Monthly Archives: September 2022

A memorial service for Brian Anderson age 45 of Gregory, South Dakota, will be held on Thursday Sept. 8 at 11 a.m. at the Gregory Memorial Auditorium, Gregory, SD. Burial will follow in the IOOF Cemetery, Gregory, South Dakota. There is a prayer service Wednesday night at the auditorium at 7 pm. Visitation one hour prior to each service.

Gladys Harder, 93, of Winner, SD passed away on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022 at the Avera Rosebud Country Care Center in Gregory, SD. 

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022 at 10 a.m. at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Winner, SD.  Burial will follow in the Winner City Cemetery.  Visitation was held on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022 at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church from 6-7 p.m. with a rosary beginning at  7 p.m.

Gladys Marie Harder was the last of four children born to Thomas and Neta Graesser (Stoltenburg).  She was born on May 15, 1929 in Gregory, South Dakota.

Gladys attended 8 years of country grade school walking 1 ¼ miles to and from school.  She graduated Gregory High School in 1946.  After graduating she attended 1 year of college at South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD.  When returning home, she accepted employment at Farmers State Bank in 1948 and worked there until retiring in 1991.

She met the love of her life at the Carlock Dance Hall and was united in marriage to James E Harder on Nov. 16, 1948.  The best times of her life were after their daughter Pam was born and enjoying their home in Winner until moving to Golden Prairie Manor in 2015.

Gladys especially liked bowling leagues and entered most of the state tournaments.  She enjoyed baking, especially making chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies, often with her sister Myra.  One of her biggest joys was helping take care of her two grandsons.

Gladys was a member of the Winner Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Valley Reading Circle & lifetime member of the Ladies VFW Auxiliary.

She was preceded in death by her parents Tom and Neta, sisters Myra (Bob) Stukel, Norma (Bill) Knox and brother Walt (Arlene) Graesser & brothers-in-law, Jerry, William & Tom Harder.

Grateful for having shared in her life is husband Jim of 73 years, daughter Pam and husband Rich Kolecka, Winner, SD, grandsons Mark Kolecka, Pierre SD, and Chad Kolecka, Omaha, NE, sisters-in-law Jean Ann Harder, Rapid City, SD, Gladys Harder, Creighton, NE, Shirley Harder, Newcastle, WY and numerous nieces and nephews.

Marcine Hattie Pravecek died peacefully in her sleep on Aug. 30 2022.  Marcine was 80 years old and lived her adult life in North Carolina.

Marcine was born in Winner, South Dakota.  She was the oldest of five children born to David and Bessie Pravecek.

Marcine lived a full yet challenging life after a devastating car accident in 1963.  She suffered with paralysis on the right side of her body, a brain injury and broken limbs as well as other injuries.  Her indomitable spirit prevailed as she worked hard through her recovery eventually graduated from college with a four-year degree in education and advanced training in speech & language pathology & audiology.  She initially taught in a classroom but moved her career to speech pathology within the State of North Carolina’s youth development system.  Marcine had a successful career with honors for her work and retired after 30 years.

Marcine loved to cross stitch and created many artistic pieces despite only having the use of her left, non-dominate, hand.  She was an avid cook and loved to enter recipe contests.  She won several small appliances as trophies for her winning entries.  During her younger years she loved to travel.  As a young woman prior to her accident, she was an outstanding pianist and continued her love of music throughout her life.  She was also an excellent seamstress while in high school and won first place in the “Make-It-With-Wool Contest”!  Photography was another hobby she pursued.

Marcine is survived by her four siblings:  Bonnie (Lee) Moore of Southern Pines, NC; David (Pat) Pravecek of Winner, SD; Delores (Mark) Edwards of St. Paul, NE and Sandi Pravecek of Denver, CO.  Also nieces and nephews: Christy (Matt) Gunnet and Raine of Bend, OR; Marc (Kim) Moore and Caden & Eli of Huntersville, NC; Dennie Pravecek, Winner, SD and family Mekayla (Jarrod) Preheim and Casen, Cooper and Cambree of Bridgewater, SD; Madysen Pravecek of Yankton, SD and Dausyn Pravecek at University of Wisconsin, Madison WS, Michael Pravecek and son Tane of Winner, SD.

A mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Goldsboro, NC and internment will follow at the Columbarium also at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at a later date.

