Jane Williams, 83, Ainsworth, Neb., died Dec. 19 at the Rock County Hospital in Bassett, Neb.
Services will be at a later date.
Survivors include a sister Judy Jaber of Alameda, Calif., a friend Nina Marvin of Ainsworth. She is also survived by nieces, nephews and other family members.
Douglas John Taggart was born to John and Lillian Taggart in Winner, SD on April 13, 1952.
Doug grew up on a farm outside of Winner with his sister Karen and brothers Jerry, Brad and Robert. Much has been whispered about his antics, but no one wants to come forward with hard facts on the wild days in Winner. I can confirm that he DID learn to play the accordion, because his aunt and uncle liked to dance to the polka. I know, right?! The accordion. Knock me down with a feather. He was also the undefeated boxing champ from Winner. He was 15 years old. It was one fight and then he hung up his professional boxing gloves for good……but it was sanctioned. So, we are going with Undefeated Boxing Champ.
Doug was world-renowned for his lack of patience or his endless patience (which one would you get today???), not holding back his opinion and telling it like it is. Doug always told you the truth, even if it wasn’t what you wanted to hear. It was the school of hard knocks, and yes, we were told many times how he had to walk for miles in a blizzard to get to school, so suck it up and life is tough all over kid, get used to it!
He married his main squeeze, Polly, a librarian, almost 50 years ago in Colstrip, Mont. They lived in Montana, Indiana and later returned to Montana so dad could hunt and fish. They spent many hours on a boat with fishing poles in their hands but much to Doug’s dismay, Polly could out fish him many times. Jennifer and Whitney (the daughters), cannot out fish either of them. Recently they moved to North Dakota to be near family and so dad could go back to his roots of farming, which he loved.
Doug taught us that family comes first, to get outside, and work hard…at what you love. Doug made the best sourdough treats, homemade pizza and cookies. Jennifer and Whitney also ended up with midnight snack addictions because of Doug. Many a night would pass with a knock on the door and a question – “Want an ice cream shake?” He also made sure that he had someone around to make his sweet treats, he taught Jennifer how to bake cookies each weekend. Why? So, he could have the cookies for a nighttime snack.
Jennifer married Kevin Norton and Whitney married David Gonitzke – in a stroke of amazing luck – Doug loved both of them.
Doug was Papa to Mackenzie, Aiden, Jules and Jane. Oh, how he loved the four of them. We don’t want say that he got soft as a Grandpa….but he got soft!! Those kids could do anything and get anything! He made sure his grandkids knew how to fish and that started at a young age. Papa was a huge history buff, this love of history was passed down to his grandson, Aiden, who is going to college to be a high school history teacher. He bragged about his grandkids to anyone that would listen!
Doug and his two best friends, Pat and Kelly, (the “Three Amigos”) hunted and fished for over 30 years together. After a while Doug decided that their friendship was strong enough to withstand anything…..so he included them into the Taggart Brothers Secret Circle. For years and years, the brothers circle would meet up at Uncle Jerry’s ranch house in Wyoming to fish, hunt, drink loads of beer. Who knows what lies and tall tales were told on those trips. Really – Guys, can’t you just tell us one little thing??
Doug traveled extensively and took us camping all the time. We went from tent, to a pickup box camper, then a 5th wheel camper– spoiling us girls forever. Never will Jennifer or Whitney tent camp again. Our love of the water likely came from the plethora of trips to rivers and lakes.
He is survived by his saint of a wife, Polly; children, Jennifer (Kevin) Norton, Whitney (David) Gonitzke; grandchildren, Mackenzie (Eric) Wineinger, Aiden Sothers, Jules and Jane Gonitzke; great-grandchild, baby Wineinger (coming in June); siblings Jerry (Janine) Taggart, Karen King, Brad (Linda Wilson) Taggart, Robert (Kim) Taggart and many, many nephews, nieces, cousins, family and friends.
Although we feel like we didn’t get enough Doug in our lives – we can remember that Doug did not live an average life. He traveled where he wanted to travel, laughed inappropriately at every chance, danced (especially the alligator) when the opportunity arose, learned what he wanted to learn, fixed what he wanted to fix, and loved who he wanted to love, and loved those people hard……..especially Polly.
Since Doug liked to do unusual things, he also ended up with cholangiocarcinoma – bile duct cancer. It’s rare and aggressive. Of course, that’s what he died from, he had to be unique. Doug went to heaven on Dec. 15, 2023.
Danny Herman, 63, of Winner, SD passed away on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023 at the Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD.
Funeral services were held on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023 at 11 a.m. at the First Christian Church in Winner, SD. Burial followed in the Winner City Cemetery.
