like her beautiful eyes...with
one hand on her hip, and holding a cup of coffee in her other
hand...the classic, and much beloved "Jody pose".
Survivors include her husband
Ora (Orie) W Leisure; her children: Derek (Nancy) Leisure of
Bruce SD, Deiedre Leisure of Tempe AZ, Thomas (Jill) Leisure of
Clear Lake IA, and Brita (Jeff) Huisken of Rapid City SD; 7
grandchildren; Seth, Rachel, Brooke, Trent, Ryan, Mallory, and
Madison, “adopted daughters” Adella and Leslie; “adopted
grandchildren”; Jared, Lelia, Dustin, Barbara, Reed, Kimberly,
Devin, Adam, Julia, Alex, and Samantha; 4 great grandchildren;
Christian,Phinaes, Ashton, and Carter, many nieces, nephews, and
a whole myriad of beloved cousins.
She was preceded in death by
her parents; her brother, Gene Cooley; her sister, Barbara
Serrin and a son, William.
We have
confirmed that John Miles passed away
during 2018. The only thing we found was from his Facebook page and
was entered by his son. Please let us know if you know anything
else.1/2/19 Derek let me know that there was no obit for John.
"Derek Miles
I rarely check this but I should more often. I hope both of you are
doing well. Unfortunately we lost my father a few months ago. He
eventually lost a battle with cancer and some kidney issues. Mom has
been tough though and is excited about moving to South Dakota to be
near us. She purchased a beautiful new home and we are looking
forward to completing her move soon. Thanks for thinking of him and
it should be known that his presence is always with us as evidence
in this pic of him and my son both at 2yrs old. Crazy!!!"
We received
a very nice tribute from Sherwin Linton for John and Jim Antrim
along with a couple pictures.
Click on the
Pictures
I was
saddened to learn of the death of John Miles. John was my first bass
player with my band "The Rocketeers" in 1955 / 1956. John was an
excellent musician playing trombone, piano and string bass. We would
sneak the bass out of the orchestra room at Watertown High on Friday
afternoon and load it on top of my Studebaker along with guitars and
a couple drums in the trunk and play dances in northeast South
Dakota. John had a great personality. Pictured in the attached
photos we are practicing in the driveway at my home on West Kemp.
Pictured are: Jim Antrim on guitar, John on bass and myself on
electric guitar. Early Rock and Rollers. Sherwin
Darrel Crocker, age 80, of Watertown, SD passed from this life into the loving arms of his Lord, Sunday, September 16, 2018.
Interment will be at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Watertown with military honors by the National Guard and the American Legion Post 17. Pallbearers will be Vance Crocker, Todd Crocker, Jim Barber, Alex Enderle, Dan Crocker and Bryan Crocker.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be designated to "Access Ministry" 25 W. Kemp Ave., Watertown, SD 57201, or through Darrel's church.
Darrel was born January 2, 1938, in Watertown, SD to George W. and Frances I (Preston) Crocker. He graduated from Watertown High School, class of 1956, then graduated from SDSU with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He also served in the Army National Guard as an E5.
On April 23, 1961, Darrel married Geraldine "Gerry" Kleveter in Goodwin, SD. They were blessed with three children, Christy, Vance and Todd. His career took him from Watertown, SD to Minneapolis, MN to Atlanta, GA and back to Watertown, SD in 1980 where he remained until his retirement in 2000 with Western Area Power Administration. Darrel became a follower of Christ at a very young age. He ministered to others though his gift of music after his retirement.
In addition to his love of Christ, Darrel enjoyed traveling with Gerry to see their children, grandchildren and great grandchild. Their favorite adventure was a trip to Israel to see where Jesus carried out his earthly ministry. They also enjoyed taking cruises together.
Some of Darrel's favorite past-times included hunting with his sons, operating Ham Radios, riding his motorcycle and tinkering with anything broken. Darrel also enjoyed ice skating which began as a child while skating with his younger brother, Ronnie. Darrel's love of skating continued as he and Gerry directed and performed in the Watertown Ice Show.
Darrel is survived by his wife, Gerry; their three children, Christy (Jim) Barber of Pickerington, OH, Vance (Sue) Crocker of Pueblo, CO and Todd (Lindsay) Crocker of McKinney, TX; four granddaughters, Ashley (Alex) Enderle,
Gerry has sent us an audio copy
of an eulogy from his funeral.
"I
didn’t know if any classmates would be interested in listening to
the audio of Darrel’s funeral, I used 2 prerecorded songs of Darrel
singing , the first song is sheltered in the arms of God & the 2nd
song is How Great Thou Art. Also, our 3 children spoke, 1st
our oldest, Christy, who lives in Columbus, Ohio, 2nd is
Vance, Pueblo, Colorado, last, Todd, Mckinney, Texas,
Darrel is so missed, but, God has
been so comforting me, which I am so thankful for & I just need to
think on all the blessings that God had blessed us with, it is a
journey that no one wants to go through, but I am so thankful that
God is helping me through it, let me know if the audio works ok,
love Gerry"
Stanley F. “Stan” Busskohl, 79, of Henry,
passed away on Friday, June 16, 2017, at the Dougherty Hospice House
in Sioux Falls. Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday at
the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Watertown with Father
Paul Rutten officiating. Music will be furnished by the Immaculate
Conception Funeral Choir accompanied by Danielle Holmquist-Holida.
Burial will be at Mt. Hope Cemetery, Watertown.
Stanley Frederick Busskohl was born on February
8, 1938, to Frederick C. and LaDeene (Konrady) Busskohl in Vail,
Iowa. He moved with his family to Watertown at the age of five and
attended school in Watertown. Following his graduation from
Watertown High School in 1956, Stan joined the National Guard and
served for 10 years.
On July 20, 1963, he married Donna LaFramboise
at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Watertown. The
couple lived on a farm near Henry where they raised their family and
farmed for many years. Stan worked at both sale barns, primarily SD
Livestock for over 50 years. Throughout those years, he also helped
with the Watertown Winter Farm Show.
Stan loved to have the grandkids help him on
the bobcat, play cards and was a “master collector” of toys and
guns. He was a member of the American Legion of Watertown.
Stan is survived by his wife, Donna Busskohl of
Henry; his children, Sheila (Rick) Pieschke of Watertown, Penny (Ed)
Fisher, Mike (Robin) Busskohl, Kaye (Merlin) Heathcote and Randy
(Stacey) Busskohl all of Florence, Chad (Michele) Busskohl of
Atwater, Minn., and Danny (Christy) Busskohl of Henry; three
sisters, Joyce Weber of Henry, Diane (Jim) Parkhill of Elk River,
Minn., and Bev Aarstad of Watertown; 21 grandchildren; 12 great
grandchildren; and his nieces and nephews.
Arrangements by Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel,
www.wightandcomes.com.
Stephen
J. Belatti, age 79, of Watertown, SD, passed
away on Saturday, January 21, 2017, at a care center in Lake Norden,
SD. A Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 26,
2017, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Watertown. The
celebrant will be Fr. Paul Rutten. Music will be provided by the I.
C. Funeral Choir accompanied by Danielle Holmquist-Holiday. The
family is requested to meet at the church on Thursday by 10:00 a.m.
for a prayer service.
There will be no visitation. Arrangements
are being handled by the Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel of
Watertown.
Burial will be at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Watertown. Honorary
pallbearers will be the staff and residents at Golden Living
Center-Lake Norden. Active pallbearers will be: Sara Hakeman, Karen
Hakeman, Austin Hakeman, Bret Griffin, Ben Griffin, Izzie Griffin,
Claire Belatti and Tony Belatti.
Stephen was born on December 21, 1937, at Watertown, SD, to Oscar
and Carlotta (Moody) Belatti. He graduated from Watertown High
School in 1956. Stephen served his country in the U.S. Army for
three years. Following an honorable discharge, he returned to
Watertown.
