Kristoffer Allan Robinson, 45, passed away on Thursday, March 26, 2020 at Monument Health Rapid City Hospital.
He was an intelligent, kind, handsome, capable human being who lost his life after a life-long battle with alcoholism.
Kris was preceded in death by his caring and loving grandparents, Granny and Gramps Bell.
Kris is survived by his mother, Deb Robinson of Piedmont; his uncles and aunts, Randy & Auntie Dee Bell of Dixon, SD, Kim Bell of Piedmont, SD, Cindy and Jerry Haskell of Alliance, NE and Amy and Bill Reiser of Wagner, SD.
Kris so enjoyed family holidays, celebrating birthdays, cooking and planning big family meals.
He also enjoyed getting together with all his cousins: The Bell Boys, The Haskell Boys, The Reisers and his only girl cousin, Sadie.
An interment of Kris’ cremated remains is planned for a later date.
Arrangements are with Kirk Funeral Home of Rapid City. www.kirkfuneralhome.com
Eldon Glenn Willuweit was born in Burke SD on Feb. 17, 1935 to Lea (Stroh) and Julius Willuweit. He went to school in Herrick, SD and on March 31, 1953 at the age of 17 he enlisted in the US Air Force.
Upon return he married Patricia A. Janousek on July 25, 1960.
Eldon did road construction until his interest of electronics led him to Chamberlain in 1962 to start a TV repair business they named E & P Electronics in the back of Joedens Furniture.
He worked there for many years learning his craft. Eldon and Pat moved E&P electronics into a building on Main Street in April of 1975, which boomed into a very successful business in the Chamberlain community for 45 years.
They retired in April of 2007.
Eldon was an avid bowler. He loved and supported bowling for many years. He was inducted into the Chamberlain Bowling Alley Hall of Fame.
On July 25, 2010, Eldon and Pat celebrated 50 happy years together. Shortly after that, we lost Pat to cancer. In 2013 Eldon married Jan Gruenig, and they shared the remainder of his life together.
Eldon passed away on April 18, 2020 at home in Chamberlain at the age of 85 years.
Gratefully sharing his life are his wife Jan, his two sons Steve (Bernadette) Willuweit, and Dave Willuweit, three grandchildren Jaime McCarrier, Rachel Lindner, and Eric Willuweit, 2 step daughters, Lorinda (John) Toupal, and Laura (Dan) Bateman, four step grandchildren, Alex and Aaron Toupal, Sarinda and Stephen Bateman, and five great grandchildren.
Eldon grew up in a large family with 14 siblings. He is survived by siblings Donna Steckman, Harley Willuweit, Marva Ryther, Barb Stott, Donald Willuweit, and Verdeen Davies.
Preceding him in death were his first wife Patricia, his parents Lea and Julius, his siblings Arlene Rang, Melvin Willuweit, Winston Willuweit, Darlene Kerner, Linda Kumley, Dennis Willuweit, Merle Willuweit , plus many brothers and sisters in law.
Due the COVID pandemic, private family services will be held.
Eldon will be interred in the Riverview Cemetery at Chamberlain.
By Governor Kristi Noem
April 10, 2020
South Dakotans are stepping up. They are taking personal responsibility to keep themselves, their loved ones, and their fellow citizens safe. They’re practicing social distancing.
And our frontline workers are bravely serving their fellow South Dakotans, fighting this virus day-in and day-out.
The State of South Dakota is doing our part as well. This week I signed four executive orders to help fight the spread of COVID-19. Some had to do with the entire state; one specifically told vulnerable populations in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties to stay home for the next three weeks.
We unveiled a new tool for South Dakotans to use to help fight the spread of the virus as well. Many South Dakotans have already downloaded the Care 19 app, which will empower individuals to do their part by providing accurate and timely information to assist the Department of Health’s contact tracing efforts.
South Dakota is the second state in the nation to adopt this new technology.
But in addition to these and many other mitigation efforts that we are employing, many South Dakotans are also offering their prayers as another powerful weapon in the fight against COVID-19.
And this week is an important time to do so. The Jewish Passover started this past Wednesday. For Christians, today is Good Friday; Sunday is Easter. This Holy Week is the perfect time for us to join together and pray for an end to this pandemic.
I declared this past Wednesday a Statewide Day of Prayer. But our prayers shouldn’t stop there. We should all continue to pray for success in the fight against this disease, for comfort for those who have suffered loss, and for strength for all those who continue to fight, both in South Dakota and around the world.
Our celebrations may be a little different this Holy Week. We may not be able to gather in big groups with friends and family or praise God in fellowship with our respective churches.
I would encourage South Dakotans to take this unique opportunity to develop new traditions for praising God.
