Monthly Archives: August 2015

Alice was born January 2, 1933, to William Peitz and Elizabeth (Bruce) Peitz. She was raised with two sisters and four brothers on a farm outside Colome South Dakota.

She entertained her twelve young ones with vivid stories of her youth, the basic amenities of those times, dust storms, cold winters, watching the land come to life in spring, helping her Mom prepare meals for thrashers that assisted in the harvest and experiences in the one room school house she attended from kindergarten to sixth grade.

Her love for music began at a young age listening to The Grand Ole Opry, on Saturday nights. When the radio batteries were weak, determined to hear her favorite performers. she would put her ear to the speaker, to enjoy songs by Ernest Tubb and other popular country singers of that era.

Upon graduation from Colome High School in 1950, Alice moved to the big town of Winner. She worked as a waitress at West Side cafe where she met “Big Marv the handsome Swede”. After a brief courtship the two eloped on April 22,1952 and following the birth of their 2nd child their marriage was blessed in the Catholic Church. Alice contacted polio at that time, which doctors said would immobilize her arms and upper body. She regained the strength in her arms by hanging clothes and lovingly caring for her family.

Marvin operated heavy equipment though out the state of South Dakota, which kept him away for weeks at a time, leaving Alice to care for her growing family. In 1968 the family was blessed with the eleventh sibling. Shelly was blind at birth and required many operations during her young years. Alice, determined to provide a main stream learning educational environment, relocated the family to Minnesota in 1972. The twelfth child Annie was also born that year.

In the course of her life, her children completed their education, with Shelly graduating from Rockhust University in Kansas City, marriages that blessed her and Marv with 31 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren, and two daughters and two sons that served their country in the military.

In 1989 Alice and Marv returned to their beloved state of South Dakota. She had worked at the University in Minnesota from 1976 until the move to Sioux Falls, and then resumed working until 2007 at Sioux Falls College (USF).

They belonged to the St. Joseph Parish, her dedication to the Catholic Church and the celebration of her God were apparent in her daily life. Every Saturday for many years both participated in the 24 hour Eucharistic Adoration.

Alice was a strong supporter of the Democratic Party, and over time had converted Marv.

In celebrating her life, she will be remembered for the love of her family, love of little babies, singing to her children, making and mending her children’s clothes, discussing current events, cooking and baking bread, working the “Jumble” puzzle in morning newspapers, and expressing herself through dance. As her children grew she could spend time helping Marv building and repairing houses.

Betty Ann was born in Lyman County on the way to the hospital as a triplet with Billie Mae and Bernard on January 31, 1930 to C. Edward and Naomi (Anderson) Schooler.  The trio was born as the middle children of a family of 15.  In 1934, the family moved from the family homestead south of Reliance to a farm south of Oacoma less than half a mile from White River.  Betty attended the Walker Country School through the eighth grade.  During the summers she worked in the two acres of gardens with her family.  She helped take care of her younger siblings and would help care for neighbors families.

Betty was united in marriage to Wayne Ellis on September 9, 1950 at Pierre, and to that union seven children were born: Danny, Dickey, Darrell, Nancy, Cindy, Annette, and Scott.  After their marriage, they lived near the river at Iona until 1952 when they moved to Hamill and began raising their family.  In 1969, they moved to Chamberlain where they continued to raise their children and later enjoy their grandchildren.

Betty worked as a cook at the Hamill School, and a waitress at the Rainbow Cafe and the Truck Arena.  She also worked as a cashier at Joe’s Super Value and most recently at Alco.  She was a Tupperware consultant for many years.

She enjoyed bowling, crocheting, and sewing.  She sewed and mended many items for people over the years.