Author Archives: Rita Pravecek

Esther Assman, 98, of Winner, SD passed away on Sunday, March 8, 2020 surrounded by family at the Winner Regional Healthcare Facility in Winner, SD. 
Mass of Christian Burial was held on Saturday, March 14, 2020 at 10 am at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Winner.

Burial  followed in the Winner City Cemetery. 

Esther Assman was an amazing, beautiful, classy, quick witted, well educated, well read, lady that was passionate about current events, politics, her Catholic faith, and her family.

Although an amazing 98 year life is difficult to summarize in a few short paragraphs, she lived a century by being born in the roaring twenties, becoming very frugal because of the dirty thirties, doing what she could for the war effort in the forties, being a very busy wife and mother in the fifties, seeing a man land on the moon in the sixties,  surviving raising teenagers with hot cars in the seventies, overcoming the financial farm crisis of the eighties, seeing the country decline in the nineties and two-thousands, and now making America great again in 2020.

With a heavy heart, we have lost another member of the greatest generation.

On a cold winter solstice in 1921 (Dec, 21), Esther Elizabeth Einsphar was born in a sod house in Brewster NE to Fredrick and Hulda Blumenthal Einsphar.

She was the 5th child in a family of eight.  Early in her childhood, the family moved north to the Rosebud Indian Reservation after her father had read an ad about a tractor that was donated to the reservation from the government and an opportunity to farm.

The family moved south east of Mission on the Antelope creek and built another sod house where the kids would walk to school at the Lone Hill School.

Esther was always sickly as a child and her parents did not expect her to live. She was eight years old before she was well enough to go to school and was in the same grade as her younger sister Elsie.

She later went to high school in Mission and shortly after, WWII began.

Esther and her sister Elsie headed west to Washington State to help in the war effort working in a ship yard on Bainbridge Island off the coast of Seattle. 

Esther also attended the University of Washington in Seattle while she was there.  Several years later, she had the opportunity to travel to New York City for a summer with a lifelong friend.

On the way back to Washington, she decided to stop in South Dakota to visit family.

At that point, she decided the plains of South Dakota were home, never returning to Washington.

Shortly after her return to South Dakota, Esther went to work at the Todd County Conservation District.  A young handsome rancher by the name of Joe Assman came to the office and he would later get enough courage to ask her out on a date.

They were later united in marriage on Oct. 18, 1947, at St. Thomas Catholic Church, Mission, SD.

To this union of marriage 10 children were born, losing two infant daughters at birth and a son, Gordon, to a farm accident in 1965.

Esther was a lifelong learner and she never sat idle with all of the interests and hobbies she had.   Later in life she studied and passed her South Dakota real estate license and worked for Delores and Otto Littau.

She also worked at Jeanne’s Interiors in Winner, SD which was a good fit for her love of interior design.

Other hobbies included upholstering and refinishing antique furniture, collecting antique bottles, rock hunting, and she was also famous for restoring antique steamer trunks and she gave one to each child and each grandchild.

She kept meticulous scrap books for each child up through there adulthood.

She loved to play cards, dance, golf, and was always up for an adventure which could include a trip to Las Vegas or just a trip to Wood or Carter.

Due to declining health, Joe and Esther moved to Winner, SD when Joe entered the long term living center with colon cancer and Esther moved into the Golden Prairie Manor in 2014.

Both of them made the best of the situation they were in.  She was very appreciative of any visitor, no matter how short the visit was, it meant the world to her and was very grateful.

She was very grateful her 70 year old baby, (Greg), would visit every morning and her 60 year old baby, (Mary Beth), would visit every evening, making her days more bearable.

Esther was a very kind hearted, accepting, forgiving, and generous person, with a good soul that lived through her faith.

Grateful for sharing her life, she is survived by seven children, Greg (Cindy), Chris (Cathy), Ed, Brad (Debra), Dave (Diana), Mike (Darla), Mary Beth (Chris Lovejoy), 18 grandchildren and 30 great grandchildren.

Proceded in death by her parents Fred and Hulda Einspahr, siblings Everett, Otto, Lyle, Pearl, Elsie, Ray, and Kenneth, husband Joe, infant daughters Kimberly and Jean, and son Gordon.

Funeral services for John “Jack” Broome will be held March 21 at 10 a.m. at the Gregory Auditorium with Fr. Jonathan Dillon officiating.

Burial will be in Graceland Cemetery in Burke.John “Jack” Robert Broome, affectionately known by many as “Oar” was born Feb. 13, 1946 to Walter and Marie (McMullen) and passed away at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls surrounded by his loving family on March 11, 2020 at the age of 74.

Jack attended Burke School.  He was active in football, basketball, and track, graduating in 1964 with many awards for his athletic abilities. 

