Category Archives: Obituaries

Lawrence Charles (Larry) Kauer was born April 24, 1944 at Winner, SD, the eldest of 5 children of June (Mills) and Robert Kauer. He attended school at Pahpesto grade school, St. Mary’s Catholic school and Witten schools, graduating from Witten High School in May 1963.

In November 1964 Larry was united in marriage to Carol E. Skalicky in Winner, SD. To this union one daughter, Wendy Jo, was born in 1967.

Larry proudly served his country, enlisting in the U.S. Air Force in May 1966. He served in Vietnam as a munitions specialist from Sept 1967 to July 1968 and was honorably discharged from military service in March 1972.

Upon discharge he and his family returned to Winner. A self-trained, highly skilled diesel mechanic, Larry spent years supporting farmers, ranchers, and truck drivers with their fuel delivery, mechanic needs and tire repairs through various businesses he owned or managed in Winner. Every customer he served became a friend and his passion for his work was evident in every repair or fuel delivery he ever made. He also shared his love of “everything diesel” while working road construction and driving semi-truck himself. From local day trips with the Rapid City Regional Mobile CT-scan to cross-country long hauls, he was an astute driver and could make driving the highways and maneuvering the ports of Los Angeles look as easy as the open prairie. His daughter and grandson, Trevor, were fortunate enough to learn this first-hand on a cross-country haul they took with him.
Larry and Carol relocated to Rapid City for several years, fulfilling a long-time desire to enjoy all that the Black Hills has to offer. Together they spent countless hours amongst the trees and loved to ride 4-wheelers and snowmobiles with family and friends. While in Rapid City and a short time in Pierre he made many additional lifelong friends.

After losing Carol to cancer in 1997 and his failing eyesight which cut his long-haul career short, Larry relocated to Winner – proving you can come home again. He never spent an idle day, always finding something to tinker with or spending time caring for the animals….his, anyone’s and everyone’s animals. His love of animals spoke highly of his gentle, compassionate spirit. Most especially, he tirelessly cared for and loved the horses at his brother Tom’s. He was always eager to take children riding in the corral, it was his absolute joy. Larry had a heart for helping others that can’t be compared. Any family, friend or community project brought him right there to lend a hand, a tractor or a skid loader. He never met a stranger, spent hours with his coffee groups, and always had an inquisitive mind to be looking for ways to enhance the way things worked. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the pride of his life.

Franklin Delbert Iron Heart, Sr was born on May 29, 1946. He lived in Winner.

Franklin grew up in Hamill, SD, and worked on farms in his early years. Franklin was a simple man with many skills; working on cars, being a carpenter, and ending with roofing.

Franklin enjoyed fishing, watching old western movies, and spending time with his family, especially enjoyed the time he spent with his grandkids and great-grandkids. Franklin enjoyed the joking and laughing he shared with his nephews.

Franklin was a loving husband, a great dad, a caring grandpa, and the best uncle anybody could of ask for. He will be greatly missed by many.

Richard Duane Medicine Eagle Sr. was born in Mosher, SD on June 15, 1929 to William and Ida (Kills Two) Medicine Eagle.

Richard married Geraldine Andrews and made their home in Mosher where for most of his life he worked on the George Schilling farm. He enjoyed playing baseball and was on the 1948 Mosher team that went to the State Tournament in Watertown.

Richard had six children: Eleanor, Shirley, Richard Jr., Doyle, Timothy and Carol.

Richard also had eight siblings all of whom are deceased. George Sr., William, Martin, Eugene, Bernard, Pauline, Matilda and Lucinda.

Ivan Frank Vosika was born on February 20, 1934 to Stanley and Ona (Stasney) Vosika. Ivan was raised on the farm near Gregory and lived there all his life. As a young boy, Ivan was stricken with rheumatic fever making school difficult. With the help of his mother reading to him by lamp light, Ivan finished the eighth grade and then later obtained his GED.

Ivan volunteered for military service in February 1954 and was honorably discharged from the Army in February 1956.

