Dan Bechtold/Winner Advocate Photo Two members of the Winner School Board took their oath of office on July 10. Pictured from left are Rusty Blare and Corey Audiss. Administering the oath is business manager Laura Root. Blare and Audiss will serve a three year term on the board.
The variety in the job makes it easy to stay at your job for 50 years, along with those who you work with.
Denice Novotny has
worked at the Animal Clinic for 50 years and has been working there ever since
she was in high school. She started
working there in 1973 as a DECA student in high school.
When she signed up to
be a DECA student the job was offered to her and that is how she began working
at the Animal Clinic. She is the office manager and has several different
responsibilities with that.
Before working there,
she had no experience with office work nor working at an animal clinic. The
only experience she had with animals was living on the farm and being around
cattle, not so much working with them but being around them.
The main
responsibility of Novotny as the office manager is doing all of the
bookkeeping. She also works with customers, does some scheduling, answers phone
calls.
What has kept her
working there so long is “the variety,” as she says there is something
different every day. Even though there is not a lot of variety within the
bookkeeping, she mentioned that the variety in the customers, learning about
and seeing different pets, makes it easy to keep working there.
Her favorite part of
working at the Animal Clinic is all of the people from the customers to her
co-workers. Her favorite memory she has made working there is being around and
working with all of the different people during the time she has worked there.
She has worked with 40
different people and 12 different veterinarians. She has worked with several
different doctors in her time from the start until now.
When she started
there, she was working with Dr. Pravecek and Dr. Hausmann. The next set of
doctors she worked with were Dr. Voegeli, Dr. Owen, Dr. Heath. She is now
currently working with Dr. Covey, Dr. Rawlings, Dr. Swift, Dr. Jorgensen.
From when she started
up until 1988 Novotny did all of her bookwork by hand until they switched to
computers in 1988. She worked in the old clinic until 2010 when they moved to
the new clinic.
She does not plan to
work anywhere else and plans to work at the Animal Clinic until retiring.
Memorial services for
Peggy Schwartz, 88, Gregory, were held at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Gregory
on July 10. Burial took place at the Colome Cemetery.
Margaret “Peggy” Ann
(Vavra) Schwartz was the first born of Frank and Dorothy (Cahoy) Vavra on March
4, 1935. Peggy was born on her Uncle Emil and Aunt Myrtle Cahoy’s farm and was
baptized in Clearfield’s Catholic Church. She attended first grade in
Clearfield, second grade in Millboro and third through eighth grade at the
Viaduct School. Peggy graduated at the top of her class in 1953 from Colome
High School.
She milked cows and
did daily chores on the farm. After high school, Peggy joined the Catholic
Daughters of St. Isidore Catholic Church, she was a member for seventy years.
St. Isidore is where she was also united in marriage to her high school
sweetheart Jim Schwartz on Sept. 29, 1956. She was blessed with two children
that she loved dearly, Kevin and Lynne.
Not only did she work
tirelessly as a wife and mother, but she also had jobs at First Fidelity Bank
in Colome, Wagner’s Market in Colome, and continued to help on the farm.
Peggy was a wonderful
cook and baker. Her fresh baked bread and chocolate cake are still treasured
recipes today. She enjoyed gardening, reading, and attending every sporting
event of her children.
When Peggy became a
grandmother, she loved babysitting and attending all of their activities as
well. She especially enjoyed watching baseball and track and field.
Peggy received a
challenging diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes at age 24 and held the goal to live to
her children’s high school graduation, but she defied all odds and was blessed
to see nine great grandchildren join the family.
Peggy was truly the
epitome of a farm wife and mother. She had a very giving heart, a friendly smile,
and hardworking hands that never stopped until the work was done. Peggy always
made time for others, and her frequent visits, phone calls, and handwritten
letters are special memories. Her Catholic faith and family were so dear to
her, and she will be greatly missed here as she enters her Heavenly home.
Peggy passed away on
July 5, 2023, at the Avera Rosebud Country Care Center at the age of 88 years.