On April 16, 1966, Stephen married Bonnie Crawford at Holy Name
Catholic Church in Watertown. He attended Dakota State College where
he obtained a degree in education. Stephen taught for three years
before working for the Department of Labor. He also started Daylight
Donuts which he owned and operated for eight years. He retired in
1996 after suffering a stroke.
He was a member of Holy Name Catholic Church of Watertown.
Stephen was well known as a great story teller. He loved ice
fishing, duck hunting with his good buddies and watching his
grandchildren grow.
Stephen is survived by his wife, Bonnie; one son, Steve (Suzanne)
Belatti, of Portland, OR; one daughter, Chrissy (Stacy) Hakeman, of
Lake Norden; one son-in-law, Ash Griffin, of Watertown; one
daughter-in-law, Libbie Prior; 10 grandchildren; one brother, Dr.
Richard (Marilyn) Belatti, of Madison, SD; and one sister, Sr. Katie
Belatti, of St. Paul, MN.
He was preceded in death by one son, Tony Belatti; one daughter,
Carrie Griffin; and his parents.
Life Legacy
Jacob J. "Jake" Krull, age 77, of Watertown,
SD, passed away on Friday, November 25, 2016 at Prairie Lakes
Hospital.
Funeral
services will be at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, November 30, 2016 at the
First Congregational United Church of Christ in Watertown with
Reverend Gary Westgard officiating.
Visitation
will be from 4-8 p.m. on Tuesday at the Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel
in Watertown, and for one prior to the service on Wednesday at the
church.
Interment
will be at Mount Hope Cemetery, Watertown, SD. Military honors will
be conducted by the South Dakota Army National Guard Funeral Honors
Team.
Honorary
Pallbearers will be Dick Jurgens, Harvey Hammrich, Ernie Edwards,
John Foley, Don Goldhorn, Merle Brower and Richard DeBerg.
Active
Pallbearers will be Kevin, Tom, Crissy, Carrie, Kelsey, Jay, Noah
and Leah Krull.
Jacob J.
“Jake” Krull was born December 23, 1938, to Jacob E. Krull and
Katherine (DeBerg) Krull in Watertown, South Dakota. He grew up on a
dairy farm south of Watertown, and attended rural school at Foley
No. 7. He attended and was confirmed in the First Congregational
Church in Watertown. He graduated from Watertown High School in
1956. He graduated from South Dakota State University in Brookings
with a B.S. in Economics in 1960. While at SDSU, Jake played
football and baseball.
Jake married
Phyllis Skillman in Rapid City, South Dakota, on February 19, 1961
and they were married for 55 years. Jake was commissioned a Second
Lieutenant in the Army, and they were stationed at Ft. Bliss in El
Paso, Texas.
After
leaving active duty in 1963, Jake entered the insurance business
with his father J.E. in the National Farmer’s Union Insurance
Company in Watertown. In 1984, Jake was promoted to state manager,
and he and Phyllis moved to Huron. For the next five years, he
increased the professionalism of the agents with many going from
part-time to full-time agents, resulting in increased production and
better service for policy holders. From 1989 to 2001, he served as
president of Denver-based NFUIC, turning a financially-stressed
company into a consistently profitable one with a “AA” rating from
A.M. Best Company.
Starting in
1963, Jake joined the South Dakota Army National Guard in Watertown.
He served for 26 years in the Guard, retiring as a Brigadier General
in 1989. In 1972, Jake was elected to the state Senate from
Codington County. He served five 2-year terms, retiring as the
Senate Minority Leader in 1982. After retiring from Farmer’s Union
in 2001, Jake remained active with his alma mater, joining the SDSU
Foundation board in 2003 and serving as chairman of its board of
governors in 2009 and 2010. In 2014, the SDSU Alumni Association
awarded Jake its Distinguished Alumnus Award for outstanding service
to South Dakota.
He was a
member of the First Congregational United Church of Christ. Jake
enjoyed golfing and was a member of Prairie Winds Golf Course. He
was also a member of the Watertown Lions Club, Jaycees, WCRC and
SDSU Athletics.
Jake is
survived by his wife, Phyllis, of Watertown and his two sons: Kevin
(Crissy) Krull of Sturgis and Tom (Carrie) Krull of Sioux Falls;
four grandchildren: Kelsey of Sturgis, Leah of Sioux Falls, Jacob
“Jay” of Sturgis, and Noah of Sturgis; three sisters, Darlene (Norm)
Olson of Dayton, Ohio, Irene (Vince) Vitullo of Chicago, Illinois,
and Mary Ann (Bill) Ricker of North Stonington, Connecticut; and one
brother, Darrell (Marilyn) of Prescott, Arizona.
He was preceded in death by his
father and mother, Jacob E. and Katherine (DeBerg) Krull.
Life
Legacy
Rev. Bruce M. Williams, former
mission developer and senior pastor of Gloria Dei Lutheran
Church in Sioux Falls (1984-1999), passed away on October 25,
2016 at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota after a
lengthy illness. Visitation with the family present will be
from 4 to 7 pm on Friday, October 28, 2016, at Miller Funeral
Home Southside Chapel, 7400 South Minnesota Avenue. A funeral
service will be held at 11 am on Saturday, October 29, 2016, at
Our Savior's Lutheran Church Sanctuary with private interment at
Woodlawn Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any memorials be
directed to the Williams-Engel Scholarship Fund at Augustana
University, Our Savior's Lutheran Church Foundation, and/or
Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota
Bruce was born on November 19, 1937 at Wakonda, SD to Esther and
Marsden Williams at the end of the Great Depression. They later
moved to Sioux City, Iowa and then to Watertown, SD where Bruce
graduated from high school in 1956. After considering
appointments to the U. S. military academies, he enlisted in the
United States Marine Corps where he served in the lst Marine
Division at Camp Pendleton, CA as a chaplain's assistant. It
was during this time that a calling into the ministry became a
possibility for his life work. A significant experience while
serving in the Corps was the climbing of Mt. Whitney in Calif.,
a challenging 14,000 plus feet.
After his discharge from the military, he worked on his uncle
and aunt's farm for two months and then for three months
directing a summer youth program at Hayti, SD sponsored by Hayti
Lutheran Church led by life-long friend, Pastor Dick Borrud. In
the fall of 1958, Bruce entered Augustana College (now Augustana
University) in Sioux Falls. During his college years he worked
part-time at the Crippled Children's Hospital and School, drove
school/city bus for Sioux Transit, Inc, and served two years as
business manager of the Augustana `Mirror' Newspaper.
On August 6, 1960, Bruce married Karel Engel at First Lutheran
Church in Brookings, SD. They had met in the spring of 1959,
when Karel was a sophomore, ( who had transferred from SDSU for
an elementary education major), and Bruce a freshman. Their
son, Todd, was born in August, 1961 and Bruce was elected
President of the Augustana student body in January, 1961. Karel
initially taught with a two-year certificate and attended
classes part-time until graduating with Bruce in 1962.
Upon graduation, Bruce joined the Augustana staff as an
admissions counselor for the next two years, traveled throughout
South Dakota and neighboring states contacting high schools,
potential students and their parents. Daughter Tana was born in
1963 with some medical issues and this made fulltime work
important. But, during these years the calling into the
ministry became more focused and the decision was made to enroll
at Luther Theological Seminary, St. Paul, MN in the fall of
1964.
After three years of study and receiving the Master of Divinity
degree, Bruce was ordained a pastor in the American Lutheran
Church(ALC) on June 18, 1967 at his home congregation, Grace
Lutheran Church in Watertown.
This was followed by forty-six years of parish ministry
including Trinity Lutheran Church, Mason City, IA;
Belleview-Bethany Lutheran Parish, Howard, SD; Trinity Lutheran
Church, Vermillion, SD; and Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Sioux
Falls, SD. After a brief retirement in 1999, Bruce and Karel
began a ten-year (2003-2013) journey of interim senior pastor
ministry in seven congregations: Our Savior's Lutheran,
Rochester, MN; Grace Lutheran, Sioux Falls; Bethany Lutheran,
Batavia, IL; Ezekiel Lutheran, River Falls, WI; First Lutheran,
Fargo, ND; Hope Lutheran, Sioux Falls, SD; and Our Savior's
Lutheran, Sioux Falls where he served until August, 2013.