Ivan married Shirley (Boes) in September 1962 in Gregory, SD along-side her sister Nola Jean in a double ring ceremony. Together they raised three children, David, Lori, and Dan. Ivan and Shirley enjoyed 54 years together, all on the family farm.

Through long hours and hard work, Ivan and Shirley developed and expanded their farm to include a large dairy and livestock operation. Ivan was an industrious and creative mechanic who had the unique ability to fabricate things on the fly to keep his operation running smoothly. Had health not interfered in his later years, Ivan would still be doing what he enjoyed most, windrowing and baling the hay fields.

In addition to farming, Ivan had many interests. He wasn’t afraid to create and live a dream and be involved. He obtained his pilot license at a young age and purchased his first plane in 1951. For over five decades, Ivan was active with other pilots in Gregory, forming a flying club and giving rides to area children at the numerous hanger parties. He spent countless hours scouting local shelterbelts and abandoned farms by air, searching for old tractors around South Dakota and Nebraska. Many times he would land on a country gravel road, taxi up to the target and inquire about the availability of it. He also flew to many air shows and enjoyed with Shirley many flights to area towns with other flying couples, simply to have breakfast.

During this time, Ivan also became a serious collector of antique John Deere tractors. He took great pleasure in sharing the love of restoration with friends who would spend many hours with him in the tractor shop. He won many awards with his tractors and enjoyed showing them during parades. He attended many tractor flea markets and pulls. He also enjoyed his collection of “retired” family automobiles. Most dear to his heart was his beloved 1960 Chevrolet Impala which he purchased new. It became not only he and Shirley’s courting vessel, but later the family car; and then finally a source of pride and a connection to his earlier years gone by.

Ivan was also active in the community by serving on the Rhoades Township board, the ASC board and was on the Gregory Farmer’s Elevator board of directors for many years. He was a long time member of the American Legion.

Ivan was known to lend a helping hand to his neighbors, friends and family, made many friends in his life adventures and thoroughly enjoyed round table discussions at Mr. G’s in his retired years. And, rarely a Sunday would pass where he didn’t pay a visit to someone known to him who was hospitalized or in assisted living. He was ready with a smile, enjoyed sharing a laugh and was quick witted when least expected.

Ivan enjoyed seeing his four grandkids. They will miss his physical presence but are gifted with knowing grandpa’s influence is ever present about the farm.

Ivan is now in a place of peace playing pitch, drinking coffee and surrounded by his favorite farm dogs. He is reunited with all those who made his life so special, while those left behind treasure the life of Ivan well lived.

Fred was born on September 23, 1924 to Otho and Mabel (Robertson) Woods on the family farm 11 miles south of Colome. He was the youngest of 8 brothers and 3 surviving sisters. He graduated from Mrs. Irma Painter’s 8th grade class on May 17, 1940 and completed his last year of school as a sophomore in 1941-42. He registered for Selective Service annually from 1942-1950 as required and was classified “Frozen Farm Laborer” and not deployed. He rode the military cattle cars from Colome to Ft. Snelling, MN in May of 1945 and was found “physically fit, acceptable for general military service” but the war effort was winding down by that time and he was not deployed.

He took great pride in his athletic achievements which included Golden Glove Boxing, sprinting in track, and scoring the only touchdown his sophomore year to lead Colome to a 6-0 victory over Winner! He grew up during the 30’s and hunted arrow heads in bowling sand for spending. He also grew up farming with horses before tractors became in Tripp County. He was accomplished cow & horseman. He often commented that “If you take care of the cows, they’ll take care of you”. Fred was one of the first men with registered Angus in Tripp County. Fred had a few odd jobs before settling down with his lovely bride in 1949 which included scooping wheat by hand for his brother Dick in Garden City, KS, where he also moonlighted as a chauffeur driver on evenings and weekends. He also worked for a short time at the Fremont Foundry as a welder in Fremont, NE.