Peggy is survived by
her husband Jim of Gregory; her son Kevin of Colome; her daughter Lynne (Joe)
Duling of Gregory; her granddaughter Katie (Chris) Kassin of Vermillion; her
grandson Kris Schwartz of Oak Island, NC; her grandson Mitch Schwartz of
Colome; her granddaughter Abigail (Skyler) Kuil of Winner; and her
granddaughter Alexa (Shea) Williams of St. Louis, MO; her great-grandchildren
Collins and Kellen Kassin, Rose and Summer Kuil, and Kemp, Dell, Brit, Goldie,
and Dar Williams. She is also survived by her sister Jeanne (Joe) Bride,
brother Bob (Merrilee) Vavra, sister Claudia (Ed) Opbroek, sister-in-law
Patricia Erickson, and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in
death by her parents and her brother Ken.
Ralph Leroy Mefferd,
Jr. was born Sept. 1, 1932, to Ralph L. Mefferd Sr. and Dorothy (Dodds) Mefferd
in the Ainsworth, NE hospital. He died Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at the Western
Nebraska Veteran’s Home in Scottsbluff, NE.
Ralph’s life began in
the fossil digging camps of Morris Skinner and Company. There his father found
employment on bone collecting expeditions that ranged across the Nebraska and
Wyoming prairies and South Dakota Badlands. During those years, Ralph’s winters
were spent in New York City attending school as the excavation team researched
and processed their summer’s finds for Frick Laboratory in partnership with the
Museum of Natural History. Disliking New York City, the Northeast winters, and
attending school in such a large city, Ralph began living and working on his
grandparent’s (Frank and Vivian Dodds) ranch while attending school in Raven,
NE. He took up boxing after starting high school in Ainsworth and found the
sport to be a great outlet for his natural toughness and fighting spirit.
Ralph’s time spent boxing saw him qualify for state on two occasions. He placed
second his sophomore year and he was undefeated his junior year before the
Ainsworth boxing team became stranded while traveling to the state tournament
in the Blizzard of 1949. Nebraska outlawed the high school sport his senior
year.
Following high school,
Ralph received his draft notice and become a veteran of the Korean War.
He served in the
United States Army from Jan. 7, 1953, to Sept. 1, 1954, and spent most of his
time in service overseas. Ralph operated heavy equipment to build roads and
other infrastructure in Korea as he served as a combat engineer and rose to the
rank of corporal. After leaving service Ralph returned to his hometown of
Ainsworth.
Upon his return home,
Ralph married his longtime girlfriend and fiancé Betty J. Propst of Springview,
NE on June 24, 1955. The following year, Ralph and Betty began their family as
Sandra, Michael, and Kelly, joined the world and learned to live and work as
hard as their parents. A faithful and devoted husband, Ralph celebrated 67
years of marriage with his lifetime sweetheart.
Ralph’s life was
driven by the cowboy spirit. This began at the young age of three as “Ralphy”
rode a simple stick through camp at his father’s dig sites and dreamt of his
future life as a rancher and rodeo enthusiast. This carried through his high
school years as he worked a local dairy farm while attending school.
Following his time in
service, Ralph picked up his life as a cowboy and returned to the three rough
stock events. There he once successfully rode 54 head of bucking stock straight
before retiring from the events and focusing on his young family. Alongside his
rodeo days, Ralph and his family lived and worked on several ranches in the
area including Wood Lake, Nenzel, and Bassett, NE, as well as Hamill and
Edgemont, SD. His ranching days were far from uneventful. One winter, while
loading a large stack onto a hay sled, Ralph’s glove became caught in the
tractor’s winch. Being unable to stop the winch in time he suffered the loss of
three fingers in the accident. Also, in 1974, after managing the “Old Savage
Ranch” for Rich and Dean Kinney, Ralph and his family recreated the old-time
cattle drive as they relocated 200 angus pair 100 miles from Hamill, SD to
their new ranch in Bassett, NE; a highlight for the livestock-focused family.
