Category Archives: Obituaries

Sidney James Bierema, son of Peter and Sadie (Schotanus) Bierema, was born July 18, 1929 in the Springfield area. He passed away Friday, March 18, at the Good Samaritan Society in Tyndall. Sid attained the age of 86 years and eight months.

As a young boy, Sid attended Trumbo and Quinn Country Schools and graduated from the eighth grade. He was active in the community through his service as a Quinn School board member, 4-H leader and as a member of the Emmanuel Reformed Church Consistory.

On July 7, 1949, Sid was united in marriage to Arlene Cornelia Tjeerdsma, the daughter of Peter and Annie (Odens) Tjeerdsma. Their union was blessed with five sons and six daughters: Allen, Charlene, Harvey, Myron, Aletha, Ivan, Vera, Miriam, Arlis, Amy and Theran.

Sid loved reading anything related to farming and livestock. He was not one to sit around, as he always found something to do.

Sid entered the Good Samaritan Care Center on September 18, 2008.

Dorothy Emma Agnes LaPointe Dillon Lunderman was born on June 7, 1921 in Billings, Montana to Samuel LaPointe and Clara Courtis. She passed away on February 2, 2016 at the Rapid City Regional Hospital Hospice of the Hills in Rapid City, South Dakota surrounded by family.
Dorothy spent her childhood years in Billings, Pryor, Hardin, and St Xavier, Montana. When she was approximately 12 years old, the family relocated to Rosebud, South Dakota. She attended St Mary’s School for Girls in Springfield, South Dakota, and learned to play the piano while attending St. Mary’s School for Girls. Upon leaving St. Mary’s School for Girls and returning home to Rosebud, her career as an organist began. She graduated from the Rosebud Community High School on May 20, 1938.

On June 9, 1939 Dorothy married Jesse Dillon in White River, South Dakota. To this union, one son was born, Hubert Dillon, on March 4, 1940. The family lived in Rapid City, South Dakota for a period of time. Jesse Dillon passed away on April 7, 1944 leaving to mourn his widowed wife, Dorothy, and their son, Hubert.

Dorothy met Lewellyn “Buck” Wright and to this union, one son was born, Richard “Tuffy” Wright, on July1, 1946.

Dorothy married Theodore “Ted” Lunderman on January 14, 1947. Richard “Tuffy” Wright was adopted by Ted, thus, this union joined two families which included seven children: Alex Lunderman Sr., Keith “Korky” Lunderman Sr., Vernon “Babe” Lunderman, Rueben “Buzz” Lunderman, Alfreda Lunderman, Bonnie Lunderman, Hubert Dillon, and Richard “Tuffy” Lunderman. Ted passed away on June 3, 1989.
Throughout the years, Dorothy was also employed at the Dam Café, PHS Hospital, Rosebud Boarding School, Paulhamus Store, Dakota Plains Legal Services and Sinte Gleska University Library. Dorothy also attended classes while employed at the Sinte Gleska University Library.
Many of the employees and students at the Rosebud Boarding School became family. Dorothy and Ted always had an “open door” to their home. They took in several children and raised them as their own: William “Bumps” Eastman, William “Bill” Means were two who were very dear to her.

Dorothy had many nieces and nephews whom she loved and cherished throughout her lifetime. She also had a special friend, Jeanette Damon, who became her traveling partner after Ted’s passing. Family was important to Dorothy and she made a point to visit whenever she could. Dorothy loved her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren but her heart held a special place for her great great grandchildren feeling fortunate that she was able to share their lives with them and know them.

She will be remembered across the miles for the beautiful organ music she shared over a span of 65 years. Dorothy played for just about every occasion she was asked, weddings, wakes, funerals, anniversaries, and church services in every denomination.

Fern was born on August 6, 1929 in Hastings, Nebraska. She was one of three children born to Alfred and Amanda (Einspahr) Rieck. Fern was united in marriage with Donald M. Jorgensen until his death on July 3, 2003.
Fern’s greatest love was her spouse, friend and lover, Don M. Jorgensen. They truly loved each other every day of their marriage. Fern also dearly loved family and friends. Fern was a talented artist, primarily with ceramics and quilting. For many years Fern operated a ceramic shop where she taught others the art of ceramics. She loved the art of quilting and was proud to show off her many treasures. She and Don were a team when it came to furniture making. Don would construct the furniture and Fern would generally provide the finish to each piece. Many of Don and Fern’s furniture pieces can be found in homes throughout the Winner area.
Fern also loved gardening, having the most beautiful garden at their farm in Ideal, SD prior to moving to Winner.

Jim Kewley, age 83, of Emporia, died Sunday, March 13, 2016, at his home. The son of William and Mary (Schultz) Kewley, James LaVerne was born February 18, 1933, in Persho, SD. He served in the US Army during the Korean War. He and Alma Jean Brown were married October 5, 1959, in Pierre, SD. He was a farmer/rancher while they lived in Tripp County, SD. After they moved to Chase County, he worked for Neosho Construction as a truck driver until his retirement in 2000. He was a member of the American Legion. He enjoyed the company of his dogs and spending time with his family.

Tonna was born September 12, 1952 to Frank, Jr. and Leona (DuBray) Pechota, she graduated in 1970 from Colome High School and cherished her longtime school friends. Tonna was baptized, confirmed, and later, a sacristan and Eucharistic Minister at St. Isidore’s Catholic Church in Colome.

She attended Black Hills State University in Spearfish, SD and met her husband of 43 years, Mack Cox. They were married February 3, 1973. After a short time in Virginia, they moved back to Colome to start their family.

