Monthly Archives: June 2016

Ralph Duane Winter, age 82, of Winner, SD, entered his Heavenly Father’s home on June 2, 2016. Ralph was born August 9, 1933 in Gregory County, SD to Nellis and Thelma (Johnson) Winter. He attended rural grade school through the 8th grade, then graduated from Gregory High School in 1952.

Ralph was united in marriage to Shirley Rehak on December 19, 1953. To this union, two daughters were born, Victoria and Valarie. Ralph was employed by Lakeside Dairy for 25 years followed by working as an independent contractor until his retirement. Ralph was very active in the Winner community, serving as a fireman for 20 years, a Winner City Councilman, and an active member of the Masonic Lodge.

Ralph’s passions in life were his family, his grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He led an active life of riding motorcycles with Shirley across the country, visiting all of the states West of the Mississippi River. He also enjoyed boating with his family and friends in his earlier years, racing stock cars and serving as a flag man, as well as riding his snowmobile in the winter months.

On February 24, 1924, at the Ideal, SD home of Charles and Dora (Bainbridge) Heller a baby boy was born. They named him Lowdon (a family sir name). Lowdon was the fifth child and had three sisters and four brothers.

At age four he started school at East Star Valley. Lowdon and his siblings walked four miles to the one room schoolhouse. A small chap, he would sit on the teacher’s lap so that he could see the chalkboard. Lowdon continued his schooling in Ideal where he excelled in journalism and public speaking. He was in the choir, played piano, and could dribble a mean basketball. Lowdon graduated from Ideal High School in 1941.

Lowdon entered SDSU at Brookings and was there when World War II broke out. He enlisted in the Army Air Corp in 1944. Lowdon learn how to fly his father’s Aronka airplane as did siblings Wayne, Kenneth, Alva, and Melba. Flying proved to be very useful when he served as a gunner on a B24 bomber in the European Theater and was awarded the Air Medal. His buddies nicknamed him “Whitey” because of his very blonde hair. When World War II ended he used the GI Bill to get a degree. Lowdon began his teaching career in Winner and Witten. He was the principal at Spring Creek. He continued teaching in Kyle and Lead/Deadwood. While teaching he continued to own and operate the Shannon County News and direct at the Black Hills Playhouse.

In 1957 Lowdon was elected to the South Dakota State Legislature. He proudly served on the transportation committee introducing laws concerning roads and the state airplane. During his political career Lowdon was a delegate to the Presidential Convention in Miami supporting his close personal friend George McGovern.

Lowdon then took a job as head of the juvenile correction facility in Plankinton.
He returned to his beloved Tripp County. Lowdon was a true “jack of all trades” and “wore many hats” –sometimes three at a time and he wore them well. Real estate broker, insurance agent, and professional collector were some hats he wore. His heart was on the farm with his buffalo, cows, sheep, goats, geese, chickens, and horses. Pheasants, coyotes, and prairie dogs visited often. At age 90 he chopped ice and ventured out in the snow so his animals would have food and water. He planted his crops and was often seen riding his Moline tractor. The last few years he hired the farming done. Lowdon grew a big garden and was always experimenting with new seeds. He planted over 500 trees and grafted many hoping to discover a “perfect apple tree.” His latest project was developing “white angus” so they wouldn’t overheat. Lowdon and brother Wayne worked side by side on the farm for many years. Wayne passed away in 2012 and Lowdon continued to live and work on his home place.

He was a busy, hardworking man who made time for his friends and his activities. Lowdon played Santa to the community children and hosted pheasant, deer, and prairie dog hunters. Many fishermen enjoyed catching bass in his dam and visiting with Lowdon.
Although he didn’t always have reliable transportation, he enjoyed traveling. His travels took him to Canada, Alaska, Wyoming, and Washington DC for the Veteran’s Honor Flight. His niece in Florida looked forward to his visits and his last visit extended six months.
Lowdon enjoyed the auction. He hauled his “treasures” in one of the many cars he bought. “Never know when I need a spare car part” he would say.
Tripp County Rockhounds, weed board, township board, VFW, American Legion, Sunday School Secretary, Tripp County and South Dakota Historical Society, and Tripp County Democrats were part of his life.

He enjoyed mentoring youth and was very respected by the village youth. Elders referred to him as “Brother.”

Lowdon was a “Brother” to many near and far. This was evident by the many people who would stop by to visit him, leaving with a history lesson about Lowdon’s philosophy of life.
Lowdon was a true survivor and always had a plan B. Even when his home burned down, he had a plan to move to the Ideal School that had been remodeled. While in Florida, a tornado blew the roof off the schoolhouse. After losing two homes in less than a year, Lowdon moved to Elder Inn. Friends would take him out to check on his cows and to look over the country. He stayed in contact with family and friends via e-mail, telephone, and letters. Lowdon was very happy at Elder Inn.

Respecting the “Duty, Honor, Country” motto and wanting to recognize fellow veterans for their service and sacrifice, Lowdon was a driving force in building the Veteran’s Wall at the Winner Courthouse. He wrote the program structure that is used at Winner Memorial Day Programs and was instrumental in the development of the Avenue of Flags at the Winner Cemetery.

Wanda Kelley Lathen, 97, a resident of Winner, South Dakota for many years, passes away peacefully at home in Sun City, Arizona with her five surviving children by her side on Sunday, May 15, 2016.