Later, Ralph would purchase his second ranch on the Cheyenne River near
Edgemont, SD, operating it for several years before returning to Nebraska.
In between calving
seasons, brandings, fixing fence, and cattle drives, Ralph enjoyed returning to
his younger days by fossil and arrowhead hunting on the prairie. He also found
time to attend many local dances with his wife Betty and young children and
enjoyed spending time with his grandkids as his family grew. Ralph took pride
in his near self-sufficiency as he mastered horsemanship, mechanical work, and
many aspects of veterinarian care. Throughout his life he became fond of great
Western fiction, especially stories written by the novelist Louis L’Amour.
Ralph was preceded in
death by his parents; daughter Kelly Mefferd, who tragically and unexpectedly
passed on March 28, 2021; parents-in-law Henry and Gladys Propst;
brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Richard and Sandra Propst, and William and
Susan Propst.
He is survived by his
wife Betty of Scottsbluff, NE; daughter Sandra Mefferd of Chadron, NE; son
Michael (Carmen) Mefferd of Rapid City, SD; brother Charles Mefferd of Kearney,
NE; grandchildren: Chancy Stewart of Orchard, NE; Mikalya Bentley of Milliken,
CO; Marc Mefferd of Lander, WY; Ty Brown of Marsland, NE; and Wil Brown of
Loveland, CO; brother-in-law Elvin Propst of Tuscon, AZ; great grandchildren
Carter, River, Eli, Nash, and Brixleigh.
Memorial services were held on Wednesday, June 28,
2023 at Hoch Funeral Home in Ainsworth.
Pastor Paul Smith of Hay Springs, NE officiated at the service. Inurnment will take place in the Ainsworth
Cemetery at a later date. Memorials were
suggested to the family for future designation.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.hochfuneralhome.com.
Lucas Allen Kaiser,
age 35, of Watertown, SD, went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on
Monday, July 10, 2023. Funeral Services
were held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 15, 2023, at Cornerstone Methodist
Church in Watertown. Pastor Luke Smith
officiated
Burial was at Mt. Hope
Cemetery in Watertown, SD.
Lucas was born on Aug.
26, 1987, in Spearfish, SD, to Greg and Lori (Frank) Kaiser. He attended school in Billings, MT, until his
family moved to Watertown, where he graduated from WHS with the class of
2006. Following high school, Lucas went
on to further his education by attending college in Jamestown, ND, SDSU, and
DSU. Lucas loved sports and excelled in track, football, and baseball.
On Aug. 7, 2009, Lucas
married the love of his life, Amanda Cass in Watertown. The couple raised four children together,
Aidan, Audrina, Lincoln, and Cecelia.
Lucas was in business with his dad for several years at Midwest Dent. He
was very passionate about his job, which he considered a form of art, and
enjoyed working with his dad – most days.
Lucas had a passion
for motorcycles, hunting, fishing, golfing, baseball, cheering on the Dallas
Cowboys, Nebraska Cornhuskers, and Seattle Mariners. He was also an amazing cook. His specialties were pizza (with a secret
sauce he refused to share), his special noodles, and chili. Audrina is following in his footsteps.
Lucas adored his
children, they were truly the joy of his life.
He enjoyed spending as much time as he could with them, playing video
games, movie nights, hitting balls, going on road trips, and building crazy amounts of lego’s.
Lucas will be most
remembered for his contagious laugh, beautiful smile, and his amazing
beard! He was always willing to rise to
the challenge of any dare or prank. He
was constantly razzing his dad, and his dad ALWAYS responded as expected. For his children he will be remembered for
his “magic kissies” to heal any wound.
Lucas is survived by
his parents, Greg and Lori Kaiser of Watertown, SD; children Aidan Cass of Lake
Preston, SD, Audrina, Lincoln, and Cecelia Kaiser of Watertown, SD; the mother
of his children Amanda Crook of Watertown, SD; grandparents Marcella Kaiser of
Spearfish, SD, and Vern and Vesta Frank of Newcastle, WY; and numerous aunts,
uncles, and cousins.
