Margaret Louise Vavra, 105, formerly of Winner, died at Avantara Nursing Home in Armour on Wednesday, July 8, 2020.
Funeral service was held Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 1 p.m. at Koehn Bros. Funeral Home in Armour with burial following in Winner City Cemetery.
Margaret Louise Klemann was born on March 17, 1915, on a ranch 7 miles southeast of Springview, Neb., to Charles and Elvira Gardner Klemann. Marg was the middle child of the family with William being the oldest and Violet being the youngest. The family moved to Anoka, Ne. and Wewela, SD. before settling down in Colome.
Marg learned early how to work and sew as her aunt taught her how to sew at the age of 7 and she learned how to cook from her mom. Marg was able to attend all 12 years of school in Colome and graduated in 1933. She spent the next 4 years working for numerous families taking care of children, housework, and doing all sorts of sewing and cooking along the way to earn enough money to go to college.
Her busiest job was working with a family that had 14 children. Marg attended Southern State Normal Teachers College in Springfield SD. from the fall of 1937 to the spring of 1939 earning her teaching degree. During this time, she worked fixing hair, sewing, and cleaning houses and apartments to have enough money to continue her education.
Her first teaching job paid $40 a month and the second school which had twice as many students paid $100 a month. While school was out Marg worked as a waitress in Winner at the Sweet Shop Cafe along with her friend Girdy Luken earning $7 a week with every other Sunday off.
It was there she met Ben Vavra and fell in love and they were married on June 25 1942 in the Methodist Parsonage in Winner with Milton and Alma Rowe Sills standing up for them.
Marg was happy to be able to help her parents purchase a quarter section of farm ground 5 miles south of Colome. While farming and ranching with Ben 5 miles west of Colome, she made her own bath tub and made the house a home.
They had the usual chickens, hogs, and milk cows, but during the spring and fall when Ben was in the field or working with his dad, Marg did all the chores along with milking 13 cows morning and night by herself.
The first year was extremely tough as they had no screens on the windows and the house was hard to heat in the winter. Ben’s asthma continued to get worse as he could not be around the cattle or hogs.
In the fall of 1947, they moved into Colome and opened a privately owned Gamble Hardware Store. While opening up the small store, a bowling alley across the street closed and they purchased the building and completely refurbished it themselves and moved in the same year.
Marg always enjoyed making clothes for their daughter Marlyeen Ann and sons Merle Duane and Marvin Daryl. After buying out Pearl Jackson’s dress shop which was right next door, helped to make a complete old-time general store with everything from bolts, nails, paint, hardware, dishes, tv’s, radios, and clothing.
Ben would still go the farm and work the fields and after 6 p.m. Marg would close the store and go to the farm to run the (big} tractor, scoop grain and always bring extra food so as they could work till dark. During the winter Marg slipped and fell breaking her right wrist, making her do everything with her left hand.
She not only learned to write left-handed but how to hammer a nail and use a hand saw. Many times, when she was wood working, she would switch hands and keep on working. She enjoyed being a cub scout den mother and loved to make beautiful Memorial Day wreaths and sprays and was asked to go to Sioux City and design wreaths for a floral company but refused to leave Colome and her family .
Marg made her own kitchen cabinets and display cases. She loved to sew and cook, and is well remembered for her jellies, swiss steak, peach pie, and chocolate cakes. As the years went by Gamble merged with the Skogmo company and finally closed down.
Ben and Marg then changed their suppliers and continued on as Vavra’s Store carrying the same items as before. Ben and Marg operated the store for 50 years and finally closed to Ben’s declining health in October of 1997. Marg’s main concern was taking care of Ben as he never wanted to go to the nursing home and never did.
Here enjoyments were her family, especially the grand kids, cooking, sewing, and the Nebraska and the Green Bay Packers football teams. In September 2004 after 62 years of marriage Ben passed away. Marg continued to live in Colome and do her own mowing, make a weekly trip to the casino, the grocery stores in Winner and Gregory and would still repair a shingle on the roof at 100 years of age and danced a polka dance with her son at her 100th birthday party .
