Category Archives: Local

It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the passing of Elsie Meister who passed away on August 1, 2022.

Elsie was born on February 15, 1925 on the family farm in the Winner area to parents John and Barbara Meister. She was delivered at home by a midwife. Elsie never did have a birth certificate.

Elsie went to local schools and graduated from Winner High School May 25, 1944.

Elsie spent most of her adult life in northern California where she married her husband Russell Newberg December 21, 1945. They were married for 69 years and had two sons. Russell was born and raised in San Francisco. They lived there for several years before buying a home in Palo Alto and in 1962 bought a home in Livermore, California.

Elsie was a homemaker, a devoted wife, loving mother and grandmother.

In 2001 Elsie and Russell moved to Casa Grande, Arizona to live near their son Gary, daughter-in-law and grandson Gary J.

Elsie’s husband passed away November 1, 2014.

Elsie was preceded in death by her parents, her four brothers Kenneth, Art, Junior and Alvin, her sister Clara and her nephews Ricky and Bob.

Elsie was laid to rest August 11, 2022 at the Mountain View Cemetery in Casa Grande, Arizona. She will be dearly missed but forever in our hearts.

Pam was born on February 16, 1947 to Frank and Georgia Fite.

Pam grew up in Presho, SD and graduated from Presho High School in 1965. Pam attended Northern State College where she graduated with a teaching degree in Speech Therapy.

Pam finished her career in Winner, SD where she met her husband, Al McIntosh.

Pam was a member of the Winner United Methodist Church where she was a member of the Cares Ministry and the Friendship Club.

Pam attended TOPS and was the leader at one time. She also attended several state conventions.

Pam is survived by her two sons Mac and Kip and Kip’s wife Nackea.

Pam is survived by six grandchildren, Mac’s daughters – Deyondra and Hadessa. Also, Kip’s children Kyle, Tawni, Corbin and Teegon.

Pam is also survived by her mother and sister Paula Fire Bruce plus her two nieces, Dawn Bruce Clark and family and Kari Bruce Ott and family.

Pam was preceded in death by her father and her husband, Allen.

Valentine (Val) Charles Rush was born July 8, 1949, in Flandreau, SD, the son of John J. and Evelyn M. (Valentine) Rush. He entered the presence of his loving Savior, Jesus Christ, on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022.

Funeral services will be 10:30 am Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, at the Egan United Methodist Church, Egan, SD with burial in Hillside Cemetery, Egan. Visitation will be Thursday from 5 – 7 pm with a time of sharing at 6:30 pm at Skroch Funeral Chapel, Flandreau. www.skrochfc.com

Val spent his days on the farm after graduating from St Mary’s in Dell Rapids and then Dakota State in Madison. Before he even saw it, God’s grace was apparent in his life. On Sept. 10, 1977, he married Teresa (Hessaa) Molskness, and they recently celebrated their 45th anniversary. During their marriage, they had three children, Aaron, Sarah, and Jonathan. Val spent many days planting and harvesting corn and beans. But in 1987, those days came to an end. 

Not knowing what would come next, his career moved to the insurance business. But he began sowing seeds other than corn, beans, or insurance. God called him to make the seed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ known. His call to ministry started when attending the Egan United Methodist Church at the age of 43. Several Egan Church ladies asked Val to teach their adult Sunday School Class. He loved and continued teaching God’s Word, revealed through the Bible. Later the members of the Egan church encouraged Val to attend seminary and become a pastor. It was not an easy decision, but it turned out to be very wise in the end, as obedience to God is. He attended North American Baptist Seminary starting in September 1992 and completed his degree in Divinity in May 1995.  After his first year of seminary, he received a call to serve part-time at the Garretson United Methodist Church and later served full-time after adding two small churches in Minnesota.

After seven years in Garretson, Val stated that he and Teresa would be willing to move anywhere except North Dakota. They soon packed their bags to head north to Bowman, North Dakota. Then twelve years later, they moved to pastor the Winner United Methodist Church in South Dakota. After retiring from five years of ministry in Winner, they moved to a farm near Canton and, lastly, Sioux Falls. In retirement, Val pastored the Methodist Church in Viborg, SD, worked as a volunteer hospice chaplain, and part-time chaplain at the Avera Heart Hospital. He entered into his eternal rest and has now truly retired. The remarkable grace of God marked Val’s life. Living by those words of Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” He longed that everyone would come into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Grateful for having a part of Val’s life are his wife, Teresa; Children, Aaron (Liz Rush), Avon, SD; Sarah Rush, Sioux Falls; and Jonathan Rush and Heather Rieger. Sioux Falls. Grandchildren Kuyper Rush, Zane Rush, Charles Rush, Finley Rush, Ezra Rush, Brooklyn Rieger, Ellianna Rush, and Evelyn Rush. Siblings: James Rush (Ann), Omaha, NE; Margaret Rush, Sioux Falls; Jack Rush   (Gayle), Philip, SD; Mary Jane Hover (Brad), Kansas City, MO; and Richard “Dick” Rush, Omaha, NE. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother David Rush.