Jack met the love of his life Marcia Seeley when he was a freshman in high school, and they continued to date throughout their school years. 

Upon graduating from Burke High School, Jack went on to the University of South Dakota and played football for the Coyotes while getting his BA in history education. 

During fall camp 1965, his coaches let him go home and get married.  Jack graduated from USD with his BA and continued his education during the years following to complete a master’s in educational administration and later his superintendent endorsement. 

Jack accepted his first teaching and coaching position at Burke School in 1969 and continued until 1976. 

He then accepted a teaching/coaching position at West Sioux School in Hawarden, Iowa from 1976-1979.  Jack then accepted a principal position at Anthon/Oto School in Anthon, Iowa from 1979-1981.

In 1981, his dream to come back home came true with him accepting a superintendent position at Burke School until 2006.  He then accepted a joint superintendent position for both Burke and Bonesteel schools.

This position lasted until July of 2009, when he retired.

In his retirement, he filled in as superintendent for Ethan & Platte school districts. 

While still teaching, Jack began his weekly article “From the North End”.  Every week Jack wrote of the many things he loved such as Gregory County history or things happening in Burke, his family, or his “school children’s” accolades.

He loved his “school children” like his own, in fact, when one of them lost their father followed by his mother suffering a stroke, Jack didn’t blink an eye and offered Wylie a new home (and a Dad) for his senior year of high school.

Everyone that met Jack became a lifelong friend who would forever be received with a smile, a slap on the back, or one of his famous bear hugs.

Following retirement Jack loved spending time with Marcia, fishing and creating memories every summer at their cabin in the Black Hills.  Jack and Marcia have three sons Pat, Wade, and Ryan; and Jack loved spending time with his boys.

They loved to fish, hunt, and go on Notre Dame football trips together.  Jack was so proud of all three of them.  In later years, he also loved spending time with his three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Jack also truly loved spending his spare time with his close fishing and hunting buddies.

Jack was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.  In addition, Jack served on many boards throughout the State as well as serving many local community organizations.

Jack truly loved his hometown and would never hesitate to step up and offer his time to assist wherever needed.  He was a true historian when it came to South Dakota and especially loved the history of Gregory County.

Our lives have forever been changed by Jack’s love and contributions to his family, friends, and communities.

Jack is survived by his wife Marcia of 54 years; his sons: Pat (Tanya), Wade (Wendy), and Ryan; his grandchildren: Lindsey, John (Kelsey), and Jay; his great-grandchildren: Michael, Jaxson, and Lincoln; his sister Mary Ann (Terry) Klug; his brothers: Joe (Sharon) and Jim; his brothers-in-law: Greg (Mary Lynn) Seeley and David (Deb) Horst and his sister-in-law Mary Jane Green.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Marie.  Stepfather Howard Frey, sisters Kathy & Theresa, sister-in-law Linda, brothers-in-law Tom and Gene.

Larry Hanson, 80, of Fulton died, Friday, March 13, 2020 at Avera Queen of Peace Hospital in Mitchell.

Funeral services were at  10:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 18, at Faith Missionary Church in Mitchell.  Burial was in Graceland Cemetery in Fulton, SD.

Larry Roger Hanson was born Sept. 3, 1939 in Tripp County to Ernest and Flora (Newland) Hanson.

Just out of high school he joined the National Guard, until he was called up on active duty for the Army.

In 1960, Larry married the love of his life. He knew he was going to marry her before they even started dating.

Larry was a rancher/farmer for many years until he felt the Lord wanted him to move to Fulton, and put his kids in Bible School.

He was a pastor at Shadley Valley and then Fulton, SD for a total of 25 years of preaching.

Larry called going to McDonalds with the guys his therapy. He loved visiting and telling jokes, and always looked forward to it.

In his later years his hobby was working on his acreage with his horses, driving his tractors, working with wood projects, etc.

He cherished his children and grandchildren, and enjoyed giving his grandchildren nicknames.

Larry is survived by his wife, Connie; children, Leslie (Annettee) Hanson, Darla (Bud) Vlieger, Stacy Hanson, Lynette (Tom) Schulz; honorary children, Micheal and Yvette Novak family; grandchildren, Jacob Hanson, Kayla Bird, Trevor Vlieger, Katelynn, Victoria, Mira, Clay Shulz; great grandchildren, Lily, Todd, Skyla; and siblings, Jane (Bill) Roby, Stanley (Lue) Hanson, Mildred (Denny) Weber, and John Hanson.

He is preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Richard and Rodney; and grandchildren, Leslie Todd Jr. and Samuel.

Funeral services for Violet Raschke age 95 of Gregory, SD will be held on Saturday, March 14, at 10:30 am at St John Lutheran Church in Gregory, SD. Burial will follow in the IOOF Cemetery. There is a prayer service Friday night at 7 p.m. at the church.