Ruby Mae Mudgett was born to LeRoy and Clara Mudgett on January 6, 1923 in Fargo, N. Dakota. She joined her brother Harvey (18 months older), and 22 months later, sister Bernice came. Her father struggled to find work, but made harnesses for a while. When Ruby was four, sadly he left the family, and she never saw him again. Her single mother returned to Colome. She made ends meet doing household work and selling her oatmeal cookies. The children had to live at times with Aunt Margaret Funk, and took turns riding the train to Dunsmuir, California to live with Aunt Sue Funk Evans, where they attended school. The family of five lived a few years with grandparents Fred and Alcinda Funk in a one-bedroom house southwest of Winner. Ruby did not complain of hardship, but accepted life and said she remembered an orange in her school lunch every day. She determined not to complain, choosing to focus on the positive.

She enjoyed school, graduating from Colome High School. She kept in touch with good friends. Many recall that one day Ruby and Thelma Atteberry went to the cellar after school, and ate a whole jar of canned peaches, which “was against the rules.” She loved fun school songs from The Golden Songbook, and sang them recently at age 93, enjoying them again.

At fifteen, she began to date Orris Shippy. She hunted with him and was amazed when she shot her first rabbit, so she always said, “Maybe he just fell down from fright.” She helped extract honey even though she was stung five times the first day before figuring out where to lay her hand. His Aunt Margaret Shippy was married to her Uncle Lee Funk, so they knew each other from family gatherings, and spent lots of fun times at their house playing dominoes and eating popcorn.

They married two years later on June 17, 1940 and celebrated their seventieth anniversary in 2010. They loved farming south of Colome. She deeply loved him and their six children, eighteen grandchildren, and thirty-five great grandchildren. Babies and little children were her lifelong love. They still delighted her even as recently as two weeks ago. Spending twenty winters in Arizona gave them a special time with family there. She loved selflessly, and grandchildren brought her special joy, because she had more time to enjoy each one, and that love went both ways.

She cooked the hard way, making all the family’s bread, butter, cottage cheese, and the weekly summer gallon of ice cream, and so much more. The family loved it, thinking she did too, but learned later it was not her first love; she just did her work, with a smile and laughter. So we thought, it was as much fun for her as it was for us. She gardened, sewed, and worked hard. Her hobby was faithfully writing many postcards and letters to her family and numerous friends.

Facing anxiety her whole life, Ruby kept busy to cope and did not let it interfere with her love of people. One particular fear was horses, because of a photo of a horse rearing up near a girl. But in recent years she enjoyed watching westerns, especially the beauty of horses as they ran. She knew she wasn’t perfect, but trusted God and His good news of Jesus coming to be like us, die in our place, and rescue us from independence from Him. Living her faith quietly, she accepted people and life, and was known for her heart of compassion, and was also a champion listener.

She loved people not things, and brought joy to many with her warm smile and love of laughter. Her sister said, “Ruby laughed until she was beside herself, until you just couldn’t understand it.” She laughed with her entire being. One time she laughed so hard that she fell off her chair, and that was as an adult.

She managed diabetes, survived several TIA’s (first in July 2010), a broken hip May 2013 (as she gathered dandelions at age ninety-one). She worked hard to walk again and get back to her home in the Elder Inn, where she had lived with Orris for five years and then four more by herself. Then Feb 2015, colon cancer came knocking. She recovered as best she could from surgery, but soon moved to Winner Regional Long Term Care June 2015. She fell two months later, breaking the other hip, and spent her last year in a wheelchair. 2016 brought more decline with strokes, a heart attack, and some dementia. Through it all, by God’s mercy, she found strength and ways to recover, remember and connect with people, sing on the phone, keep her mind as clear as she could, smile and laugh frequently.

Ann passed away Saturday, August 6, 2016 at the Golden Living Center in O’Neill.

Anna Mae Lewis (Ann) was born December 14, 1923 to Guy & Anna (Heiden) Lewis at their home near Paxton, SD. She was the 5th of six children. She attended Sioux Valley School District #35 through the eighth grade. She walked 1-1/2 miles each day to school. She loved to ride horses so her dad bought the children a Shetland pony.

Ann said she was never afraid of work & as a child her chores were carrying fire wood, cow chips & gathering cobs from the pig pen. She, along with her siblings, helped her mom bake & wallpaper. Ann learned to sew from her mom & made a lot of her own dresses. She learned to crochet from her mom. She crocheted many afghans for her children & grandchildren.