At 103 she had to give up her driver’s license do to losing the sight in one eye and went to the assisted living in Armour SD. to be closer to her family and finally at 104 she moved into the Avantara Armour nursing home until her peaceful passing July 8 2020 at 105 years of age.
When she was asked how she was able to live so long and she would always reply growing up we ate a lot of liver and beans and most of all hard work.
Marg was preceded in death by her parents. Her husband of 62 years Ben, son Merle Duane, brother Bill and wife Cloe, sister Violet and husband Murel Speidel, nephew Stephen Klemann, niece Rosiland Klemann,
She is survived by daughter Marlyeen and husband Donald Hibbs of Superior Neb., son Marvin and wife Debbie of O’Neill Neb., niece Karen and Dan Ripperda of Sioux Falls SD. Nephew Leslie Klemann of Bell County, Texas.
Grandchildren Lisa and Mike Craig of Sioux City IA, Mark and Colleen Vavra of Sioux City IA, David Hibbs of Kearny Nebraska, Lori and Samuel Wayne Fennell Jr. of Fargo ND.
She is also survived by eight great grandchildren and eleven great great grandchildren.
Shirley Parkis, 71 passed away peacefully April 19, 2020 at the Good Samaritan Society in Sioux Falls, SD. Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. July 25 at the Winner United Methodist Church with a celebration of life at 11 am.
Burial will take place at the Colome Cemetery with a luncheon to follow at the Colome American Legion.
Shirley Elizabeth Kaiser was born on April 16, 1949 to Henry and Ella (Klundt) Kaiser. We always had a few good laughs when she would remind us that her sister Irene wanted to name her Bunny as she was born the day before Easter. Shirley grew up in Colome and attended Colome High School.
She was the youngest of 6 children being raised primarily by her mother as her father passed away in 1954. While in high school, Shirley’s mother purchased the Colome Café and that instilled the love of cooking in Shirley.
On June 6, 1966, Shirley was united in marriage to Verlyn Parkis in Colome, SD. The day after their wedding, Verlyn returned to duty with the US Army and Shirley stayed in Colome living with her mother. The next time they would see each other was in January 1967 when their daughter, Carla was born.
Verlyn was discharged from the Army in 1968 and in January 1969, Christy would join the family. Shirley and Verlyn moved to Winner in 1971 and Larry joined the family that year too. In 1978, Carrie was born and their family was complete.
Shirley held various jobs throughout her life but her true calling came when she opened Shirley’s Diner. Due to declining health, she retired and in March 2016 she and Verlyn moved to Sioux Falls to be closer to medical care and their daughter Carrie and her family.
In November of 2016 she suffered a stroke and had resided at The Good Samaritan Society until the time of her death. Shirley loved Elvis, dancing, playing a good game of pitch, and planting flowers in her yard each spring (although Verlyn claims after they were planted, he was the one that had to water them).
After moving to the Good Samaritan Society, she looked forward to her Tuesday afternoon BINGO dates and listening to the live music with the love of her life.
Shirley is survived by her husband Verlyn-Sioux Falls, SD; children Carla (Andy) Bruce-Pierre, SD, Christy (Greg) Feyereisen, Larry Parkis-Sioux Falls, Carrie (Steve) Contreras-Sioux Falls, SD and her niece that was like her daughter, Becky (Tom) Burdick-Mitchell, SD. Grandchildren Jackson and Allison Bruce, Chase and Kayla Feyereisen, Bryant, Brenden and Gianna Parkis, Phil and Olivia Contreras and her great nieces that were like her granddaughters, Kylee (Jonathon) Shorosh and Haley Burdick. Sister in laws, Sharron Bettcher and Marcella Kaiser and numerous nieces and nephews.
Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, a grandson, Ryan, her sister Irene Kindt, and her brothers Johnny Kaiser, Harold Kaiser, Don Kaiser and Bob Kaiser.