Bruce served on several boards throughout his ministry: Board of
Regents at Augustana; Alumni Council of Augustana; The Rural
Learning Center, Howard, SD; Lutheran Social Services of South
Dakota; The Center for Western Studies at Augustana College and
Lutherans Outdoors in South Dakota, the camping ministry of the
South Dakota Synod(ELCA). Bruce and family attended family camp
at Outlaw Ranch, near Custer, SD, for over forty years. In the
summer of 1975 he also took a leave of absence from the parish
to be the director of Atlantic Mt. Ranch, a high adventure camp
for youth northwest of Custer.
In 1984, he received the Bush Foundation Fellowship Award for
study toward receiving the Doctor of Ministry (D. Min.) degree
from Luther Seminary; in 2004 the Faithfulness in Ministry Cross
Award from Luther Seminary; and in 2006, the Alumni Achievement
Award from Augustana.
Bruce is survived by his wife of 56 years, Karel of Sioux Falls;
two children: Todd(Mary) of Deer Park, IL; Tana(Garin)Bogenholm
of Roseville, MN; five grandchildren: Kaitlin, Taylor, Colter
Williams; and Teague, Liam Bogenholm; a brother,
Barry(Sheila)Williams of Sioux Falls.
He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents.
Lewis
William Raderschadt was born March 26,
1938 to Lewis J. and Ella M. (Schaaf) Raderschadt in Watertown,
South Dakota. Lew attended Watertown High School. He then served
for two years in the United States Army with 14 months of those
served in Korea. After his honorable discharge, he graduated
from a two year business course with International
Correspondence School.
On
August 12, 1959 Lew married Patricia A. Schonberger in Waverly,
South Dakota. The couple had two children, Lori and Daniel. Lew
started Lew's Fireworks, Inc. in 1959 as a part time business
and managed the Elco Motel, a family business. After selling the
Elco Motel in 1979, Lew expanded the fireworks business and
started importing and selling nationwide.
Lew
served as Mayor of the Highway 212 Development Corp in
Watertown. He was a committee member of Ducks Unlimited, and was
a member of the JC's for 15 years. Lew was a Director of
Pheasants Forever statewide and was instrumental in starting
Codington County Pro Pheasants. He was a Life member of the VFW
and was a past member of the Lions and Elks Club, and was an
avid bowler, hunter and fisherman.
Lew is
survived by his wife, Patricia; their two children, Lori (Brian)
Raderschadt-Guyton of Sacramento, CA, and Dan (Shelly)
Raderschadt of Hayti, SD; four grandchildren, Derek, Summer,
Raine and Boaz; two great grandchildren; two sisters, Marge
Swoboda and Mary Lou (Curt) Berg of Watertown, SD; a
sister-in-law, Jean Woolworth of Estelline, SD; and his nieces
and nephews.
He was
preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Barbara Coplan.
Larry
D.
Wolff, age 77, of
Watertown, SD, and Riverdale, IA, passed away on Sunday, June
12, 2016, at the hospital in Watertown. Memorial services will
be held at a later date.
Larry was born on August 12,
1938, at Faulkton, SD, to Jacob “Jake” and Katy (Stotz) Wolff.
He graduated from Watertown High School in 1956.
On July 6, 1958, Larry
married Bonita “Bonnie” West in Watertown, SD. Larry furthered
his education by attending and graduating from South Dakota
State University, Brookings, in 1961. He went on to receive his
Master’s Degree from NE Missouri State, Kirksville, MO. Larry
started his teaching career in Muscatine, IA, where he taught
for six years and then on to Pleasant Valley Iowa High School
where he taught for over 20 years. The couple moved to
Bettendorf, IA, and started ‘Comfort Concepts’, a company that
designs and constructs custom closets and storage systems. Larry
was also involved in home construction and land developments in
Iowa.
He was a member of First
United Methodist Church in Watertown and Asbury Methodist Church
in Bettendorf. He was also a member of Rotary and a former
member of DLT Development in Watertown.
Larry is survived by his
wife, Bonnie, of Watertown and Riverdale; three children: Randy
(Kathy) Wolff and Nancy Riedl all of Plano, TX, and Susan Maroon
(Chad Moede) of Indianola, IA; and four grandchildren: Ryan and
Jenna Wolff, Brooke Maroon and McKayla Moede.
He was preceded in death by
his parents; two brothers; two sisters; and one son-in-law,
Steve Riedl.
Memorials may be directed to
the Alzheimer’s Association or donations may be made to your
local blood bank.
Life Legacy
Corrine
J. Schnackenberg,
age 78, of Watertown, SD, passed away on Saturday, March 12, 2016
following a brief illness. Memorial services will be at 2:00 p.m. on
Saturday, March 19, 2016 at the Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel in
Watertown with Pastor Janet Miller officiating. Special music will
be furnished by Erika Davis as soloist accompanied by Marcia Jelsma,
and pre-recorded music.
Visitation will be from 5:00-7:00
p.m. on Friday, March 18, 2016 at the Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel
in Watertown.
Interment will be at Mt. Hope
Cemetery in Watertown, SD.
Honorary Urn Bearers will be Jenny DeVries,
Sara Schnackenberg, Traci Perman,
Cody Schnackenberg, Torrie Lindner, Serena Rondell, Jesse Lindner,
Dustin Lindner, Tiffany Koppman and Heath Marso.
Corrine Jane Schnackenberg was
born on February 5, 1938 to Phillip and Inga (Strom) Erickson in
Watertown, South Dakota. She was baptized at Grace Lutheran Church
in Watertown. Corrine attended McKinley grade school and while she
was in the sixth grade she was selected as snow queen. In 1956 she
graduated from Watertown High School.
Corrine married Charles H.
Schnackenberg on February 23, 1957. The couple lived in Chamberlain,
South Dakota for one year and then returned to Watertown. Corrine
loved being a wife and homemaker, and being at home raising their
children.
Family was important to Corrine
and she loved spending time with her children and grandchildren. She
enjoyed embroidering dish towels, sewing and making doll clothes,
playing Uno, Skip-Bo and doing word finds.
Corrine is survived her children,
Ron (Bobbi) Schnackenberg, June (Larry) Lindner and Mitzi Marso
(Mike Heyn) all of Watertown, and Tom Schnackenberg of Lawrence, KS;
her sister, Beverly Landon of Watertown; one brother, Jay (Pam)
Erickson of Lakewood, CO; 10 grandchildren; 13 great grandchildren;
and several nieces and nephews.
Obituary for George Clayton
Taecker
George Clayton Taecker, 75, of
Walden, died March 2, 2013 doing what he loved best. snowmobiling.
Mr. Taecker was born July 19,
1937 in Watertown, South Dakota to Harold Arthur and Patronella
Taecker.
Clayton left the farm in South
Dakota at age 18 and traveled to California, where he lived from
1956 to 1972. He then lived a short time in Utah before settling in
the Walden, Colorado area. He was a heavy equipment operator for
Kerr Coal Mile in Walden; retiring from Local 12 and Local 9
Operating Engineers.
Clayton loved snowmobiling,
hunting, fishing, and mechanicing; working on a lot of the
snowmobiles in town. He was a creative thinker; loving to "Claytonize"
everything.
Survivors include his son,
Timothy Taecker of Walden; daughter, Christine Annette Roberts Rex
of St George, Utah; brothers, Bruce Taecker, Harold Taecker, Jr.,
Merrill Taecker, Roger Taecker; sisters, Joan Goeman Jim, Sharon
Schortzmann Elmer, Bonnie Morris, Maryanne Douville; and four
grandchildren, Chad, Matthew, Andrew, Jessie Ray and five great
grandchildren.