Cards are welcome.  Send to Bonnie Moore, 65 Steeplechase Ct., Southern Pines, NC  28387. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in memory of Marcine Pravecek to:  First Health Hospice and Palliative Care, 150 Applecross Rd., Pinehurst, NC28374. 

 James Ross Brickman passed away on Aug. 21, 2022, in the care of hospice at his home in Spring Lake Park, MN. He was born to Gene and Fern Brickman on Sept. 10, 1970, in Fargo, ND.

He is survived by his father Gene (Margaret) Brickman, his brother Jeff Brickman, son Brandon Meier, his niece Samantha Brickman and nibling Rowan Brickman, as well as beloved stepsiblings and cousins.

He is preceded in death by his cherished mother Fern.

Services will be held at Washburn-McReavy Coon Rapids, 1827 Coon Rapids Blvd, Coon Rapids, MN 55433 on Saturday, Sept/ 17 with a gathering at 10 a.m. and services at 11 a.m.  The family will continue honoring him with Bricktoberfest to follow at Route 47 Pub, 7820 University Ave NE, Fridley, MN 55432 at 1 p.m.

There will be a livestream of the service for those who are not able to attend in person. (https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/authorise.php?k=1661885048205321)

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to James Ross Brickman Fund to support his wishes to be returned to the earth at Better Place Forests – St. Croix Valley. St. Croix Valley Forest Memorials – Minnesota Forest Burials Alternative.

Donald Keith Leat, age 90, passed away on Sunday, Aug. 28 at the Sanford Centennial Hospice Cottage after a courageous battle with cancer.  Don was 17 days short of his 91st birthday.

Don was born on Sept. 14, 1931 to Clarence (Ted) and Freda Leat in Winner, SD.  He attended school in Winner and graduated from Winner High School in 1949.  At the age of 20 he enlisted in the US Navy and served as a Radioman 2nd Class on the USS Noble during the Korean conflict. His duties included acting as cryptographer for incoming and outgoing messages on the ship. He was honorably discharged on March 29, 1955 after 4 years of service. Don then enrolled in Nettleton college where he received an associate degree in accounting and then worked as office manager for various car dealers in Sioux Falls, SD, Minneapolis, MN and Des Moines, IA.

While attending college, he met Shirley Hammer and they were united in marriage in Flandreau, SD on Nov. 7, 1959. To this union 4 children were born and in 1963 they moved to Winner, SD where they lived until 2015 when they moved to Sioux Falls, SD. While in Winner, Don worked for the VFW and was a driver’s license examiner for the last 20 years of his career.

Don’s hobbies included woodworking, restoring furniture and gardening.  He and Shirley were volunteers at the Tripp County Historical Society where they were involved in the remodeling of the museum and the creation of the Veteran’s memorial.  They were named the volunteers of the year for their contributions. In May 2018, Don was a part of Mission #2 for Honor Flight, an event that he was very proud to be a part of. He was a lifetime member of the VFW.  Don was also a lifelong fan of the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Steelers, and instilled the love of these teams with ‘most’ of his children and grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Shirley; his 4 children, Kimberly of Sioux Falls, Steven (Linda) of Everett, WA, Michael (Marie) of Chariton, IA and Jeffrey (Heidi) of Sioux Falls; 4 grandchildren, Cassandra (Cody) Leat of Sioux Falls, SD, Alexander Leat of Everett, WA, Jessica (Sam) Reynen of Omaha, NE and Nicholas Leat of Sioux Falls, SD; 1 great-granddaughter, Sloane Reynen of Omaha, NE; sister Patsy (Charles) Fyler of Rapid City, SD; sister-in-law Cathy Leat of Washington; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Don was preceded in death by his parents; mother and father-in-law, Lucy Belle and Milo Smith; sisters and brothers in law, Sandra Leat, Nancy & Lloyd Olsen, Aileen & Marvin Hopkins, Lois & Gilbert (Junior) Duffy; brothers, Merlin Leat and James Leat; niece Stephanie Fyler Farr; and nephews, Rollie Duffy and Michael Hopkins.

Memorial service was held at 12:30 pm, with family present beginning at 11:30 am on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022 at Asbury United Methodist Church, 2425 S. Western Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD 57105. Inurnment with United States Navy Military Honors took place at 3 pm on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022 at the South Dakota State Veterans Cemetery, Sioux Falls, SD. For more information and online registry, please visit www.MillerFH.com