William Richard Schueneman was born in Gregory, SD to William and Martha Knittel Schueneman on June 28, 1940. He lived on the farm north of Dallas most of his life. He attended Edens School north of the farm for eight years. Bill graduated from Gregory High School in 1958. He continued farming and ranching with his father and uncle Otto.
He was drafted into the Army in 1963 and was honorably discharged in 1965. In this time, he spent 6 months in Vietnam. His unit was the first troops in Vietnam to survey the area for the rest of the forces. The only troops in before his were the ones who had to do all the spraying to kill the thick vegetation. Bill received a purple heart from scrap he sustained when the convey he was in was involved in an ambush that took 30 lives and left many injured.
Bill came back to Dallas returned to farming and ranching with his father and uncle Otto.
Bill was married to Julia Brown November, 1966 in Gregory SD. In May of 1969 due to health issues, Bill decided to go to college in Spearfish. He sold his machinery and moved to Spearfish. He got his degree in 2 ½ years. Moved trailer back to Dallas in Feb. of 1972 on Kristi’s 3rd birthday. Bill had taken an accounting job at Rosebud Electric.
Billi Jean joined the family after this. Bill’s love of cattle and country saw him buying yearlings and eventually stopped working for Rosebud Electric. He sold AAL Lutheran Life Insurance for several years before going into farming and ranching full time. He started sub mail carrier, which turned to full time in March 1991 while trying to take care of the ranch.
Bill remained on the farm until June 2018 when he became a resident at Winner Regional Long Term Care. Bill passed away on March 11, 2020 while in hospice care after many years of physical and mental issues, which included Agent Orange and PTSD.
Bill is survived by his wife Julia, two children: Kristi and her husband John Roeder of Gregory SD, ; and BilliJean and special friend Steve Syfie of Gregory, SD: his 6 grandchildren Kendall Roeder of Sioux Falls, SD, Garret Roeder of Gregory, SD, Preston Colford of Gregory, SD, Mercedes Colford of Kansas City, MO, Richard Colford and special Aaron Lessman of Kansas City, MO, Brandi and husband Zane Whitney of Iona, SD and step grandson Anthony and wife Molly Coflord of Yankton, SD; and 3 great grandchildren: Jacoby, Zendaya and Joeziah; and step great granddaughter Breckan: his sister Shirley and husband Clyde Kygar of Tulsa OK, niece Roslyn Kygar and daughter Magdalena of Austin TX, and many cousins and their families and numerous friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and all aunts, uncles, and a few cousins and friends.
Memorial Services are planned for 5:00pm on Sunday, July 26th, 2020 at St. John Lutheran Church Gregory, SD. Inurnment will take place on Monday, July 27, 2020 at Black Hills National Cemetery with full military honors provided by the US Army and the Spearfish Honor Guard.
Arrangements are under the care of the Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels and Isburg Crematory of Spearfish. Online condolences may be written at www.fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com
Gabriel Allen Medicine Eagle, Sr. was born on March 18, 1951 in Rosebud, South Dakota to George and Matilda (Eagle Dog) Medicine Eagle.
He was raised by his maternal grandparents, Matthew and Addie (White Lark) Eagle Dog, and attended school in Ideal, SD up until the eighth grade. He went to the Rosebud Boarding School and attended Todd County High School in Mission.
For a period of time he was sent off to live with his Uncle Noah Grass Rope to learn the ways of a medicine man as the family expected him be a spiritual leader for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. During the final years of the Vietnam War, Gabe enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a corpsman (medic) and then became a torpedo man on the USS Fort Knox, a destroyer escort. He was stationed in San Diego and Pearl Harbor.
He married Viola Old Lodge on March 1972 in Ideal.
After a tubular miscarriage, the doctor said Vi would not be able to have children which proved true. However, near the very end of her life she had a medical procedure and learned that her tubes were tied years earlier against her knowledge or wishes.