Lucas was preceded in
death by his grandpa Robert Kaiser; uncle Jesse and aunt Stacey Frank; and
uncle Jim Swaby.
Donations to assist
the family can be sent to gofundme under
Lucas Kaiser memorial and kids or mailed to Kaiser Family, 59 Sunrise Drive,
Watertown, SD 57201
Arrangements by
Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel
www.crawfordosthus.com Watertown, Hayti, De Smet, Bryant
Mary Ann Clyde, 82, of
Henderson, NV, formerly of Vermillion and Winner, SD passed away on Saturday,
July 1, 2023 at the Southern Hills Hospital in Las Vegas, NV.
Mass of Christian
Burial will be held on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 at 10 a.m. at the Immaculate
Conception Catholic Church in Winner, SD.
Burial will follow in the Winner City Cemetery. Mary Ann was born on July 30, 1940, in
Winner, SD to Bert and Cecilia Tideman of Carter, SD. She graduated from Winner
High School in 1958 and received her nursing degree from the Sacred Heart
School of Nursing (her “alma mater”) in Yankton, SD in 1961.
She started her career at the Weld County
General Hospital in Greeley, CO where she met her husband, Donald Clyde. They
were married in 1967 and moved to Vermillion, SD in 1973 where they resided for
40+ years and raised their family.
Mary Ann is survived by her husband Donald
Clyde; her four children Christina Clyde-Sforzo (Tom), Corey Clyde, Cassandra
Clyde, and Camille Clyde (Peter); two grandchildren Jordyn Cannon, Zoe
Clyde-Sforzo; two great-grandchildren Orion Cannon, Conner Cannon; and her
sister Karen (Tideman) Barnes.
She was preceded in death by her parents Bert
Tideman and Cecilia (New) Tideman (aka “mother and daddy”) and sister
Donna (Tideman) Graf (aka “seeester”).
Mary Ann had a deep
love for her family, whom she selflessly dedicated her life to.
She never missed a
sporting event or school function and loved volunteering her time to help
others. She looked forward to being
involved in the community, whether it was to accompany a music recital or to
bake one of her famous coffee cakes for the St. Agnes parish. She was known as
“Mom” to everyone and always had a puppy or grandchild in her arms.
She loved
dancing! And enjoyed road trips and
traveling, being outdoors, drives around town and loved roses, rainbows,
butterflies, campfires & s’mores.
Mary Ann had an immense passion for and love of life with the natural ability to see the beauty in everything and the best in everyone. She had a warm and magnetic personality with a great sense of humor. She got a kick out of practical jokes, pranks, and tongue twisters. Her lighthearted nature and beautiful laughter was guaranteed to put a smile on everyone’s face. She was a kind, genuine and compassionate woman who loved unconditionally and touched the hearts of everyone she met. She loved helping people and always had the perfect words of encouragement and inspiration. An amazing role model. Beautiful inside and out.
Her relationship with
God was deep and pure. Even in the toughest times, she exuded faith, hope and
trust beyond measure. She had an
unbelievable strength and resilience that one could only strive for – she was a
“farmer’s daughter”.
She left an
unforgettable footprint & impression in this world. Her passing has left a void that will never
be filled.
Submitted Photo Bert Davis and his muttley crew of dogs will entertain the crowds all three nights at the Winner Elks Rodeo. Davis, who is from California, is known as the Coopertown Clown. The rodeo will held July 21, 22 and 23 at the Tripp County Fairgrounds. The rodeo will start each night at 7:30 p.m.