Gerald Krogh, 80, of Winner, SD passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022 at the Bennett County Nursing Home in Martin, SD.

Funeral services were held on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022 at 2 p.m. at the First Christian Church in Winner, SD.   Burial will be held at a later date.

Gerald (Jerry) Lewis Krogh was born on March 5, 1942 in Prosser, Wash., to Lewis and Myrth (Carpenter) Krogh. He passed away quietly in his sleep on Nov. 2, 2022 at the Bennett County Nursing Home in Martin, SD.

Jerry is best known for his love of horses. His father was a ditch rider for the open irrigation systems of the Yakima Valley in Washington state and Jerry rode the ditch banks on his pony from an early age. He owned and trained horses until the last few years of his life, when his health did not permit him to continue.

Jerry was drafted into the military and served in the Air Force from Feb. 4, 1964 to Aug. 2, 1968 when he was honorably discharged. He achieved the rank of sergeant. He served in Guam, loading bombs to fly to Vietnam.

Jerry fell in love with South Dakota while stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base. He continued to make his home in the Rapid City area for the next 19 years. During that time he worked for Duane Smith, (Smitty) breaking horses and leading trail rides at Palmer Gulch Camp Ground. He also served as an ambulance driver during the Rapid City flood of 1972.

Jerry’s attachment to cars led to him earn a degree in Auto Body Repair. He was able to utilize his artistic nature restoring vehicles.

On May 22, 1987, Jerry married Ruth Egleston Tracy in Colome, SD. He became a loving father to his three step children, Raymond, Rachel and Darrell Tracy. The family lived in Mission, SD and then moved back to Jerry’s home town of Grandview, WA.

Jerry became a Waste Water Treatment Plant Operator for the city of Grandview, WA during the 1990s.

He rose to the level of assistant head operator in 1997.

They returned to South Dakota in 1999 and lived in the Lake Andes area prior to moving to Buffalo, SD in 2008. Jerry enjoyed helping area ranchers in the summer and began a new career as a leather craftsman.

Due to Jerry’s declining health, the couple moved to Winner, SD in June, 2016 to be closer to family and medical care.

He was preceded in death by his father, Lewis, his mother, Myrth, One sister, Betty (Krogh) Heim, brothers in law, Ken Heim, Lloyd Akins, Bob Forman and Fred Egleston.

He is survived by his wife, Ruth (Egleston, Tracy) Krogh, three children, Raymond (Sherrie) Tracy, Pierre, SD, Rachel (Jon) Ravnaas, Ruso, ND, and Darrell (Teri) Tracy, Winner, SD. One sister, Myrna (Krogh) Akins, 5 grandchildren, Heather (Ryan) Sandvig, Shannon (David) Newman, Tori Frey (Miles) Melius, Blake Tracy and Destiny Tracy. As well as numerous nieces and nephews. Also holding a special place in Jerry’s heart were AnnieKate and Jake Burghduff.

Jerry always said the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man. He was a friend to all he knew.

Letha Kalenda/Osburn, 85, of Winner, SD passed away on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022 at the Butte Senior Living Center in Butte, NE.

Funeral services were held on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022 at 2 p.m. at the Winner United Methodist Church in Winner, SD. Burial followed in the Colome City Cemetery.

Letha E. Kalenda/Osburn was born April 23, 1937 in Ainsworth, NE to Mildred and Hans Johnson of Sparks, NE. Letha attended Valentine High School.

She met Joe Kalenda Jr. at Wewela Hall in 1958. They were married on March 1, 1960 in Valentine, NE. They then moved to the Big Dog Ear Lake south of Winner, SD. To this union they had 3 daughters: Elaine (Russ) Klug of Herrick, SD; Gloria (late Butch) Wilson of Winner, SD; and Vickie (Les) Sherwood of White River, SD.

Letha enjoyed being a farm wife, gardening, milking cows, raising poultry, and fishing. In the late 70’s Joe and Letha took in foster care children. Joe and Letha went to many dances. Joe passed away in 2001 and in 2004 she remarried Dick Osburn. Dick and Letha enjoyed life together. Due to health problems, she was placed in the TLC February of 2019. Later she was moved to Butte, NE where she passed.

She is survived by her three children, 9 grandchildren, and 11 great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents, 1st husband Joe Kalenda Jr., 2nd husband Dick Osburn, 2 granddaughters, 1 son-in-law plus a brother and a sister.