Danny Eugene Herman was born on April 26, 1960, in Winner, South Dakota, to Robert and Joyce (Biggins) Herman. He was the first of four to join this union. In the later years, his best friends, Tony, Marty, and Penny, joined him.
Dan attended his grade, middle, and high school career at the Winner School District. He graduated in the year of 1978. This year was his 45 class reunion. It was a lot of fun, as he drove a party bus for their celebration.
After graduating high school, he attended Western Dakota Tech for mechanics.
After his schooling, Dan joined his father at the B&D Auto Salvage. He got to do what he loved for many years – working on cars. Another passion he had was racing, and he spent many summers at the Winner Speedway. Dan now has a pit crew seat in all of the races. If anyone needed something, he would do anything that he could to help. Until his last days, individuals would find him working on cars, riding his motorcycle, or drinking Busch Lights with his friends.
If someone happened to go out to the shop at 6:30 pm, the television would be playing “The Wheel of Fortune.” He would get multiple puzzles correct and would joke that he would do better than many contestants. Fittingly, on his last night on Earth, that show was on the television. Dan certainly hit the million-dollar wedge in this thing called life.
What Dan loved the most was being a father and grandpa. His grandkids could do no wrong. You could always count on him dropping what he was doing to be there for his kids and grandkids. The second drawer on the left-hand side of his desk was filled with different toys. His grandkids would drag out all of the different toys every visit. Dan was a kid at heart, and he would always be right there playing with them. He was the best “Pop-Pop.”
Dan is survived by his five children: Travis (Kat) Walker, Trevor (Kortni) Herman, Joshua Herman, Jacob Herman, and Shanelle (Clinton) Herman. His grandchildren also survive him: Dane, Kai, Jaxon, Krew, Adyson, Connor, Canyon, Dally, Copeland, Delaynie, and Sage. Also having an empty place in their hearts are his siblings: Marty, Tony, and Penny (Chad). Other family members include nephews: Bryce (Becky) and Adam, nieces: Lindsey and Alex, Aunt Dianne, and Uncle Darrell.
He is preceded in death by his parents, a special aunt Darlene; and aunts, uncles, and cousins.
By Dan Bechtold
Editor
Judy Bartels of Winner enjoyed the experience of an honor flight trip to Washington, D.C.
The mission of Midwest Honor Flight is to transport America’s veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit those memorials dedicated to honor the service and sacrifices of themselves and fellow veterans.
Bartels went on the honor flight on May 16. She served as a guardian for a Navy veteran from the Rapid City area. She had to be at the airport at 3:30 a.m. and the flight left at 6:30 a.m. and they were back in Sioux Falls at 10:30 p.m.
Friday night before the flight there was a banquet at the Sioux Falls convention center. Bartels could ask any veteran to be her guest. She chose Tyler Sampson and the two enjoyed a delicious meal.
Bartels volunteered do be a guardian. She went to the Tripp County veterans service office in Winner and filled out the paperwork to be a guardian. Several weeks later she was notified she had been selected and was being paired with a veteran from Piedmont.
The duties of a guardian are to physically assist the veterans at the airport, during the flight and at the memorials.
The group saw all the memorials in one day.
The South Dakotans met Sen. John Thune and Rep. Dusty Johnson at the Lincoln Memorial.
Bartels said her veteran was very impressed with the Navy memorial. For Bartels, her favorite was the Vietnam Memorial because that was the era in which she was raised.
Bartels noted it was heartening to see the veterans enjoying the memorials.
They also saw the changing of the guard at the Arlington National Cemetery. Bartels said this was awesome.
This was Bartels first trip to Washington, D.C. and she was glad that she went on the trip.
It had meaning for her since her dad, brothers and uncle all served in the Army.
By Dan Bechtold
Editor
Tony Coffman is getting settled in as the new pastor at Winner Methodist Church.
He started here on Oct. 16 after serving three years at a church in Rugby, N. D. Prior to a stop in North Dakota, he was the pastor of a church in St. Paul, Neb., for four years.
His life was not always in the ministry.
After serving in the Army for six years he went to work in the corporate world. He worked 18 years for Verizon all over the United States. His last job for Verizon was as a regional manager.
He has worked in marketing and advertising since 2002. In fact the first two churches he served he also had full time job.
Winner is the first church where he does not have another job.
While in North Dakota, he was the marketing manager and foundation director for a hospital.
While working in corporate world in the back of his mind was that call to ministry and he tried to avoid it.
“I have always enjoyed my work but it has never been totally satisfying. Finally in 2017, I gave up and walked into ministry full time.”
Before becoming a minister he served as a lay pastor for many years.