Preceding Clayton in death are
his parents, Harold and Patronella; children, Stephanie Rae, Mark,
Anthony "Tony"; and two grandchildren, Nicholas and Brandy Sue. A
Memorial Service will be held at North Park Community Church in
Walden on Saturday at 12:00 p. m.
Life
Legacy
Mary Lou (Sheehan) Shriver, age
75, of Watertown, SD passed away Sunday, May 5, 2013 at her home.
Mary Louise Shriver was born January 4, 1938 in Fairfax,
Minnesota to Richard “Dick” and Catherine “Kate” (Maurer) Sheehan.
She grew up in Watertown, South Dakota, graduating from Watertown
High School in 1956. She graduated from St. John’s School of
Nursing in 1960 at Huron, South Dakota. Mary Lou married Larry
Shriver on December 30, 1961 in Watertown. Larry served in the
United States Air Force; therefore, Mary Lou worked as a registered
nurse in Wisconsin, California, Oregon, Washington, South Dakota,
West Germany and West Berlin. They retired from the Air Force in
1977, and returned to Watertown where she was employed at LATI as a
nursing instructor for 16 years. She then worked as a nurse for Dr.
James Jones until her retirement in 1997.
Mary Lou and Larry enjoyed
retirement for 15 winters in Sun City, Arizona with a close group of
special friends, who became like family.
She enjoyed spending time
watching her children and grandchildren in sports and activities
with her family. She also enjoyed golfing, reading, quilting,
cooking, baking and taught beading.
Mary Lou is survived by her
husband, Larry of Watertown, SD; her children, Jolene (Dennis)
Heller of Watertown, SD, Pat (Sharon) Shriver of Watertown, SD, Rick
(Julie) Shriver of Stevenson Ranch, CA, Tom (Leslie) Shriver of
Broomfield, CO, Kevin (Brenda) Shriver of Pueblo West, CO and Katie
(Jeff) Skibicki of Bismarck, ND; her brother, Mike (Patty) Sheehan
of Watertown, SD; her sister-in-law, Donna (Gene) Williams of
Watertown, SD; 13 grandchildren; Tyler and Ryan Heller, (Jolene),
Jackson and Brayden Shriver, (Pat), Brett, Brock and Brooke Shriver
(Rick), Tommy II and Garrett (Tom), Whitney Shafer and Kennedy
Shriver (Kevin), Abby and Grant Skibicki (Katie); along with many
nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her
parents; and brother, Chuck Sheehan.
Barbara A.
(Stoltenburg) Gonzalez June 30, 1938 ~ October 28, 2012 (age 74)
Barbara was born on June 30,
1938, at Watertown, SD, to Julius and Margaret (Schultz) Stoltenburg.
She attended school in Watertown and graduated from Watertown High
School.
Following graduation, Barbara
married John Gonzalez. She worked for Austin Law Firm, the American
Heart Association and at St. Ann’s and Prairie Lakes Hospital for 18
years. Barbara also worked for the Human Service Agency before she
retired.
She was a member of St. Martin’s
Lutheran Church, St. Martin’s Ladies’ Club and was Cradle Roll
Secretary. She was also a member of the Foster Grandparent program
at St. Martin’s School. Barbara was known as the “Bag Lady” for
many years with Karing Kapers. She was an avid Minnesota Vikings
fan and enjoyed sewing, reading and spending time with her family,
especially her grandchildren. Barbara loved being a foster
grandparent and to joke and make people laugh. She was also a piano
teacher and was an accomplished pianist, playing at several local
restaurants.
Barbara is survived by her four
children: Gina Gonzalez, Brookings, SD, Trini Gonzalez, Sioux Falls,
SD, Angi Gonzalez, Brookings, SD, and Sara (Rick) Aman, Watertown,
SD; eight grandchildren: Rachel Vosika, Marisa Gonzalez, Siera
(Chris) Staab, Olivia Drake, Eleni Aman, Emily Aman, Joey Gonzalez
and Micah Gonzalez; one great-grandson, Zander Staab; one brother,
Robert (Kathy) Stoltenburg, Colman, SD; and one sister, Judy (Gary)
Hopp, Nicollet, MN.
She was preceded in death by her
parents; her step-mother, Ruth; and one brother, James Stoltenburg.
Funeral services for Carol L.
(Mrs. Darrel) Arbogast, 73, of Watertown, SD will be at 10:30 a.m.
on Friday, September 2, 2011 at Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer in
Watertown. Rev. Christina Matson and Rev. Gary Westgard will
officiate. Carol passed away on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at her
home, after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Burial will be in Mt. Hope
Cemetery, Watertown. Honorary pallbearers will be the Watertown
Firefighters. Active pallbearers will be: Joe Makepeace, Tim
Goodwin, Gene Kluck, Maynard Petersen, Blake Johnson, and Brian
Stemwedel.
Visitation will be at Crawford
Funeral Chapel in Watertown on Thursday from 4-7 and in the church
on Friday prior to the services. The family is requested to meet at
the church on Friday by 10:00 a.m. for a prayer service.
Carol was born on October 13,
1937 in Watertown, SD to Ray and Berniece (Torgeson) DeVetter. She
graduated from Watertown High School. Following graduation, Carol
worked at various jobs.
She married Darrel Arbogast at
Grace Lutheran Church in Watertown on May 7, 1961. Carol quit
working outside the home to raise her family. She later worked as a
manager at Raven’s Outlet Store, as a manager of the Watertown Mall,
and then as Marketing Human Resource Director at F&M Bank all in
Watertown.
Carol was a lifelong member of
Grace Lutheran Church and was also a member of the Vintiques Car
Club. She served on the Watertown City Council for eight years and
on the Board of Directors of the Watertown Chamber of Commerce.
Carol enjoyed helping restore Corvairs, attending car shows, baking,
her flower garden, sewing, and being with her family, especially the
grandchildren.
She is survived by her husband,
Darrel, of Watertown; her children: Steve (Rhonda) Arbogast, Dan
(Deb) Arbogast, and Jill (Tim) Makepeace all of Watertown, SD; four
grandchildren: Amy Makepeace-Petri, Dylynn Makepeace, Blake
Arbogast, and Casey Arbogast; and one sister, Joan (Gilbert)
Kittelson, of Henry, SD.
Carol was preceded in death by
her parents and one brother, Jim DeVetter.
We
have been able to confirm that Harold Mills
passed away on March 1, 2008 in Riverside, CA
Ted Sanders was living in Muscatine IA and passed away March 18, 1997 at age 58 of a heart attack. He worked for HON Furniture, had 4 kids
and two grandchildren.
Graveside services for Edward J. “Jerry” Morris, age 75, of Lake Norden, SD, formerly Watertown, SD, will be at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, June 13, 2011, in Mt. Hope
Cemetery, Watertown. Rev. Stephen Lauricella will officiate. Military graveside honors will be provided by Codington County Post #17 of the American Legion, Watertown, and the US Navy Funeral Honors Team. Jerry passed away on
Tuesday, June 7, 2011, at a care center in Lake Norden, SD.
Arrangements are being handled by Crawford Funeral Chapel of Watertown.
Jerry was born on May 23, 1936, in Watertown, SD, to Eugene J. and Mildred L. (Nelson) Morris. He graduated from Watertown High School and enlisted in the US
Navy. Following an honorable discharge, Jerry returned to Watertown where he owned and operated a Phillips 66 Station. He then moved to Lead, SD, where he worked at Homestake Mine. He returned to Watertown and worked for Terrace
Park, Land O’Lakes, and then for Coca Cola as a route driver. He also drove a school bus for awhile. He was previously married to Bonnie Taecker.
Jerry was a former member of the American Legion. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, the Minnesota Twins and Vikings, camping, and bowling.
Jerry is survived by one son, Eric Morris, of Watertown, SD; three daughters: Rene (Cam) McElany of Colorado Springs, CO, Brenda (Todd) Bierschenk of Minneota,
MN, and Linda Kranz of Watertown, SD; eleven grandchildren; one brother, Gary (Pam) Morris, of Watertown, SD; and two sisters, Bonita (Carl) Inman of San Diego, CA, and Gloria (Kenneth) Keyser of Spokane, WA.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Jerry Eugene; and one grandson, Christopher McElany.
