Category Archives: Local

Marlene Kay (Gerdes) Kerner, 71, of Burke, SD passed away on July 18, 2023 in Burke, SD.

She was born on April 27, 1952 to John and Darline (Powers) Gerdes in Mitchell, SD.

Growing up, Marlene’s family moved around a lot because of her dad’s work as a truck driver for a construction company. The family would set up camp at each new road construction site and Marlene and her siblings would attend the local schools near the construction camps. Marlene often talked about how she didn’t mind the moving, except for when they attended a small school where her and her little brother (only 13 months younger than her) were in the same class.

Marlene didn’t say her first words until she was 2.5 years old and then suddenly one day as she was looking out the window, she said “there goes my daddy in his truck.” As her mother and everyone who knew her said, “and she hasn’t stopped talking since.” Marlene was known for being a “talker.” She never met a stranger she didn’t like and could carry on a conversation with anyone. Once on a family vacation to Six Flags, Marlene struck up a conversation with her roller coaster seatmate and afterwards commented that the young man wasn’t much of a conversationalist. That evening at the hotel pool, she was surprised to see his face on a souvenir t-shirt. Marlene said to the young lady wearing the t-shirt, “I was just on a roller coaster with that kid today.” The young lady, exclaimed, “you were on a roller coaster with NSYNC!” 

Her mother, Darline Gerdes, ran a bakery out of her home and Marlene was her mom’s right hand baking assistant, instilling a love for baking that she kept throughout her life. She happily volunteered to deliver long johns to local customers for a quarter tip, so she could go to Mrs. Lunn’s candy store to buy nickel black cherry soda and penny candy.

In 1960, her family made their permanent home in Kimball, SD where Marlene graduated from Kimball High School in 1970. During high school and college, she worked as a waitress at Chef Rudy’s Café at Skelly’s Midway Truck-Stop in Kimball, SD to pay her way through college. After high school, she attended the University of South Dakota in Springfield majoring in elementary education and student teaching at the Chamberlain Indian school, planning to be a spinster schoolteacher.

However, that all changed in 1973, while at a rodeo dance in Chamberlain, SD. Her friend Judene Holan asked her to hold her drink so she could go out on the dance floor. Not thrilled to be standing next to the bar alone holding two drinks, Marlene agreed. That gave the otherwise introverted Richard Kerner who was in Chamberlain for guard duty, the chance he needed. He walked up to Marlene and said, “do you always drink two fisted?” That was the beginning of 49 years together and Richard and Marlene where married 9 months later on May 10, 1974 in the same church were Marlene’s parents were married, Saint Margaret’s Catholic Church in Kimball, SD.

The two built their life together on a ranch south of Burke where they lived and raised their three children, Steve, Anna and David until moving to town in 2009. On the ranch, Marlene was known for her delicious cooking which usually included some variation of home raised beef and potatoes. Marlene made sure that anyone who visited or worked on the ranch, never went hungry. She was constantly cooking whether it was bacon and eggs for breakfast or lunches for moving cattle and taking to the field. She always had a large garden and canned the best beets and dill pickles. There was always boiling coffee on the stove, even though she was never a coffee drinker herself.

Much to Richard’s chagrin, she decorated the house for each holiday, especially Christmas and always made sure everyone got a present. 

Marlene was known for her pumpkin, cherry, apple and rhubarb pies which she brought to every family holiday gathering. She was a skilled donut and cake maker and decorator and made cutout and tiered cakes for all her family’s special occasions, including making her own wedding cake, and three tiered cakes for her parents 40th wedding anniversary and her daughter Anna’s high school graduation.

Marlene and Richard enjoyed visiting their daughter Anna all over the world, including taking the greyhound bus to Washington D.C., the Amtrak train to Niagara Falls, Boston, Sacramento, California and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. They also visited Anna in London twice which included a tour of Europe; visiting the beaches of Normandy, riding the train through the Alps, dining in a rotating restaurant in Berlin, Germany and going on a Gondola ride with her future son-in-law, Dan in Venice.

Marlene and Richard had a tradition of taking family vacations once a year, which they continued with their grandchildren once they were old enough to travel. These trips included taking their oldest granddaughter Mindy to Washington, D.C. and Yellowstone, several trips to the Black Hills, taking the train to Denver, Adventureland in Iowa and meeting up with Marlene’s sister Rosemary and her grandchildren for swim weekends. In 2014, they took their granddaughter Macie to Sweden, Denmark and the Fjords of Norway.

Marlene also enjoyed trips to the casino until her health no longer allowed her to go. Her bubbly personality, infectious laugh and good luck made her well known to other players and the casino staff, many of whom became good friends. She loved to share the story of her winning two cars and true to Marlene’s generous spirit, she gave the first one to her granddaughter Mindy. Her claim to fame was that Ft. Randal Casino filmed her handing over the keys to Mindy and made a television commercial from the footage. 

Marlene constantly worried about others and family was everything to her. She always wanted to make sure everyone around her was taken care of and of course fed, especially her precious David who meant the world to her.

She is survived by her husband of 49 years, Richard Kerner; three children, Steve Kerner and wife Julie of Burke, SD, her daughter Anna Kerner Andersson and husband Dan of Burke, SD and her son David Kerner of Winner, SD; a brother, John Gerdes and wife Maureen of Kimball, SD; and 9 grandchildren, Mindy (Jared) Bolling, Austin (Cheyanne) Kerner, Macie (Wes) York, Ava Kerner, Mattie Kerner, Sophie Kerner Andersson, Elizabeth Kerner Andersson, Anna Christina Kerner Andersson and Richard Kerner Andersson and 3 great grandchildren, Emerson and Micah Bolling and Waylon York.

