Author Archives: Rita Pravecek

Kori Foote of Ideal, SD passed away on Jan. 6, 2021 at the Winner Regional Health Care Center in Winner, SD.     Funeral services were held on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021 at 2 p.m.  at the Ideal Hall in Ideal, SD. Burial  followed in the Ideal cemetery. Wake services were held on Sunday, Jan. 10 & Monday, Jan. 11, 2021 at 7 p.m.  at the Ideal Hall in Ideal, SD.

“Dearest baby, please know that our greatest blessing was having you” “Kori Roary”

Kori Ione Foote, 7 weeks old, was born in Sioux Falls, SD on Nov. 16, 2020 to Richard Foote and Karley Antoine. Heavens gain was our loss when our angel was called to the Lord on Jan. 6, 2021.

During Kori’s brief visit on earth, she enjoyed listening to music and spending time with her dad (they were very close). She loved to cuddle her mom and being held for hours. She also loved her papa Rod very much. She was loved by all who met her, and will be greatly missed.

Kori Ione is survived by her parents, Richard Foote and Karley Antoine. Her brother Riley Scares Hawk, two big sisters that loved her so much, Kelliana and Rickeya Foote. She is also survived by her grandparents Blossom Cook (Rodney Foote), Myron (Rose) Foote, Katie Turkey and Charlie Antoine. Great Grandparents; Dewey (Leona) Foote, Bernice Spaulding, Everett Antoine Sr., Zona Eagle Star-Turkey and one great great grandfather, Harry Thunder, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Preceded in death by great grandmothers Charlotte Cook and Beryl Antoine.

Shirley Ann Knorr Frick , age 81, of Huntsville, died Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020.

Shirley was born May 11, 1939 in Geddes , South Dakota to Donald and Tillie Knorr. Shirley was a member of the Presley Chapel Methodist Church and served as the Children’s program coordinator, Shirley was a homemaker, she enjoyed wood crafting and attending the War Eagle fair each year.

Her husband, boys and grands were the light of her life. She had Christmas traditions that will be passed down through the generations.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, Richard Knorr and Denny Knorr and a sister, Beverly Wetland.

Shirley is survived by her husband of 61 years, Glenn Frick, three sons, Doyle Frick, Jay Frick and Travis Frick (Nancy). 10 grandchildren, Elizabeth Holt (Daniel), Savannah Lasiter (Brian), Addie Roberts (Michael), Jacob Frick, Caleb Frick, Cole Frick (Brooke), Clayton Frick, Tanner Frick, Brooklyn Frick, Emma Grace Frick and 4 great grandchildren, Walker Lasiter, Clansy Frick, Anna Marie Lasiter and Nash Holt. Shirley is also survived by a brother, Butch Knorr (Sharon) and two sisters, Diane Atwell (Mike) and Patsy Shelter (Ken).

A graveside service was held at 2 pm Thursday Dec. 10 at Marshall Cemetery at Forum , Arkansas.

In lieu of flowers memorials to Childrens Hospital.

Melanie Coffey, 65, of Winner, SD passed away on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, at the Winner Regional Health.   

A visitation was held on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 from 6-8 p.m. at  Mason Funeral Home in Winner, SD. A visitation was held on Friday, Jan. 8, 2021 from 5-7 pm at Miller Funeral Home, downtown  Sioux Falls. 

Funeral service was held 1 pm on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021 also at Miller Funeral home –downtown, 507 S. Main Ave., Sioux Falls.  

Melanie Ann Coffey was born on Jan. 22, 1955 to Orville and Mary (Steiner) Olson in Madison, South Dakota.

Melanie graduated from Madison High School in 1974.  She later met her future husband in 1978 while both were working at McKennan Hospital.  Melanie had started in housekeeping and then transferred into the physical therapy department. Melanie was married to Kevin Coffey on May 26, 1979 in Sioux Falls.  He worked in materials management and Melanie started work in medical records.  Nearly every day they would pack a lunch and eat together in the hospital cafeteria.

In pursue of Kevin’s healthcare career, they moved to Yankton, SD in 1981, with stops in Red Wing, MN, Elk Point, SD back to Sioux Falls, then to Freeman, SD and Arlington, SD before settling in Winner in 2013.

Melanie and Kevin custom built their home in Arlington in 2005 and learning from that experience, designed a home on 11 acres south of Winner in 2014.  Melanie would spend time in the kitchen looking out the patio window at deer, pheasants, rabbits and Canadian geese while working on embroidery or a word find book.

Melanie became a homemaker and stay at home mom with the birth of their first son.  Over the next 30 years she volunteered at the Sioux Falls School District, then Freeman School District and the Arlington School District.  After moving to Winner, she volunteered at the Winner Nursing Home playing cards and BINGO.  In 2017, in addition to volunteering at the nursing home, she began working as a paid employee over the noon hour on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday waiting on residents in the dining room as a hospitality aide.

She became very attached to many of the residents and was deeply impacted on anyone’s passing.

Her passion was family and stayed in touch with her 7 siblings, never forgetting their birthdays.  She also enjoyed her Cocker Doodle dog Kasey, camping, traveling, embroidery, and working on word find.  The family goal was to see as many national parks as possible, going to Glacier, Yellowstone, Tetons, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Arches, Pipe Organ, Yosemite, Big Horn Battlefield, Craters of the Moon, Avenue of the Giants, Death Valley and Rocky Mountain.  In the process also took the opportunity to visit Tombstone, Mackinaw Island, Carlsbad Caverns, Durango/Silverton Railroad, Royal Gorge, Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods.