Donna Fjelstad, 72 of Pierre, died on Thursday, February 3 at St. Mary's Hospital. There will be a gathering of
friends from 6-7pm on Friday, February 11 at First United Methodist Church in Pierre, followed by a prayer service at 7:00 pm at the church. A Memorial Celebration of Life will be held at 10:00am, Saturday, February 12 at the
church. The Fjelstad Finale will begin at 6:00pm on Saturday, February 12 at the Grand Opera House.
Donna Jeanne Fjelstad was born in Clark, SD on September 15, 1938, to George and Averil (Beller)
Moeller. As a child she lived in Presho, Wagner and Watertown, graduating from high school in 1956. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Northern State University in 1960, and a Master’s Degree in School
Administration from USD in 1975. A teacher in the Pierre Schools for 19 years, she later became an administrator in the South Dakota Department of Education and Assistant State Superintendent. Her avocation was theater where
she acted and directed across the state. As co-owner of the comedy team, Oahe Transit, and RiverBridge Theater, she and her partner, Don Boyd, performed locally and throughout the upper Midwest. She was a founding member of
Pierre Players where she has shared her extraordinary talents on well over 100 productions. A sought after motivational speaker and workshop leader, she also wrote and performed comedy for business, non-profit, and government
groups.
Donna married Charles Fjelstad in 1960; they moved to Pierre where she made her home for the remainder of her life. They had three children, Linda Anne, Max Eric, and Mary Gen. Over the years,
numerous other young people were welcomed into their home for brief periods of time.
Donna’s belief that ‘to whom much is given, much is expected’ was exemplified in service to her community and state
and was the signature of her life. Her reputation as an advocate spanned a variety of issues and causes. She understood the transformative power of the arts and was committed to creating opportunities for youth and adults to
develop their creativity on stage and off. She was instrumental in starting IMPROV, an alcohol and drug prevention program for adolescents, in 1985, which continues in South Dakota today. She coached and mentored many ‘Odyssey
of the Mind’ teams, served on the boards of The Right Turn Career Learning Center, Capital Area Counseling Services, Capital Area Counseling Board of Trustees, Pierre Players, Short Grass Arts Council, Pierre Education
Foundation, and Church of Hope Prison Ministry. In addition to her work as a Hospice volunteer, she served as trainer for other volunteers.
At the state level, Donna served as president of the board of
the Black Hills Playhouse and South Dakotans for the Arts. She served as a Governor Appointee to the South Dakota Arts Council. In 1989 she was named Outstanding Woman Educator by the South Dakota Women in Educational
Leadership. In 1991 she was honored as a Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer in the Arts. In 1999 she was named Outstanding Volunteer by the Pierre Area Charitable Organizations. In March of 2006, she received the ‘Release the
Spirit Within’ award at the Arctic Winter Games in Kenai, Alaska. In June of 2006, Capital Area Counseling Services awarded her its ‘Visionary Award’ for her service to that agency. In 2009 she was honored with the
‘Outstanding Support of the Arts by an Individual’ by Governor Michael Rounds at the state Governor’s Arts Awards. She was also recognized by the Pierre Chamber of Commerce with the annual Pierre Pride award that same year. In
2010 she ran as a Democratic candidate for District 24 in the South Dakota state senate race with a fitting slogan ‘Fjelstad… only the J is silent’.
Donna rejoiced in the diversity of her many friends,
She encouraged us to believe in ourselves, develop our talents (whatever they might be), and to ‘get on with it’. She left a lasting impression on all the lives she touched.
Donna considered her family
her finest production. She is survived by her children Linda Schumacher (Kent) Pierre, SD, Max Fjelstad (Kate) Ninilchik, AK, and Mary (Kato) Buss, Eugene, OR; the lights of her life- grandchildren Jackson Schumacher, Samuel
Fjelstad, Olivia Buss and Charlotte Fjelstad; sisters Kathleen Currey, Pierre, SD, and Janet (Doug) Stam, Blaine, MN; nieces Sara (Terry) Kumpf, Pierre, SD, and Suzanne Easthouse, Britton, SD; great nephew and nieces, Evan,
Miranda and Claire. She was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, her dear Aunt Gen, and her husband and lifelong friend Charles Fjelstad.
A memorial fund has been established at BankWest in
Donna’s name.
Joyce M. Evjen, age 72, of Lake Mills, died Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011, in Lake Mills.
Memorial services will be held at 1:30 p. m. Tuesday, Jan. 25, at Salem Lutheran Church, Lake Mills,
with Pastor David E. Jordon officiating. Graveside services will be held in July at Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Troy, S. D.
Mittelstadt Funeral Home, Lake Mills, is in charge of the arrangements. You can contact the family
with online condolences at: www.mittelstadtfuneralhome.com .
The family requests that memorials and donations be directed to the Lake Mills Senior Citizens Club in Joyce Evjen's name.
Joyce Marie (Nelson) Evjen was born on Feb. 16, 1938, in Summit, S. D., to parents Clarence and Etta (Adolphsen)
Nelson. She was baptized at Our Savior's Evangelical Lutheran Church, South Shore, S. D., and was confirmed at Grace Lutheran Church, Watertown, S. D. She grew up in the Watertown area and graduated from Watertown High School
in 1956.
On
Aug. 4, 1956, Joyce was united in marriage to John Evjen. The couple moved to Lake Mills where Joyce found work at Monk's Grill when it first opened. In 1958, she began working at Deluxe Products (Fleetguard/Cummins) and spent
37 years as a loyal employee. Joyce stayed active at Salem Lutheran Church with the Altar Guild and her circle's work. She especially enjoyed preparing the baby layettes, the school kits and the health kits.
Family vacations took them back to South Dakota often where she enjoyed visiting as many family members,
friends, and classmates as she could in the time allowed. Reading, antiquing, and flower pot gardening were her hobbies. She also spent many years on bowling leagues with friends and was an avid fan of the Twins and the
Vikings.
After
her retirement, she was happy to travel more to see friends and family. Time each winter was spent in Texas and California to see her children, grandchildren, and long-distance family and friends. They made many new friends at
their adopted church, Grace Lutheran, in Mathis, Texas. In Lake Mills, she enjoyed meeting friends at the monthly Fleetguard retirement breakfasts as well as the weekday Congregate Meals at the Senior Center. She also loved
her weekly breakfast with the girls and visiting with friends over coffee, treats, and maybe a game of dice or cards.
When they joined the Lake Mills Senior Citizens Club, she became an active board member serving as secretary, vice president, president, and trustee over the years. She had high hopes that the club would pick up
new members and that the club would thrive in the future.
She will be missed by her family including her husband of 54 years, John, daughter, Janice (Tom) Ramthun, Lake Mills, and son, Jim (Rose) Evjen, Portland, Texas; four grandchildren, Matthew Ramthun, Lake Mills,
Jennifer Ramthun, Ames, Taniesha Evjen and Dakota Evjen, Portland, Texas; sisters, Delores Roberts, Watertown, S. D., Donna Miller, Watertown, S. D., and Barbara (Dennis) Meseberg, Ontario, Canada; brother, Jerry (Deb) Nelson,
Lawrence, Kan.; sisters-in-law, Vivian Larson, Watertown, S. D., Joyce Evjen, Strandburg, S. D., and Dorothy Barck, Marshall, Minn.; brother-in-law: Raynard (Marilyn) Evjen, Stockholm, S. D.; two aunts, Blanche Hoepner,
Atwater, Minn. and Naomi Klucas, Watertown, S. D.; and many cousins, nieces, nephews and their families.
She was preceded in death by her parents; six sisters-in law and nine brothers-in-law; many aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews.
Mittelstadt Funeral Home, 902 E. Main, Lake Mills, 641-592-0221.