She is preceded in death by her parents, John and Darline (Powers) Gerdes, and her sister Rosemary Rasmussen. Funeral services for Marlene Kerner, age 71, of Burke, SD, were  held on Friday, July 28, 2023 at 10:30 a.m.  at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Burke, SD.  Burial was in the Graceland Cemetery, Burke.

Doug Gossard, 68, of Winner, SD passed away on Tuesday, July 25, 2023 at the Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD. 

A Celebration of Life service was held on Monday, July 31, 2023 at 11 a.m. at the Colome American Legion.  Burial will be held at a later date.  

Doug was born in Winner, SD on May 27, 1955 to Kenneth and Lila Gossard. He was later joined by his two siblings, Wes and Kena. Doug grew up on the family farm south of Colome. He attended & graduated from Colome High School in 1974. Doug often spoke fondly of his memories of playing football in those days. Upon graduating, he hauled many loads of gravel while also working alongside his dad on the farm. Doug had a sharp mind when it came to livestock and spent much of his time watching rodeos or attending sales when he could.

 On June 12, 1982, Doug married the love of his life, Jan Cahoy Vaughn. With this marriage, he inherited little Mel. The family lived in the Colome area until 1988 when they moved to Davenport, IA. A short time later, they moved to Cherry, IL for the next six years where Doug continued his work as a truck driver for Double D Express. During this time, Doug spent many hours with his cousin Merle where countless laughs, memories, and stories were shared.

 In 1994, Doug moved his family back to South Dakota roots once again living on the family farm. While living on the farm in 1998, Doug’s most prized possession was born, his grandson. So many adventures took place between the two. This included fishing trips, an attack by a turkey in the middle of a field, and protecting his grandson from a snake with a cattle prod.

 In 2002, Doug and Jan moved to Winner. After spending some time flying planes in Washington with his brother Wes, Doug began his 20-year career at the Winner City Jail. During these 20 years, he made many friends. Those friends became family.

 Doug had many titles: son, brother, husband, dad, grandpa, friend, and neighbor. His most well-known features were recognized as being a comedian and his skill to play the guitar by ear. His comedic nature will be cherished through videos that he recorded years ago that his family will never forget. Doug wasn’t just a jokester though; he had a unique ability to make people feel understood. He was a man of values, integrity, and most of all, family.  His constant effort to make others smile, even during hard times will be something that family and friends will miss dearly.

 Doug was proceded in death by his father, Kenneth, mother Lila, father- in law, Donald Cahoy and mother-in-law Marlene Cahoy.

He is survived by his wife, Jan, children, Cody and Melony Bertram, grandchildren Trevor Bertram and Tatum Olson, one brother Wes Gossard (Cindy), one sister Kena (Tony) Bolton, brother-in-law Gene (Deb) Cahoy, brother-law Dave (Candy) Cahoy, sister-in-law Donelle Eby, brother-in-law Rick (Lisa) Cahoy along with numerous nieces and nephews.

Tommy L. Vaughn, age 71, of Martin, South Dakota, formerly of Winner, died on Saturday, July 22, 2023 at the Bennett County Healthcare Center in Martin.

Tommy Lewis Vaughn was born May 3, 1952, in Valentine, Neb., to Frank and Beverly (May) Vaughn. Tom attended grade school in Sidney, NE while his father worked as a ranch hand and later moved back home to South Dakota, graduating from Bennett County High School in Martin. After high school Tom attended college in Chadron, Neb., and again returned home to start working at Little Wound School in Kyle, SD. Tom loved the education world so much he continued on to Rockyford School District where he spent most of his career of over 30 years being a teachers aid in special education, a bus monitor and a librarian assistant. One of his favorite things was to read the Hank the Cowdog series which was the only books he would ever read to the kids. The kids loved listening to Tom because he would always laugh so hard reading the adventures of a silly cow dog it would turn into a rage of laughter from the whole group.

Tom had a love of dogs from a very young age. It was his first dog Brownie that actually taught him to walk. That bond instilled a life-long love for a 4 legged best friend and also lit the flame for his love of hounds and coyote hunting. Tom lived to load up a set of coyote hounds in the box of his pickup, gather a family member or friend and go out for hours on the hunt. It didn’t matter if he missed Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas with the family, coyote hunting with his dogs was always top of the priority list. The thrill of the chase brought MANY stories, laughs, jokes and wondering how far the truth was stretched.

Tom also had a love of horses and raised quality quarter horses. He had an eye for conformation and good disposition. Tom stood a couple of studs horses and to this day there are still horses with his bloodlines being used on area ranches and in local arenas. He was always proud to produce a good mount for someone.

When Tom is mentioned to family members and friends it’s always said he was a practical jokester. He loved teasing and telling stories, he loved laughing and you could always pick his giggling out of a crowd. The stories were never too far fetched with Tom around.

Tom’s last years were spent in the Winner nursing home. While there he was blessed to have met his special friend Carla. Carla would sit with Tom for hours every day keeping him company, keeping him in touch with the family and making sure everything for Tom was comfortable and in order. She was such a gift to him and we are forever thankful for her friendship to Tom.

Survivors include his sister Twila Goodman and brother Dave Nelson. Nephews Rob and Shawn Goodman, JR and Travis Nelson and niece TR Nelson and a host of other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents Frank and Bev Vaughn, brother Michael “Butch” Vaughn, uncles Bud and Dan May, aunts Zona and Ramona May, and Marnie White Wolf; cousins Jerry, Tammy and Pam May, nephew Chad Nelson and special friend Carla Lebert.

Visitation will be held 5-7 p.m. on Sunday, July 30, at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Martin.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Monday, July 31, at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Martin, with Father Tyler Dennis officiating.

Interment will be at the Martin Community Cemetery.

Arrangements are with Rush Funeral Home of Philip.