She was always about maintaining traditions as a family.  The boys opening one gift on Dec. 23, making her mom’s favorite “mocho cakes” at Christmas, keeping a journal for all their travels and special events in the life of the boys.  But by far, the biggest tradition was to spend nearly every Memorial weekend in the Black Hills, most of the time at Beaver Lake campground outside of Custer.  The family became so close to Max and Cindy the owners, that when it was raining, snowing, or too cold for other campers to utilize the 2-story waterslide and pool, they would give the keys to the gate and pump house for Clay and Kyle’s exclusive use.

Melanie is preceded in death by her parents Orville and Mary, and 2 infant brothers and brother-in-law Clay Coffey.

Melanie is survived by her husband Kevin, and sons Clay and Kyle and also her brothers and sisters; Jim Olson (his wife Joann passed just last year) New Prague, MN, Gail Booth (Tom) Baldwin, MO, Bruce Olson (Karen) Bennett, CO, Peg Thompson (Mike) Sun City, AZ, Craig Olson (Marlene) Sioux Falls, SD, Valerie Manthey (Craig) Hartford, SD and Cecelia  DeWaard, Sioux Falls, SD, mother-in-law Betty Coffey, sister-in-law Crystal Erdmann and numerous nieces and nephews.

Arylin Harsin, 70, of OKreek, SD passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021 at the Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD.

Family services were held on Monday, Jan. 11, 2021 at 11 a.m. at the Mason Funeral Home in Winner, SD. Burial  followed in the Hillview Cemetery in Dallas, SD. 

Arylin Robert Harsin was born on Feb. 7, 1950 in Rosebud, the oldest child of Cecil and Leona (Nightpipe) Harsin. He was raised in Gregory with his five brothers and sisters. Arylin graduated from Gregory High School in 1969.

Arylin attended Southern State University in Springfield and Mt. Marty College in Yankton, graduating in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He worked for a time at a halfway house in Yankton, then returned to Gregory to work at Krotters Lumber. He continued his work in construction, working as a self-employed contractor in Sioux Falls. Arylin then worked as a construction supervisor with the Rosebud Housing Authority for nearly 20 years, maintaining and rehabbing homes in the local reservation communities. He retired in 2017 to a quiet life of hunting, fishing, and NASCAR with beloved dogs Izzy, Jack, and Maggy.

He suffered ill health the past year, losing his battle at Sanford Medical Center in Sioux Falls on Jan. 5, 2021 at the age of 70.

Arylin was beloved Uncle Arlie to his nieces and nephews, teaching them to fish and play cards. He is fondly remembered for horseplay, letting the nieces punch him in the stomach. He enjoyed pheasant hunts with his brothers-in-law. He and his brother, James, took loving care of their mother day and night as she fought cancer the last five years of her life. Arylin ended every phone call to his sisters with “I love you.”

Arylin will be greatly missed by his father Cecil Harsin and wife, Linda, brother Jim Harsin, sisters Leigh Lyon, Jean Cole, and Lynda (Tom) Ehrich, sister-in-law Michelle Harsin, as well as his nieces, Carmen Hutchison, Rhiana Limpus, Melissa Harsin, Misty McGaugh, Wendi Cole, and nephews, Douglas Cole, Jr. Craig Lyon, Ryan Cole, Dhani Cole, Joshua Harsin, Scott and Shawn Harsin, his aunts and uncles, good friend Dewey Foote and many other friends and family. Arylin was preceded in death by his mother, Leona, brother Louie Harsin, and brother-in-law Randy Lyon.

Funeral services for Dwight Keith Pepper were held Jan. 12 at 10:30 a.m. at Calvary Bible Church in Bonesteel. Burial was in Graceland Cemetery of Burke.

Dwight Keith Pepper was born Sept. 30, 1951 to Duane and Cleone (Herman) Pepper in Burke, South Dakota.  He was baptized at the Baptist Church in Bonesteel as a young child.  He lived north of Bonesteel early on in his childhood and then moved to a farm south of Bonesteel in 1964.  He graduated from Bonesteel High School in 1970.  He continued to live on the family farm helping his dad, following graduation.

In March of 1971, he was drafted into the US Army, where he served in Vietnam until his honorable discharge in December of 1972.  He continued to be enlisted in the Army reserve until March of 1977.  Dwight was married to Juanita Callahan on Aug. 3, 1974.  They continued to live on the family farm until the summer of 1983, when they moved to Creighton, Neb. for a job opportunity.  They were there about one year before moving back to Bonesteel where he continued to help with farming and ranching for his dad and various other local farmers and ranchers. 

He served as Chief of Police for the City of Bonesteel from approximately 1986 to 2011.  He also drove school bus during those years.

Over the years Dwight was known throughout the area for his love of hunting and wildlife, as well as his love for farming and cattle.  He had a gift of being able to talk to almost everyone he met.  He also left a positive impact on everyone he encountered.

After a short, but courageous battle with pancreatic cancer, Dwight passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 at the age of 69 years, with his family at his side.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, his parents Duane and Cleone, on nephew Jeremy Ware and multiple aunts and uncles.

He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Juanita; his three children: Arthur Pepper, former daughter-in-law Emily , and Tara Kallhoff (fiancé) of Sioux Falls, SD; Richard of Mankato, MN and Elizabeth of Norfolk, NE; his three grandchildren: Natalie, Dawson and Oliver of Sioux Falls, SD; as well as four bonus grandchildren: Alison Tracy of George, IA, Ian Rohan, Jacob Rohan and Logan Rohan of Newcastle, NE; and one bonus great-grandchild, Evelyn Tracy of George, IA; one sister Carole Ware and one nephew, James Ware of Oklahoma City, OK.

 Dwight will be greatly missed by everyone who his life touched, but we take some comfort in knowing he is no longer suffering and is in his heavenly home.