If anyone asked Hal what his motto in life
was he would answer "Prior Planning Prevents Project Failure!"
Harold Edward Sutherland, 71, of North Bend, was born Oct. 3, 1937, in
Watertown, S.D., to Bernice and Clarence Sutherland. He died Aug. 13, 2010, in
North Bend at home.
He
graduated from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in 1961 and from 1963
to 1965 studied and completed advanced engineering and management courses at
UCLA. Hal's career spanned 40 years in the aerospace industry including both
military and commercial aircraft, missiles, spacecraft and security systems.
Over the years he worked for companies such as The Martin Company, Atlantic
Research Corporation, Aerospace Telemetry, Teledyne Controls, Hamilton Standard,
Lockheed Corporation and Allied Signal.
Hal is survived by his three children,
Marjorie Nunan Hendricks, Elizabeth Scofield Sutherland and Harold Edward
Sutherland Jr.
Arrangements are under the direction of North
Bend Chapel, 541-756-0440.
Sally J. Person, age 72, of Watertown, SD, passed away on Friday,
July 30, 2010 at a Clark, SD care center. Funeral services will be
at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at the Wight, Comes & Sogn
Funeral Chapel with Pastor Donna Nickels of the First Presbyterian
Church in Raymond, SD officiating. Kathy Alwin will be the soloist
accompanied by Dorothy Brugman. Interment will be on Wednesday at
3:00 p.m. in the Woodlawn Cemetery, Sioux Falls, SD. Visitation will
be on Tuesday, from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the Wight, Comes & Sogn
Funeral Chapel, and on Wednesday prior to the services.
Pallbearers will be Mike J. Laurenz, Burhan Tahtamouni, Michael W.
Laurenz, Eric Fox, Thomas Jostad and Logan Tahtamouni.
Sally was born on March 23, 1938
to Cliff E. and Alice M. (Miller) Kittelson at Brookings, South
Dakota. She grew up in Sioux Falls where she attended school and
then attended her senior year at Watertown High School. She
graduated with honors at the top 10 percent of her class.
In 1959 she married Anthony Person in the Immaculate Conception
Church in Watertown, SD. The couple lived in Watertown and Sally
worked as a legal secretary. She also worked as a cosmetic
consultant at Osco Drug and did bookkeeping at Spurgeon's. She was
later employed as an invoice clerk at Walmart. Sally semi retired at
the age of 62, and then fully retired at the age of 65. She enjoyed
spending time with her family, doing crossword puzzles, and enjoyed
going to rummage sales and thrift stores.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Sally is survived by her daughters, Laurie (Mike) Laurenz of
Watertown, and Lisa (Burhan) Tahtamouni of Prairieville, LA; three
grandchildren, Michael Laurenz, Kristin Person and Logan Tahtamouni;
and her great grandson, Aiden Fox.
Phyllis W. (Mrs. Chuck) Schamens, age 71, of
Watertown, South Dakota, passed away Saturday, September 19, 2009 in Watertown.
Funeral services were held on Thursday, September 24, at 10:30 a. m. at St.
Martin's Lutheran Church in Watertown, with Pastor John Carter officiating.
Sharon Renner was the soloist accompanied by Karen Livingston. Interment in Mt.
Hope Cemetery in Watertown, SD. Visitation was held on Wednesday from 4:00 -
8:00 p. m., at the Wight, Comes & Sogn Funeral Chapel in Watertown.
Honorary Groups were the Marine Corp League, Marine Corp League
Auxiliary and the Golden Age Club.
Active Pallbearers were her nephews: Kevin
Lauseng, Dick Frederick, Marty Howey, Randy Howey, Vic Raastad, Wayne Palo, Gary
Howey and Mark Howey.
Phyllis W. Schamens, the daughter of Calvin
and Julia (Adolph) Howey, was born on April 18, 1938 in Watertown, South Dakota.
She grew up in Watertown, where she attended school and graduated from Watertown
High School in 1956.
She married Charles "Chuck" Schamens on July
20, 1958 at St. Martin's Lutheran Church in Watertown. Phyllis was employed in
Watertown as a secretary for Gray Construction, Robel Architect, Redlinger's
Plumbing, and Gribben, Burns & Eide Attorneys. She was a state employee in
Pierre for 12 years as a secretary in the State Engineers office and State Fleet
and Travel department.
She was a member of St. Martin's Lutheran
Church and taught Sunday School for many years. Phyllis was also a member of
Legal Secretary-FOP Auxiliary, PTA and BPW.
She enjoyed spending time with her
grandchildren, reading, traveling and was very involved with genealogy and
helping others with their genealogy.
She was preceded in death by her parents;
her brothers, Calvin "Coney", William "John", Walter, Morton "Mort", and Robert
"Bob" Howey; and her sister, Margaret "Hon" Lauseng.
Phyllis is survived by her husband, Chuck;
her children, Scott (Janet) Schamens and Brent (Pam) Schamens of Watertown,
Peggy (Ken) Morse of South St. Paul, MN, and Kirk (Trudy) Schamens of Watertown;
her siblings, Ruby Palo of Hayti, Rosella "Zella" (Willard) Rogge of Huron,
Joyce (Arnell) Raastad of Watertown, and Bonnie (Merlin) Roso of Watertown; and
her 11 grandchildren.
RAPID CITY - LaDonna Whalen, 71, Rapid City,
died Sunday, July 5, 2009, at her home.
Survivors include two sons, Terry Owen, Paradise, Calif., and Damon
Bishop, Redding, Calif.; one daughter, Joni Swanke, Bowman, N. D.;
two sisters, Shirley Sears, Broomfield, Colo., and Patricia
Stoltenburg, Rapid City; and one brother, Frank Cox, Paradise,
Calif.
As per her wishes, she will be cremated, and
no services will be held.
Barbara E. (Mrs.
Donald) Rex, age 71, of Watertown, South Dakota, passed away Tuesday, September
30, 2008 at Prairie Lakes Hospital in Watertown. Funeral mass will be at 11:00
a. m. on Friday, October 3, 2008 at the Immaculate Conception Church in
Watertown. Father Joe Forcelle will be the celebrant with Leanne Giessinger as
organist and the Immaculate Conception Funeral Choir.
Interment will be at St. Mary's Cemetery in Watertown. Visitation will be
Thursday from 4-8:00 p. m. with a 7:00 p. m. scripture service at the Wight,
Comes & Sogn Funeral Chapel in Watertown.
Honorary Casketbearers will be members of the American Legion Auxiliary, members
of the VFW Auxiliary, Sue Riley and Margaret Byer. Active Casketbearers will be
members of the American Legion.
Barbara Elizabeth Rex was born on August 31,
1937 to Olaf and Susie (Falk) Erickson in Watertown, South Dakota. Barb grew up
in Watertown and graduated from Watertown High School in 1956 and then graduated
from Nursing School in Mitchell, South Dakota in 1960. She was united in
marriage with Donald Rex on June 6, 1972 at the Immaculate Conception Church in
Watertown. Barb was employed at St. Ann's Hospital and Prairie Lakes Hospital as
an LPN for a total of 32 years.
Barb enjoyed spending time with her family
and cooking and baking.
She was a member of the Immaculate Conception
Catholic Church. Barb was a very active member in the VFW and American Legion
Auxiliaries and was president for six years of the American Legion Auxiliary.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and
her brother, Ralph Erickson.
She is survived by her husband, Don; her
sister-in-law, Ruth Erickson; her niece Mary Erickson of Watertown; her nephew,
Philip Erickson of Watertown; her adopted son, Brian Herron of Picher, OK; and
her adopted grandson, Donald Herron of Watertown.
On Friday, December 19, 2008, BEVERLY SKINNER, 71, of Belair, beloved wife of the late Charles Skinner, devoted mother of Alan Skinner, Steven Skinner, Kevin Skinner
and his wife Jamie and Dawn Rathgeber and her husband Steven, loving grandmother of Caitlin, Brittany and Kelsey Skinner, Amber Mentz, Kasey and Stephanie Rathgeber and Lauren Skinner, great-grandmother of Carsyn Mentz. Also
survived by her siblings Norma Sutherland and Paul Moquist.