Such stories of forced sterilization are unfortunately common to native people. In 1977, Gabe’s sister Leah gave birth to a little boy. Gabe and Vi adopted this little boy, named him Gabe Jr. and raised him as their own. He remains their only child.
After being discharged from the Navy, Gabe Sr. enrolled in Springfield Vo-Tech and then Mitchell Vo-Tech and became a certified mechanic. They lived in Ideal, South Dakota.
For several years he struggled through the difficulty of employers not wanting to hire natives but eventually was hired at Westside Tire in Winner. He then worked at Harry K Ford in Winner as their only Ford Master Technician for seventeen years.
In 1984 at the wake for his mother in law, Ruth, a visiting Christian Pastor Ed and Darlene Schupan introduced Viola to the Jesus and she became a Christian confessing Jesus as her Savior and Lord.
The Schupans held Bible studies in Gabe and Vi’s two-room green house in Ideal, often long into the night. Initially Gabe scoffed and drank beer and blew his cigarette smoke in Rev. Schupan’s direction. He always laughed when telling that part of his testimony. However, he came to discover Jesus wasn’t a white man, nor was Christianity a white man’s religion. He was able to separate the treatment of natives by the so-called Christian/Catholic Church, from the person of Jesus. Gabe discovered Jesus was from the tribe of Judah and the only name under heaven given unto men by which we can be saved.
He made the decision one night to give his life to Jesus and follow him. He poured out his beer and threw his cigarettes in the trash and never touched either again the rest of his life. As Pastor Schupan was a Navy Seal, and as Gabe was a Navy man, they soon hit it off and Gabe was discipled by his pastor friend.
As their home Bible study grew, they also grew spiritually and soon Gabe and Vi started a church, Shekinah Glory Chapel in Ideal, SD under the covering of the Pentecostal Church of God.
For over twenty-five years, God used them mightily on the reservation, nationally and to several foreign countries to do God’s work. His passion and love for the youth was evident as he and Vi hosted an annual camp meeting at Ghost Hawk Park in Rosebud for nearly three decades.
He also served as the chairman of the Rosebud Boarding School for six years.
Early on, Gabe and Vi led Bible studies each night of the week in the various Rosebud communities, Friday night services in the council chambers, revival services in community halls in Winner, Mission and Parmelee.
They hosted annual Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinners in Winner that fed over 300-500 people at each meal. Gabe was a keynote speaker at the men’s Promise Keepers Conferences in Rapid City, SD and in Casper, WY. He became covenant brothers with several white ministers and they traveled to spread the message of reconciliation between God and man, and between red and white peoples.
They led many strategic reconciliation events and prayer summits throughout South Dakota and nationally, from Plymouth Rock all the way west. They sought to be “repairers of the breech.”
In 2004, he and Vi and other national Christian Native leaders worked with Sen. Sam Brownback to bring the resolution to Congress containing the apology to Native people which was signed in 2010 by President Obama. The resolution referenced past injustices, breaking of treaties, the years of depredations and of the wrongdoings by the US government against Native peoples.
When speaking with his nieces and nephews they can share many wonderful memories of how they traveled with them across Indian country to other camp meetings, youth activities and always made holidays special for the kids.
He loved fishing and hunting with his son Gabe Jr, his grandkids and friends. He was an amazing dad, uncle and papa and faithful husband to Viola for 39 years. She died Jan. 6, 2011.
After the passing of his beloved wife Vi, God’s work continued to take him to many different places, and he operated in all the fivefold ministries. His season alone was short-lived as God led him to Colleen Fisher.
They were married in September of 2013. Gabe and Colleen traveled to Washington DC for the All Tribes DC National Native Day of Prayer in 2016 and 2017.
In June of 2019, Gabe and Colleen were invited to tour the nine reservations in South Dakota where they spent time in communities praying and serving the people. His work was at an international, national and statewide level. His love for the Sicangu Nation was abundant as he loved to serve the people at a local level too.