He received his master’s degree from Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Ind. He graduated with honor in ministry studies.
He took the course work on-line. He said it was two very hard years to get his degree.
Coffman did not follow the traditional college path of getting an undergraduate degree and then going on for a master’s.
Two years ago he saw an ad on Facebook that the U.S accrediting agency was allowing a few select seminaries to allow people into a graduate program without an undergrad degree.
“I did not tell my wife. I just started the application process,” he said. In May of 2021 he got a letter that he has been accepted into the program.
Early his August, Coffman was talking to the head of pastoral recruiting for the Global Methodist Church.
“After talking to him for a few weeks he asked me if I would be willing to pastor a church in Winner. I looked at what the Global Methodist Church stood for, what they believed in and made a trip to Winner to meet with church representatives,” he said.
The Winner congregation has about 190 in person at Sunday services and another 60-70 watching on line.
“As a group of people in Winner, it is the nicest group of people I have ever pastored. They are caring, very open. Pastoring can be difficult to step into a new church. They have made it easy for my wife and I and have been very kind to us,” said the pastor.
Coffman enjoys serving people. “You get to be the center of focus for people who are hurting, angry or have questions. I love to serve God in this capacity and I love that he has entrusted me the love and care of his people. Originally from Portland, Ore., the minister has had a lot of life experiences. He dropped out of high school his sophomore year. “I did not have a church background and I knew I needed someone to get their hands on me and give me some discipline. I had gotten my GED and went to the Army recruiter and asked how soon I could join. They told me as soon as I got a parental signature,” he explained.
The tour of duty with the Army included stops in Germany and the United States.
When he got out of the Army around age 24 he gave his life to Christ at a small Baptist church in Vancouver, Wash.
Coffman and his wife, Lisa, have two grown children, a 25 year old girl and a 22 year old boy.
When asked what people should know about the new pastor he said: “I am so very thankful to be in this community and to be part of this church. It is very humbling to be allowed to be the shepherd of a group of people who are trying to follow Christ. I do not take that for granted. These are great people and I am honored to get to know them.”
The Young Guns repeated as champions of the Winner Area Chamber of Commerce sharpshooter bird & clay classic this weekend.
At awards banquet was held Saturday at the Tripp County 4-H Center.
The Young Guns had a total score of 30.96.
Members of the team are Jack Anderson, Klayton Heath, Oren Sargent, Hunter Shippy, Noah Manke and Austin VanDerWerff.
Second place went to Mark’s Misfits. Team members were Mark Rohde, Terry Laverik, Mark Bachmann, Bryce Hauf, Chris Welker and David Floyd.
Third place team was Sargents Farms and Arms. Team members were Cory Sargent, Craig Sargent, Cale Meiners, Kevin Meiners, Scott Dutt and Jamie Root.
The 10th place team and the 18th place team also won prizes. The 10th place got binoculars.
Crop Gun took 10th and team members were Adam Farner, Brett Langley, Josh Falk, Johnny Gustafson, Justin Koeni and Michael Dabney.
The 18th team was Mix & Match with team members Ray Bryant, Clyde Bryant, Ira Sherman, Ali Hakenson, Shane Lyons, Justin Dowling.
The landowners are an important part of the hunt. The 19 landowners were Red Hills Lodge, Sargent Farms, H & H Hunts, DeWayne Welker, Bolton Ranch Outfitters, Thunder Creek Ranch, Antler Ridge Lodge, Tresh Swedlund, White River Sportsman Larson families, Deadshot Outfitters —Steve Steinke, Big Hollow Ranch—James Massa; Tom Mathis, Rattlesnake Butte Hunting—Dalton Daughters; Rick and Becky Odenbach, Roger Fiala, Mountain Goat Outfitters—Gary Zimbelmann, Rick Shippy.
There were also 38 judges and scorekeepers. They included: Rusty Heenan, Amber Smith, Cliff Heyden, Dan Wranek, Marty Mortenson, David Gastonguay, Jonah Sachtjen, Jeff Farner, Jesse Larson, Evan Farner, Tex Holthus, Jordan Christensen, Blake Bauer, Ryan Radant, Don Bice, Michael Massa, Bryce Bohnet, Mike Whetham, Judd Kaiser, Laura Bryant, Hannah Leuke, Emilee Taylor, Dave Witt, Rusty Arthur, Kevin Wagner, Jamie Sachtjen, Wayne Bolton, Tristan Cable, Riley Sund, Cindy Pinter, Ricki Christensen, Justin Zeigler, Melanie Radant, Belva Weber, Brittany Massa, Ethan Ernest, Troy Best and Jeff Kaiser.
Loading ...