A Memorial Service will be held on Monday, December 22, at St. Matthews Lutheran Church, 1200
Churchville Rd in Belair, MD 21014 beginning at 11:30 with a reviewing of friends the half prior. In addition to flowers, donations may be made in Beverly's name to St. Matthews Lutheran Church.
Janet
Marie Hammrich, 69, Ash Flat, Ark., formerly of Watertown, died Wednesday, June
11, 2008, in a medical center at Batesville, Ark.
Graveside services will be Friday, at 2 p.m. in the Mount Hope Cemetery at
Watertown.
Tri-County Funeral Home of Highland, Ark., is in charge of arrangements.
She
was born Oct. 24, 1938, in Morristown, N.J., the daughter of Glenn and Arletta
Hindman. She graduated from Watertown High School in 1956 and received a degree
in registered nursing from Presentation College of Nursing in 1959.
She
married Walt Hammrich Oct. 22, 1960. She worked as a registered nurse at
Memorial Hospital and Jenkins Care Center, along with being a homemaker.
She
enjoyed spending time with her husband, children and grandchildren, reading and
her cat, Rusty.
Survivors include her husband, Walt of Ash Flat; two daughters, Jodi Hammrich
and Lori (Dave) Hauge, all of Watertown; one sister, Lisa (Mike) McElmurry of
Joplin, Mo.; and three grandchildren.
(Mrs. Ken) Mary L. Drake, age 70, of Watertown, SD, passed away on Sunday,
April 20, 2008 at a local care center. Memorial services were held on Friday,
April 25, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. at the Immaculate Conception Church with Father
James Bream officiating. Music was furnished by the Immaculate Conception Church
Choir accompanied by Jane Rokusek. Visitation was held on Thursday from
4:00-8:00 p.m. with a scripture service at 7:00 p.m. at the Wight, Comes & Sogn
Funeral Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests
memorials to be designated to the Prairie Lakes Hospice, PO Box 1210, Watertown,
SD. Please earmark the memorial for "syringe drivers."
Mary Louise Drake, the daughter of Lewis and
Theresa (Risch) Larson was born on November 29, 1937 in Watertown, South Dakota.
Mary married Kenneth John Drake March 3, 1961 and lived her entire life in
Watertown. Mary owned and operated the Drake Motor Inn from 1961-1985 with her
husband, Ken. In 1988, Mary went into real estate part-time and worked at Benet
Place full time from 1988-1990.
In 1990, Mary and Ken purchased Lakeshore
Supper Club and operated it until 2005. Mary was also a full-time realtor from
1990-2007 for ReMax and Coldwell Banker Real Estate. Over the years, Mary has
been an active member of the Immaculate Conception Church, serving as a
Eucharistic Minister and a member of the women's sodality. She served on the
Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, was a Chamber of Commerce Ambassador,
and for several years she was an active member of the Beta Delta sorority.
In her free time, Mary enjoyed golfing,
bowling, sewing and knitting. She was a talented baker and loved sharing her
holiday treats. She enjoyed traveling to the east and west coast to spend time
with her grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents;
two brothers, Lewis and Stephen of Watertown; and one sister, Joyce Larson Ellis
of Watertown.
Mary is survived by her husband, Ken; her
daughter, Katherine Drake Mills and her husband, Steven of Annandale, VA; and
her son, J. Michael Drake and his wife, Kristine of Gig Harbor, WA; two
grandchildren, Sydney Mills and Andrew Drake; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Ten
months and four days after losing his wife, Wanona, to cancer (and being her
caregiver for many months) Wayne Konrady also lost his battle with cancer.
Wayne
was born to Earnest and Mary Konrady in Iowa on September 8, 1938. His family
moved to South Dakota when he was young and raised cattle and grain He moved
with his two sons to Medford in 1970 and worked for Medco Corporation and then
Boise Cascade for many years, retiring from there.
On
March 22 1975, he married Wanona Mesloh. They were married for 30 years and
enjoyed estate sales and raising their miniature horses. Wayne also collected
Terry Redlin paintings and other Redlin collectables. He went to school In South
Dakota with the artist and had fond memories of their school days together.
He
has two sons, Tim who lives in White City and Terry that resides in Tenino,
Wash. two step-daughters, Vicki Shirley from Merlin Ore. and Cory (Mesloh)
Hamann of Butte Falls; a granddaughter, Erin, that lives in Tenino with her
dad, Terry and numerous step-grandchildren scattered about. Wayne was from a
large family with many siblings. He had two brothers and six sisters. All of
his brothers and sisters made it a priority to come and visit him over the past
10 months after Wanona’s death. He was hardly alone this past year, surrounded
by people that loved him.
Wayne
was a good man. He was from the old school where you didn’t always show your
emotions, so it was a nice thing to have him call his family up this past year
just to see how you were doing and to say, “I love you."
There
will be a small family gathering later this week where Wayne’s ashes will be
scattered with Winnie’s in their flower beds that they worked on together.
‘But
the good man walks along in the ever brightening light of God’s Favor; the dawn
gives way to morning splendor. "Proverbs 4:18
Donald Ellison
Donald Ellison of Sioux Falls, died Friday, October 7, 2005 at Sioux Valley Hospital.
Don was born December 23, 1938 in Sioux Falls, SD the son of Immert and Opal (Carpenter) Ellison. He grew up in Sioux Falls and moved to Watertown where he graduated from Watertown High School. He attended the University of South Dakota where he participated in ROTC and graduated with a degree in Business Administration. He entered the Army as a Second Lieutenant. He married Joanne Mack in Kranzburg, SD on December 30, 1961. He worked as a salesman in Millard, NE. for seven years before moving to Sioux Falls in 1975. He was an insurance agent here in Sioux Falls. He was a member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church. He enjoyed woodworking and spending time with his grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife; Joanne; his mother-in-law, Calverna “Kelly” Mack of Sioux Falls; two sons, Jeff and his wife Christie and granddaughter Megan, Springfield, MO, Brett, San Antonio, TX; two daughters, Pam and her husband Dale Beyer and granddaughters Lily and Amelia, Plover, WI, Anne and her husband, Scott Grasmick and granddaughter Lauren, Omaha, NE; and one brother, Richard of Texas.
Douglas Joseph Stricherz, 65, 318 8th St. S.E., died Monday, April 12, 2004, in a local hospital.
Funeral services will be Thursday at 11 a.m. in the Immaculate Conception Church with the Rev. James Bream officiating. Music will be provided by the Immaculate Conception Church Choir.
Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery at Watertown. Pallbearers will be Jason and Ben Devine, Paul and Pat Breen and Todd and Scott Jacobson.
Visitation will be today (Wednesday) from 4 to 8 p.m. with a Scripture service at 6:30 p.m. in the Wight and Comes Funeral Chapel and Thursday prior to the services at the church.
Douglas Joseph Stricherz, the son of Joseph B. and Louise (Fox) Stricherz was born April 24, 1938, in Watertown. He attended Immaculate Conception School and graduated from Watertown High School in 1956.
He married Marlys Dahl Sept. 21, 1957, in Watertown. He began his employment for the Municipal Utilities in 1958. He retired in 1997 as the gas department foreman.
He was a member of the Immaculate Conception Church, Catholic Order of Foresters and Watertown Elks Lodge.
He enjoyed camping and collecting Franklin Mint Cars. He also played guitar in several bands in Watertown, including the Gents and the Squires.
Survivors include his wife, Marlys Stricherz of Watertown; three sons, Jay M. (Patty) Stricherz of Volga, Craig D. (Melissa) Stricherz of Omaha, Neb., and Chad (Kimberly) Stricherz of Watertown; three sisters, SuzAnn Breen of Hillsboro, N.D., Phyllis (David) Jacobson of Watertown and Marcella "Sally" (Gary) Gramm of Brookings; and six grandchildren.