Ann met Vernon Jamison in 1939. They married on January 6, 1943 at the United Methodist Church in Springview, NE. Vernon was home on leave from the Army. The couple moved to where Vernon was stationed at Camp Blanding, Fl. then on to Camp Robinson, AR. While at this base their daughter Ruth was born in 1944.

In 1945 while stationed at Fort Sill, OK, Vernon received orders to go to Germany during World War II, Ann moved with their daughter Ruth to her parents’ home.

Following the war, in 1946 Vernon returned from Germany & the family moved to the farm north of Wewela, SD. Here they farmed, ranched & milked cows. While living there four children were born: Bob, Barbara, John & Carol. Ann was an active member of the Do-A-Deed Ladies Aid. Summer-time was busy for her with several large gardens to tend & canning / preserving produce for winter meals.

The couple sold the farm in 1973. They moved to Winner, SD. prior to settling in O’Neill, NE. in 1975. While in O’Neill Ann briefly worked at Tielke’s Sandwiches & sold Tupperware. She was the unofficial Secretary of the Shamrock Ringers Horseshoe Club. She enjoyed crossword & word search puzzles. The majority of her time was spent, canning, baking, & making her famous refrigerator pickles or chicken & noodles. Her passion was crocheting, as shown by the many blankets & afghans that were made for her children & grandchildren. She enjoyed making things for her family. She was an avid card player, especially Pitch, which was played at every family gathering. She loved & was well-loved by her family.

Dale Leroy Butler was born April 8th, 1934 to Lloyd and Mildred “Tootsie” Butler. He passed away on Thursday, August 11, 2016 in Winner, SD at the age of 82 years old.

Dale attended school and graduated from Burke High School in 1952. After high school he obtained a two year business administration degree from the National School of Business in Rapid City. In September of 1954 he enlisted in the US Army and was honorably discharged in September of 1956. After serving in the military, he returned to the Burke area and began working for SD Job Service. Later he worked as a bookkeeper for Dale Sanderson at Hewlitt Motor. He then moved to Gregory to work for Tilton Motor Company. He and Martin Tilton then purchased the Ford Dealership in Winner in 1969, and later built a new facility known as Winner Ford Mercury Inc., now known as Harry K Ford. Dale retired from the car business in 1996.

Dale married Katherine Garrow on April 12, 1958 at the Winner Catholic Church. Born to this union were three daughters: Denise, Delaine and Darla.

Dale enjoyed spending time with his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and family. He was an avid fisherman and hunter. He liked playing pitch with his family throughout the years. He loved watching his grandsons and great grandsons wrestle and play baseball. In the summer, Dale loved planting a garden with his grandchildren and great grandchildren. One of the highlights of Dale’s life was spending time fishing with his grandkids and great grandkids. He was a lifetime member of the Winner American Legion.

On February 25, 1984 he was joined in marriage to Patricia Tate. To this union four children were born.

In August of 1994 he moved to Salem, SD where he resided until his death. He was employed until recently at Dakota Kitchen and Bath in Sioux Falls.

Over the years he was active in Masons, Boy Scouts, youth group, and volunteering in Special Olympics. His greatest joy was spending time with family and friends, but most of all his children.

Verlene Claudette Long was born on February 27, 1932. She was the youngest child of Joe and Mabel (Putzier) Long. Verlene grew up in the Witten and Clearfield Area. She attended Star Prairie School and then Winner High School. At the age of 16, she started to work in Winner as an operator for the telephone company.

On May 28, 1949 she married Henry (Hienie) Kaiser. To this union, 3 children were born; Brenda in 1950, Janine in 1952 (deceased in 1956) and Keith in 1958. Mom stayed at home with us kids until we were older and then resumed her employment with the telephone company from which she retired at age 55.

Mom and Dad enjoyed camping, boating, and fishing with their kids, grandkids, and friends. They took a few bigger trips in their motorhome. They enjoyed following and watching the grandkids participate in sporting events. There was a lot of good times enjoyed in that motorhome. Mom also enjoyed making scrapbooks and photo albums of her family, as well as tending to her flowers.