Mead Lumber, a leading supplier of building materials and
services, announced July 3 the launch of its rebranding initiative. The
rebranding initiative is aimed at updating the company’s look and creating
consistency across its business units, both with employees and customers. As
part of the rebranding initiative, Mead Lumber will unveil a new and modern
logo, an all-new website, and a new web address, which is www.meadlumber.com,
among many other initiatives. Some of its locations will also be changing their
name to Mead Lumber, while others will keep their name but will follow the new
logo and design scheme. “Our team has been working tirelessly to develop a
fresh look for our brand that better represents the quality, reliability, and
innovation that our customers have come to expect from us,” said Dave Anderson,
CEO of Mead Lumber.
“This new branding highlights our commitment to providing top-notch service and support for all of our customers.” At the heart of the rebrand is Mead Lumber’s brand promise: “To Make You Feel at Home, From Design to Finish®”. This promise has always been the cornerstone of their business, and they are committed to continuing to deliver on it in everything they do. Mead Lumber believes that this promise sets them apart from their competitors and is the reason why their customers keep coming back. Mead Lumber will continue to offer the best products and services in the building supply industry.
The company remains committed to providing its customers with top-quality materials and services, and to building long-lasting relationships with them and the communities we serve together. “We’re proud of our history and where we’ve come from, but we’re also excited about where we’re going,” said Barry Kriha, Director of Marketing at Mead Lumber. “This rebrand is an exciting time for us as we aim to strengthen the connection that our customers have with us. We believe this fresh approach will help us stand out in a highly competitive industry and attract new customers and employee-owners as well.”
To celebrate the rebranding initiative, many of Mead Lumber’s locations will be holding celebration activities on the day of the rebranding, and will be incorporating the announcement into their upcoming events.
Winner is one of the towns in South Dakota that has a Mead
Lumber store.
Taking care of pests is nothing new to Justin Heying as he
has been around the business ever since he was a kid.
Justin Heying started Justin’s Pest Control in February of
this year. Although owning and running his own business is new, he knows the
ropes of the operation quite well.
Heying was firs introduced to pest control when he would
ride along with his father who worked for a pest control company. “I actually
rode with him a lot; I believe I was 12 years old when I rode with him and he
kind of taught me the ropes,” said Heying.
His father then started his own business called Prairie Pest
Control where Heying worked for his father and stepmom for 10 and a half years.
After his father sold his business which then was sold a few more times, Heying
decided it was time to get back into the Pest Control Business.
When starting his business Heying also had the support from
customers of his father’s when he owned his pest control business. “Old
customers actually contacted me with little advertisement so yeah been going
really well,” said Heying.
Business for Heying has been going very well, he is even
busier than he expected to be in the beginning. The majority of his customers
that he has are old ones from before he had his own business.
“I would say probably 35 to 40 percent are new customers, so
probably anywhere from 60 to 65 percent are previous customers I had serviced
when I worked with prairie pest control.”
While there have not been too many issues with starting a
business, he had to go through a learning curve. “The biggest thing was the
paperwork, the computer, imputing things in QuickBooks, which is going good now
but that was the biggest learning curve,” said Heying.
For the starting up the chemical side of the business, that
wasn’t a problem for him. “As for the chemical and stuff, I’ve been around it
so long it really didn’t seem like I ever got out of it,” said Heying
Justin’s Pest Control takes care of all you pest problems
big to small. Some of them include mice, rats, bed bugs, cockroaches, flies,
spiders, termites, which Heying called your “general pests and your unwanted
ones too.”
While he takes care of those, he also can take care of
mosquitos which is part of the rodent package. For packages, it all depends on
the size of the property you are working with and the pests you are wanting
taken care of.
A few of his long-term goals for his business include
picking up more monthly customers and to keep working and growing. “I guess my
long-term goal is to keep providing service for people and probably be doing it
for at least 30 years,” said Heying.
Heying also added another long-term goal in which he mentioned
building a shop and an office. That is a goal that him and his wife share for
the business.
They are hoping to accomplish that goal in the next two to
five years but hope it happens in two.
If you are wanting to contact Justin’s Pest Control, you can
contact him by text or call at 1 (605) 840-9465. He tries to respond to calls
in a timely manner if possible.
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