Lawrence J. "Larry" Strohfus, 67, of
Watertown, died Tuesday, May 10, 2005, at a local hospital.
Funeral
services will be Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Immaculate Conception Church with
the Rev. James Bream officiating. Music will be furnished by the Immaculate
Conception Church choir.
Interment will be in the St. Mary's Cemetery,
Watertown. Military honors will be conducted by the Codington County Post 17 of
the American Legion and Frank H. Adams Post 750 of the VFW.
Visitation
will be Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. with a scripture service at 7:30 p.m. at the
Wight, Comes and Sogn Funeral Chapel. Visitation will continue on Saturday prior
to services at the church.
Honorary Pallbearers will be his
grandchildren Active pallbearers will be Michael and James Price, Richard
Strohfus, Jr., David Kell, Richard Stroup, Aaron Althoff and Chris Lee.
Lawrence J. Strohfus, the son of Leo and Laura (Redmond) Strohfus, was born Dec.
18, 1937 at Watertown. He attended school through the ninth grade at Immaculate
Conception School. He attended three years of Seminary at St. Minrards in
Indiana. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on May 26, 1957 and earned several awards
including, National Defense Medal, five Good Conduct Medals, Army Commendation
Medal, Sharp Shooter Badge M-16, and First Class Misseleman Badge. On March 25,
1965 he married Mary Ellen Bray at Boise, Idaho. After serving in the military
for 21 years, he was discharged on Aug. 31, 1978. The couple made their home in
Watertown where he was employed by Mill Amusement, Midwest Security and then at
Minnesota Rubber until he retired in 1998. Mrs. Strohfus died on October 27,
1991.
He was an active member of the Immaculate
Conception Church where he was Chairman of Altar Boys and St. Jude's Circle,
read scripture at masses, an instructor for CCD, sang in the St. Francis Choir,
was a member of Cursillo and served communion to shut-ins. He was also a member
of Knights of Columbus, Serra Club, a Lifetime member of the VFW, a Past
Commander of the American Legion, placing flags in Avenue of Flags, and was a
volunteer for Meals on Wheels.
He was preceded in death by his wife and
one son, Billy Strohfus.
He is survived by four sons, Douglas Strohfus
of Colorado, Joseph Strohfus of Watertown, Paul Strohfus of Sioux Falls, and
Mark (Marty) Strohfus of Bentonville, Ark.; one daughter, Lorie (Terry) Beynon
of Watertown; his stepfather, Jerry Blais of Watertown; two sisters, Shirley
(Bob) Kell of St. Louis Park, Minn., and Pauline (Ernie) Pederson of Watertown;
and 11 grandchildren.
James "Jim" J. Pickering, age 77,
of Watertown, SD, passed away on Saturday, May 23, 2015, at a local
care center in Watertown. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a. m. on
Wednesday, May 27, 2015, at Grace Lutheran Church in Watertown. Rev.
Janet Miller will officiate. Music will be provided by Marcia Jelsma
as organist accompanied by Judy Everson as soloist. The family is
requested to meet at the church on Wednesday by 10:00 a. m. for a
prayer service.
Visitation will be at the Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel in
Watertown on Tuesday from 4 to 7 p. m. and in the church on
Wednesday prior to services.
Burial will be at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Watertown. Military graveside
honors will be conducted by Codington County Post #17 of the
American Legion of Watertown, and the Military Funeral Honors Team
SD Army National Guard. Honorary pallbearers will be Jim's
Grandchildren: Haley, Emma, and Pete Roe; and all of Jim's coffee
friends. Active pallbearers will be Ryan Gasper, Dean Roe, Ben Roe,
Chad Stricherz, Dan Kannas, Kelly Kannas, and Denny Lindner.
Jim was born on November 12, 1937, in Watertown, SD, to John and
Eldora (Anderson) Pickering. He graduated from Watertown High School
in 1956. He joined the United States Army in 1961 and served during
the Korean War. He was honorably discharged in 1964.
On August 3, 1968, Jim married Carol Saboe at Grace Lutheran Church
in Watertown. He worked at Frontier Motors in Watertown. Jim then
worked as a custodian for the Watertown School District for 20 years
until retiring in 2000.
He was a lifetime member of Grace Lutheran Church in Watertown. He
enjoyed working in the yard, doing crossword puzzles, camping,
playing cards, having coffee with his friends, and sitting outdoors
and waving at passerby's. He enjoyed time spent with his family,
especially his grandchildren.
Jim is survived by his wife, Carol, of Watertown; one daughter,
Julie (Jeff) Roe of Watertown; three grandchildren: Haley, Emma, and
Pete Roe all of Watertown; one niece, RaeJean Gasper of Sioux Falls,
SD; and one sister-in-law, Rose Mary Pickering of Redmond, OR.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Kenneth
Pickering; two sisters, Evelyn Pickering, and Betty Jean Gasper; two
nephews: Larry and Roger Gasper; and one brother-in-law, Cecil
Gasper.
Murphy,
Garold M. "Jerry"
Age
77 of Inver Grove Heights
Called home peacefully on November 2, 2015.
Preceded in death by daughter, Laurie & his parents. Survived by
loving wife of 57 years, Marylin; daughter, Tamra (Dan) Gibson; son,
Marlin (Lynn); 8 grandchildren; sisters, Sherran (Ron) Carlson &
Arlys Littell; sister-in-law, Marion (Gene) Johnson; brother-in-law,
Bob (Jan) Reihe; also many, many friends. Jerry was the General
Manager at Somerset Country Club and a part-time police office in
Mendota Heights for over 40 years. He was a loving husband, father,
grandpa, brother and will be dearly missed. Funeral service 11 AM
Friday, November 6th at Inver Hills Church, 8265 Babcock Trail,
Inver Grove Heights. Visitation 4-8 PM Thursday at Roberts Funeral
Home, 8108 Barbara Ave. IGH. Also 1 hour prior to the service at
church. Interment Acacia Park Cemetery. Memorials preferred to
Gateway Christian Church.
Joseph
K Hemmer,
age 79, of Weslaco, TX, formerly of Watertown, SD, passed away
(following a fall) on Monday, February 1, 2016 at Valley Baptist
Medical Center in Harlingen, TX. He is the brother of Linda (James)
Schurmann of Watertown, JoAnn Vaughn of Maryville TN and Jack and
Gene Hemmer of TX.
Services and burial will be scheduled later this summer. Joe was the
son of Joseph A. and Carolyn L. (Habermehl) Hemmer. He was born in
Wilmot SD on January 11, 1937.
Joe spent most of his early years
in Sisseton, moving to Watertown during high school. He was an
outstanding athlete in both football and track as a proud Watertown
Arrow. Friendships formed in high school remained strong throughout
his life. He graduated from Watertown High School in 1956.
Following high school, Joe moved to the Minneapolis area and had a
variety of jobs in construction. Joe was drafted into the Army,
spending much of his tour in Germany. Joe returned to Minneapolis
and became an insurance agent in the early 1960’s. He partnered
with a friend and together the two formed an agency specializing in
Medicare supplemental insurance until Joe’s retirement 30 years
later. Following retirement, Joe split his time between Lake
Kampeska in Watertown and Weslaco. He moved to Weslaco permanently
in 2005.
Joe’s favorite activities were
hunting and fishing. He started at a very early age with his
grandfather, George Habermehl. Joe’s good friends from high school
and his brother Gene were often his companions on these hunting and
fishing ventures, which always seemed to result in legendary stories
told over and over again through the years. Joe also had a passion
for golf and, like many golfers, could complain at length over
missed or errant shots. His friends in Weslaco were his best
golfing companions. Joe was a lucky man, blessed with wonderful
friendships.
Joe never married or had
children, but enjoyed spending time with his nieces and nephews and
their children. Joe was a supportive and kind uncle; he shared his
love of hunting and fishing and golf, played cards, did card tricks,
let them drive his boat, told jokes and stories, and was a patient
“customer”