Wanda was born on the family farm in Witten, SD on November 7, 1918 to William Peter and Margaret Sweeney Kelley. After graduating from school, she taught in a one-room schoolhouse in rural South Dakota. She later worked as a bookkeeper and moved to Washington, D.C. to help with the war effort.

She married Hoyt W. Lathen on 1947 in Winner and dedicated herself to raising their six children. Hoyt and Wanda owned a shoe store on Main Street and as their family grew Hoyt accepted a position with Farmers State Bank. After Hoyt left his employment at the bank, in 1956 the family moved from Winner to Minnesota. In 1980 Hoyt and Wanda retired to Sun City, AZ.

Wanda was a devout Catholic and served as a member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas for 76 years. She was an expert bridge player and enjoyed her last game of bridge one week before passing on. She was an exceptionally strong woman and always looked for the good in people. She is known for her selfless ways and her Irish red hair.

Lucy was born April 30, 1917, to John and Rosie (Hrabanek) Kartak. She was the eldest of 5 living children.
Lucy spent all her life near the same home where she was born. During her years growing up she attended Grand Valley School located just across the road south of her home. She also attended the Danton Catholic Church located just west on the hill from her home. She played the clarinet in the Turtle Butte Farmer’s Union band which included several neighborhood young people. During her years after school she helped several neighborhood ladies with their families and housework.
Lucy married Raymond Krumpus on March 26, 1940. To this union two sons, Larry and Lyle, were born. They lived all of their married life on a farm just west across the road where she grew up. They enjoyed going to dances at Turtle Butte Hall and Wewela, and also enjoyed going to ball games with friends. She always grew a large garden and did lots of canning and also gave a lot of it away. She loved to sew and crochet. She crocheted afghans for all her grandchildren. She was also a great cook and loved make Kolachi (a family favorite).
She was a member of St. Isidore’s Catholic Church in Colome. She was also a member of the Colome Legion Auxiliary and was a long time member of the Willing Worshers extension club.
Lucy was preceded in death by one older brother Stephen, her parents John and Rosie Kartak, husband Raymond in 1973, three brothers Clifford, Lloyd, and Raymond, one brother-in-law and 2 sisters-in-law.

Donna Janet (Papousek) Fode was born to Joseph B and Frances (Musilek) Papousek unexpectedly on the kitchen floor of their farmhouse south of Gregory, SD on July 29, 1929. She passed away May 30, 2016 at Cottagewood Senior Communities in Rochester, MN. She grew up on that farm with her 3 brothers and 1 sister: Agnes, Joseph C, Robert, and Louis.

Later, the family moved to Burke where Donna attended grade school then finished her 8th grade in Bennett, NE while living with her sister, Agnes. Donna went to work for Roy Hinze at the drugstore in Burke. She married Edwin Fode on January 11, 1948 and moved to Liberty, NE to run a cream station for a short amount of time before moving back to Gregory County to farm and be near their aging parents. To this union, 6 children were born.

After moving to Burke in 1957, Donna eventually cooked at the Hillcrest Cafe, American Legion in Gregory, and Webb’s Drive-In. They took over the Family Corner Drive-In in Burke from Glen and Gladys Wiedeman in 1968. In 1971, Edwin and Donna moved the drive-in to Bonesteel since Highway 18 was being expanded into their dining room. Together, they ran the Bonesteel Hotel and opened the new Family Corner Drive-In in 1972. For over 30 years, Donna hosted pheasant hunters from several states, lodging and feeding them. They also started the Over 50 Club in Bonesteel. In their later years, they bought a school bus that Donna converted into a mobile concession stand that was set up at Whetstone Bay on the Missouri River. She enjoyed selling bait, gas, and camping supplies to the fishermen as she caught her walleyes off the river bank in front of her silver and blue bus. During the winter, she tied fishing lures for a private label to earn some extra cash.

Donna was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Burke and the Burke VFW Auxiliary. She loved cooking, canning anything there was to can, making homemade wine and beer, playing cards, Farkle, Scrabble, Cribbage, or Peg-It, and being with her ever-growing family. Mealtimes at her house were times when you were always welcomed and never left hungry. Everyone wanted to be at Grandma’s for the holidays.

John A. (as he was known by his family) was born April 29, 1944, the first son of John and Mildred (Shanahan) Wranek.

John attended grade school at Scott School in Lake Township and graduated from Colome High School in 1962. He then attended Southern State Teachers College in Springfield and received his teaching certificate. John taught at “country schools” while taking classes to receive his 4 year teaching degree. After many years of summer school John obtained his “Master’s degree and became the Jr. High Principal in Colome. He then moved to the Winner School District and later the Miller and Lake Andes School Districts as a Jr. High Principal.

John loved his profession and took the education of the area youth very seriously. He also enjoyed his family and friends. He would often refer to his nephews as “my boys”.

John retired from teaching in 1988 and moved to the former Johnny and Lucile Heacock farm where he took great pride in fixing the buildings, fences, and yard. His family often joked “John could make a tree grow out of a rock!”
John loved to visit and had many relatives and friends he spent time with. He was also known for always having a “classy car”. John was able to remain on the farm when his health started to decline due to his cousin Dan Wranek checking on him and taking him to various appointments.

John will always be remembered by his laugh and knowledge. He was often asked to “put that in words the rest of us can understand”!