I wanted to highlight one example of this: a group of young South Dakotans who, together with their classmates, offered this beautiful prayer for peace in times of adversity.
I’d encourage you to listen to their beautiful song, and I am so grateful that they found a way to praise God (and warm all of our hearts) while still practicing social distancing.
Thanks to all the hard work South Dakotans are doing, we’ve cut our projected peak infection rate in half already. South Dakotans have been absolute rockstars, but there’s more work to do.
We will continue to use every tool available to us to fight this virus.
Together, we can do this.
By Dan Bechtold
Editor
The Winner School District has announced it will remain closed to in school classes until the end of the school year.
Gov. Kristi Noem has called off all in person to person classes at schools until the end of the school year due to the coronavirus. Students had already by learning remotely from home.
This Monday was start of the fourth week of at home learning.
Winner superintendent Keven Morehart says the last day of school will be May 21. He said the school board has the option to end it earlier but his recommendation will be to go till May 21, the original ending date for this year.
“The kids are learning and the remote learning is going well,” said Morehart.
He noted the teachers are doing a great job with their assignments. The superintendent sees staff who work in the administration building come in and put information on line for students.
He added work at the elementary school is going well. Packets with assignments are given to students each week. Parents pickup the packets each week at the elementary school.
Morehart’s wife, Melanie, teaches second grade. He explained each Sunday his wife has a Zoom meeting with her second graders.
Melanie Morehart has 17 students in her class and most of them are able to interact and ask questions during those weekly meetings on Zoom. Zoom is an online video conference platform.
There are other elementary teachers who are using Zoom to connect with their students.
“I think the teachers are missing the kids. It is surreal what is going on here,” said Morehart.
Winner High School graduation has been set for June 13 at 2 p.m. in the Armory. The original graduation date was May 16 but that has been moved due to the issue with COVID-19.
The superintendent says if the social distancing restrictions are not lifted by June graduation may be pushed back to July.
“We are going to have graduation one way or the other,” he explained.
If the restrictions last into the summer, there are other ideas for graduation. One of them is to comply with social distancing.
The Armory would be decorated like it normally is for graduation and a few students would walk down the aisle get their diploma, have their picture taken with parents and then leave.
This would allow time for another small group of graduates to walk down the aisle.
“We want to give the seniors that memory, it is all about memories,” said Morehart.
Prom is set for June 20 but Morehart has heard from some parents who might like to have it during the weekday. “We will work with the parents. I know this is another memory the students want.
We need to keep it as normal as possible.”
There will be the traditional grand march and possibly an after prom party.
In an interview with the Winner Advocate, Morehart talked about a lot of other issues and how this COVID-19 is affecting them.
He sees the possibility of no summer school and does not know yet if there will be driver’s education.
Last year the school had a summer meal program at noon. It looks like there will be no meal summer program this year.
However, Morehart is pleased at how well the sack lunches are going for school kids. Over 400 sack lunches are prepared Monday through Friday.
The process for parents to pick up the lunches is running smoothly. Parents just need to pull up in front of the Armory and tell how many lunches they need.
Lunches are also taken to Ideal and Winner Housing. Morehart estimated about 60 lunches go to these two locations.
Sack lunches will be served until the last day of school on May 21.
In the interview, Morehart went back to how well he thinks the students are learning while they are at home.
“I think in the beginning people were wondering if the students would learn at home. I have seen what my boys are going at home and it is working. They are working hard.
Our staff is doing a great job. I think what has helped is that our staff has been exposed to on line classes and they know what works and what will not work,” he said.
Morehart added that in the beginning some of the staff were sending too much for the students to do. The superintendent suggested to the staff that less maybe better.
Teachers are still posting grades for the students and giving students quizzes and tests just as if they were in the classroom.
“Our staff has gotten into a comfort zone with this remote learning. They know what to prepare and send out. Our elementary teachers are all working together,” he said.
The superintendent says it is getting easier each week.
“These are trying times and we need some normalcy.
There will be no in persons classes in Colome Consolidated School District for the rest of the school year.
This is being done across the state to slow the spread of COVID-19. Gov. Kristi Noem has ordered the closing of all schools for the rest of the school year.
According to Colome Supt. Ryan Orrock, the last day of school for this year will be May 7. This is contingent on approval of the Colome School Board at its Monday, April 13 meeting.
The Monday meeting of the school board was held on line and not in person at the school.
Orrock said the school board will look at a graduation date possibly at the football field or at a later date.
With no school the Colome district has a grab and go lunch program. This includes sack lunches and some hot dishes. The program is run Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The meals are picked up in the lunchroom.
Oorock says the learning with students and staff is going well. The students get their packets on Thursdays. “There has been good collaboration with students and staff to get through this process,” said Orrock.
Assignments are picked up and handed in outside the gym on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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