He was also a community chairman and was elected to the Rosebud Tribal Council. He served on the Board of Regents at Sinte Gleska University at the time of his passing.
Precious to Colleen was his laugh and joyful spirit and all the time they spent together in ministry and traveling. During these last few years of his life, he attended and supported the White Horse Ministries in Mission, SD and the Keystone Ministry in Keystone, SD.
He developed heart problems and needed various procedures and yet he remained quite mobile to the very end. Pastors JR and Mema Boyd and Pastor Steve Hickey will be officiating the memorial and life celebration services and remembering him as Gabe the Good-Hearted.
He was an invited VIP guest at President Trump’s July 3rd visit to Mt. Rushmore and Gabe had a heart attack there at Mt Rushmore shortly after the fireworks.
Only a few hours earlier he said on Facebook live, “This is kind of a historical moment for native people. As far as even personally, for me, things I get to see before I go into the next world. When I get to the next world, I’ll have some stories to tell.”
Gabe’s life was celebrated in an Honor Service on Monday at 1 pm , July 13 at Bethel Church in Rapid City; at a vigil service which was on Tuesday July 14 2020 at the Carpenter Shop/White Horse Ministry in Mission; and a Celebration of Life service at 11am Wednesday, July 15, with a burial following at the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Veterans Cemetery. Wopila.
Lois Jean (Sieh) Holmberg was born in Burke, South Dakota on June 16, 1946, the daughter of Harold and Edna (Fuhrman) Sieh. She grew up on a farm outside of Herrick, South Dakota. She attended school in Herrick and Burke, South Dakota. During high school, Lois was in the Job’s Daughters and served as Honored Queen. Lois was homecoming queen as a senior for Burke High School and graduated in 1964.
Lois was united in marriage to Norman Holmberg on Sept. 5, 1964, and began married life on a farm north of Dallas, South Dakota. During their forty-two-year marriage, three daughters were born: Cheryl in 1965, Carey in 1967, and Charlene in 1970.
Life on the farm was busy with raising chickens, maintaining a large garden, and raising three daughters. In 1970, they moved from the house on the hill down to the main farmhouse. Lois also enjoyed raising large flower gardens, cooking, decorating cakes, and sewing. Norman and Lois enjoyed card parties and going dancing with their friends.
Norman and Lois were members of the Gregory United Methodist Church, where she was a member of the Ruth Circle, and a Sunday school teacher. Lois was an active member of band boosters while her three daughters were part of the band program at Gregory High School.
Lois was also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star for over 50 years, originally initiated into Chapter 101 in Dallas, South Dakota, in 1967, with her final membership at Chapter 113 in Winner, South Dakota. She served a term as Worthy Matron. She was also Grand Esther of the Grand Chapter of Eastern Star in 1976 and Grand Representative of Florida from 1996 to 1998.
In 1977, Lois was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Lois took part in clinical trials for Betaseron – a medication that could reduce multiple sclerosis flare-ups. For several years, Lois was able to enjoy a remission from the severe symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Living more than half her life with this disease, Lois donated her body to science upon her death.
Norman passed away in May of 2006, and Lois moved into TLC Assisted Living Care Center in Burke. Lois resided here until August of 2011, when she moved to Avera Rosebud Country Care Center in Gregory, South Dakota. She resided here until her passing on July 9, 2020 at the age of 74.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Norman, sister Ruth, brother-in-law Harry Wagner, grandson Vance Johnson, and nephew David Wagner.
Survivors are her children Cheryl (Wes) Bachman, Carey (Dwight) Johnson, Charlene (Matt) Johnson; four grandchildren: Christopher Lindquist, Shelby Johnson, Vaughan Johnson, and Layne Johnson; her brother Don (Connie) Sieh, sister Judith Sieh, and brother Charles (Nancy) Sieh. Many nephews, nieces, cousins, other relatives, and friends also survive Lois.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Gary D. Leach passed away at the age of 85 in Loomis, CA. on July 8.
