Author Archives: Rita Pravecek

Lois Evonne (Taylor) Devish was reunited with her Lord and Savior on Oct. 29, 2020 at the age of 80.     

Lois was born in May of 1940 to Floyd and Lillian (Reinoehl) Taylor near Wood, South Dakota. They preceded her in death.     

She graduated from Winner High School in 1958. After high school, Lois had the privilege of going to Toronto, Canada as a South Dakota delegate for the Baptist Youth Fellowship. This was one of the many highlights in her life and she spoke of it often.     

Lois then attended one year of college at Sioux Falls College. In October of 1959, Lois married the love of her life, Dale Devish at Rosebud Valley Baptist Church near Wood, South Dakota.

Lois was an attentive and devoted wife and mother. In 1977, she started working at Midland National Life Insurance. She worked there until her retirement in 2003.     

Lois enjoyed embroidery and playing the piano, but one of her greatest joys in her life was serving the Lord. Lois accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior as a very young girl. Lois never waivered in her faith. She was involved in various positions with the church over the years. She was very active with the Awana Program from 1987-1998.     

She is survived by her loving, caring and dedicated husband, Dale Devish of 61 years.

She is also lovingly remembered by her family: children, Rita and Jerry Lawver, Karen Leehane and Arlin Devish; her grand and great grandchildren, Rory, Sarah and Tristen McBride, Rachel, Vincent and Gabriel Taylor, Austin, Ashley, Blake and Jordyn Jo Leehane; her step-grandchildren, Jeremy and Rhonda Anderson, Sunshine and David McDonnel; her sister Louise Rohlf and brother Freeman (Connie) Taylor; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were held    Wednesday, Nov. 4,    at First Evangelical Free church, 2601 E. 69th Street, Sioux Falls.    Interment will be in Hills of Rest Cemetery in Sioux Falls.      

In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made to the Awana Program through First Evangelical Free Church.

Charlotte Iron Shooter 71, of Winner, SD passed away on Saturday, Oct. 24th, 2020 at the Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD.       

Funeral service was held on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020 at 2 p.m. at the Winner Middle School Gym.    Burial  followed in the Winner City Cemetery.    A wake service began on Thursday, Oct. 29    at the Winner Middle School Gym.   

Charlotte is preceded in death by her husband Carl “Chick” Iron Shooter.

Survivors include children: Lenora “Hub” Iron Shooter, Carla Laray Iron Shooter, Michelle Lynn Iron Shooter, Carl “Toots” Iron Shooter III, Grandchildren: Blake Wike, Caydence Night Pipe, Christopher Night Pipe, Carla Iron Shooter, Duane Iron Shooter, Alison Iron Heart, Julian Moreu, Josiah Old Lodge, James, Heather Iron Heart and many other grandchildren, Great- Grandchildren; Tywin Iron Shooter, Daxton Amaryllis, Arrius Amaryllis, Daisy Wike, Siblings; Esther Antoine, Richard “Sonny” Thin Elk, William “Jack” Brandis, Beverly Brandis, Marvin Brandis, Melvin Brandis Jr., George Brandis, Parents; Alice High Rock and Melvin Brandis Sr.

Chester Jorgensen, 100, of Winner, SD passed away at his home on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020.       

Funeral service were held on Saturday, Oct. 31, at he First Baptist Church in Winner, SD.    Burial   followed in the Winner City Cemetery.         

Chester Howard Jorgensen was born on April 21, 1920 to Martin and Edith Jorgensen at the farm near Clearfield, SD.   Martin and his brother Nels emigrated from Denmark and homesteaded in Tripp County.  Edith Martin was a neighbor renting land with her brother. Edith and Martin were married on April 29, 1919 in Winner, SD.   

Chester was the oldest of eight children, and    he attended Clearview grade school all 8 years.    He, his siblings, and neighboring children often walked to school and life-long friendships were formed.   

Chester enrolled in Colome High School but only completed a partial year, he and his father both contracted pneumonia and were hospitalized.    His father did not survive so at 15 years old Chester stepped into the father figure role to help his mother run the farm, to help provide for his siblings and extended family through many years of hardship, poverty and the depression.   

The Jorgensen family attended Star Prairie Church near Clearfield, and there Chester met Merle Meyer, daughter of Grover and Anna May Meyer.  They got acquainted, courted and were married there June 30, 1951.    They purchased a farm nearby where they lived and raised their 3 children Paul, Terry and Janice.    Merle taught elementary schools in Tripp and Todd counties before marriage and after her children were school age for much of her married life. Chester, a life-long Tripp County resident, respected and loved the land; farming and family were his focus and joy.  Although he never finished his formal education Chester never stopped learning.   He read and researched anything and everything from repair and how-to manuals, encyclopedias and current magazines and newspapers.

Chester never formally retired, but due to Merle’s and his own health issues he reluctantly moved into Winner from the farm and shortly after that into Paul and Rhonda’s home in Winner.   

Their home became the gathering spot for birthdays, holidays and vacations for the growing family circle.   

Chester’s face lit up with every greeting, hug and conversation.    He cherished each time together from cuddling each new grand and great-grand baby to big reunions with nephews, nieces, in-laws and extended families on all sides.

Chester was preceded in death by his parents Martin and Edith Jorgensen; his siblings Marvin, Russell, Eugene, Doris, Dwain, Opal (Pederson) and Peter, his spouse Merle, four brothers-in-law Otis, Lloyd and Norman Meyer and Stuart Pederson, 3 sisters-in-law: Virginia, Margaret and Dorothy Meyer, his son-in-lawBernard Born and nephew Keith Meyer.   

Chester is survived by his children Paul (Rhonda) and Terry (Mary Carroll) Jorgensen, and Janice Born; his grandchildren Lonnie Jorgensen, Kendra (Kris) Jorgenson, Heather (Doran) Hamburger, Hannah (Paul) Degner and Justin (Kelsey) Jorgensen; his great-grandchildren Jadyn Jorgensen, Erika, Ethan, Cadence, Sierra, Elijah and Nataya Hamburger; Ava, Ariel, Asher and Amos Jorgensen, Kyren and Natalie Jorgensen, and Phineas and Silas Degner.    He is also survived, by 1 sister -in-law Delores (Dwain) Jorgensen, and 17 nieces and nephews and their families