Gary was born on Sept. 29, 1934 in Mission, South Dakota to Florence Barnes Leach and Robert Crowder Leach. Gary spent his youth growing up in Winner. After high school, he became a cook in the US Army and spent his service mostly in Okinawa, Japan. Later Gary received his degree in business at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He became a Husker fan to the end.
Gary’s ability to communicate well, lead to a successful work experience with Glidden Paint. He married Joan Dell Mackaman and they raised two sons, Jim and Tom. Gary had a love for the beauty in nature. He enjoyed hunting pheasants, fishing, grilling new foods, and he was an avid golfer.
He loved sauerkraut, pickles, baked beans, and corn; and was a terrific dancer.
He will be remembered most for his perpetual smile, his incredible memory of people and places, his tremendously positive outlook on life, and his kind and compassionate spirit.
Gary was preceded in death by his father, Bob, his mother Florence, and his wife of over 40 years, Joan.
He is survived by his two sons Jim (Veronica), their children Brad and Holly; Tom and his two sons Kraig and Scotty; his sister Jean (Gary Stickland) and their children Kara and Mike; several cousins, nieces and nephews; and his friend and partner Susan Smith.
A private family memorial will be held at the Winner Cemetery in Winner
Kimber “Kim” Lee Bell was born July 7, 1955, in Winner, SD, to Eddie Lee and Lee “Verdean” (Klein) Bell. He graduated from Winner High School in 1973, and went on to college at SDSU and NSU, participating in the ROTC program.
Eventually, Kim went to work as a trucker, and trucked for many years. After his accident, he went looking for a place to build his log house, and decided to put it right next to the interstate, just in case he decided to go back to trucking, because that would give him easy access to the road. He was later self-employed, working heavy equipment building roads.
Whatever Kim did, he worked hard and gave his all. Kim was everyone’s “hero.” No matter who you were, he would always take the time to stop and just listen, and no matter what the circumstances, he thought of others before himself.
He was a giver, not a taker. Kim had a tremendous passion for two things – old cars and bass fishing. No one can remember a time when Kim bought anything new, as he would rather fix up something himself. This translated to his love of cars, believing in working hard to restore old to new. His latest was his green 1957 Ford Ranch Wagon.
However, when it came to fishing, that was his time to relax. He loved fishing the stock dams near Winner, and the lies and stories that came afterwards were always a joy to listen to. The solitude at the pond was what it was all about to him, second only to the competition amongst the whole family when it came to fishing.
On any given Sunday afternoon during football season, Kim could be found watching his beloved Chicago Bears. He was a die-hard fan, and he refused to have company on Sundays, because there was always a game to be watched. Above all, Kim was a writer.
He always had a unique way with words, and everyone looked forward to a letter from him. His words were so wise, sincere, and straight from the heart, reminding his friends and family how loved and cherished they were.
On Monday, July 13, 2020, Kim passed away at his home in Piedmont, SD. He put up a hell of a fight to beat cancer, and succeeded for five years longer than he was supposed to. He never complained about the journey, and he never lost that determination to live until his very last breath.
Kim touched the lives of all who knew him, and will be deeply missed by each and every one.
He is survived by his sisters, Debbie Robinson, Cindy (Jerry) Haskell, and Amy (Bill) Reiser; his brother, Randy (DeEtte) Bell; niece, Sadie; nephews, Chad, Charlie, Luke, Tye, Corey, Bryce, Preston, Nick, and Brandon; and a host of other family members and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ed and Verdean Bell; grandparents, Lee and Lena Klein and Elmer and Hazel Bell; and his nephew, Kris Robinson.
Funeral services were held 10 a.m. on Friday, July 17, 2020, at Grace United Methodist Church in Piedmont, with Pastor John Britt officiating. Graveside services followed at Piedmont Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Piedmont Cemetery Association in Kim’s name. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.kinkadefunerals.com.
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