Tonna and Mack raised their four daughters in her hometown. She never missed morning coffee with her dear friends Connie Flakus and Kathy Weiler and many other ladies that joined them at the kitchen table. She worked as the city secretary and managed Cox Drywall. Tonna was a member of the Colome School Board, enjoyed working for US Census and was a longtime election volunteer.

Her grandchildren were her greatest treasures. For many years, all the kids enjoyed summer vacations in the Black Hills with Nana and Papa. A love of travel took her all over the world. Over the years, she enjoyed spending time at Katonka Cabin in Hill City and vacations to Rome and Paris with her very special sister-in-law Julie. Tonna and Mack also made time for shorter trips to auctions and other cultural activities.

Tonna’s ability to make others laugh was her most admired trait. She taught her daughters and close friends how to see the humor in any situation.

June Arlene Moeller was born on September 8, 1933 at Mitchell, SD. June
married Weldon “Ray” Moeller, and they later divorced. She married Lee
Mowry on December 22, 1984.

June enjoyed many things such as an occasional trip to a casino,
cooking, and dancing. She took a trip of a lifetime when she traveled
to Europe touring many cities in the early 1980’s. She was also known for
having somewhat of a lead foot in which she received her share of
speeding tickets. Brenda said “June inherited that from her
great-aunt!”
One of her pastimes was sitting outside of Lil’ Feller and other
businesses watching people from her car.
Everyone has their own memories of June, but I am sure that we all
share one same memory of June; she was a very private person.

LaVern Nespor, age 81, of Winner, passed away on Sunday, March 6, 2016 at the Sanford USD Medical center in Sioux Falls.

Funeral Service were held at 10:30 AM Thursday, March 10 at the United Methodist Church in Winner. Burial followed at the Winner City Cemetery.

Vern was born on December 17, 1934 on the family farm near Hamill, SD to Joe and Agnes (Klima) Nespor. He was the youngest of 11 children.

In April 1957 Vern enlisted in the United States Army serving during peace time and then was honorably discharged in April 1959.

Vern married the love of his life, Beverly (Bev) Long on August 9, 1959 and to this union two children were born, Vicki Jean and Scott Alan.

Vern worked in the family hardware store and also as a farmer. He then worked for Carlson Construction as a mechanic, working on trucks and heavy equipment. He also worked for Bachmann Construction and finished up his working career helping his son Scott with carpentry work.

Vern loved hunting, fishing, and working in his garden and yard.

Robert (Bob) Cecil Johnson was born on a farm southeast of Lucas, SD, on December 31, 1931, and passed away on Sunday, March 6, 2016, at the age of 84. Bob had been hospitalized in Mitchell, Sioux Falls and Gregory since July 17, 2015, with serious health issues and underwent many surgeries prior to his death at the Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD.

He was the youngest of nine children born to Charles and Olive (Fish) Johnson. He grew up on the family farm and attended schools in the Lucas area. On November 13, 1952, at the age of 20, he enlisted in the Army at Ft. Campbell, KY. During the next two years, Bob was stationed at several military bases. Pvt. Johnson completed an Airborne course at Fort Benning, Georgia. The course was designed to train personnel from all arms and branches of the service as qualified chutists. Bob was also stationed at Fort Lee, Virginia where he took further training in Airborne tactics. Bob received several medals and badges during this time. He was honorably discharged on November 12, 1954.

After returning from the service, he returned home to work with his father and mother, and when his father passed away on February 11, 1966, he took over the family farm. Bob never married but put his heart into the farm. Bob traveled to many states visiting his extended family. He once took a fishing trip to the Florida Everglades with a childhood friend and travelled to Tennessee many times to visit his brother, Almon. His biggest passion was his Hereford cattle and horses. He enjoyed attending many cattle sales, bull sales and rodeos all around the region.

For many years each fall, Bob hosted cowboys from Minnesota making life-long friends. He loved horses. After retiring from the farm and moving to a home near Gregory, SD with his horses, he started building horse-drawn wagons –a hobby that he enjoyed greatly. He loved entering them in local parades and giving rides. Bob was always willing to help anyone, and was a great neighbor to many. He enjoyed many friends and family over the years and especially enjoyed their visits in the hospital during his last few months.

Mack Cox, age 65, of Colome, passed away on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 at the Winner Regional Healthcare Facility. Memorial Service was held at 9 a.m. Monday, March 14, 2016 at Mason Funeral Home in Winner. Burial will be held at a later date.

A rosary was held held at 7:00 PM Sunday, March 13, 2016 at St. Isidore Catholic Church in Colome.

Mack was born March 16, 1950 in Richmond, VA to George W. and Myrtle (Stiltner) Cox, Mack was one of the first in his family to be born in a hospital. He attended Powhatan Schools and was an amateur boxer through his teens.
After graduation, Mack enlisted in the US Air Force and proudly served his country overseas completing tours in Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Upon his return, he served in Arizona, Denver and finally, Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. During his station, he met his wife of forty-three years, Tonna Pechota. They married February 3, 1973 at St. Benedict’s in Richmond, VA and, in 1978, moved back to South Dakota to start their family.

Mack was a self-starter and took enormous pride in his work. He owned Cox Drywall and worked as a subcontractor on huge projects all over the Midwest, away from his family for months at a time. He endured a long battle with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a degenerative disease that finally forced him to retire in 1995.

An avid sports fan, Mack coached all four of his daughters in AAU and YMCA basketball and presided over the Colome Athletic Boosters in the late 80s. He also played slow-pitch softball while on location during many summers on the reservation. A voracious reader, Mack loved arguing politics, sports and history with his friends and, later, his daughters and various strangers on the internet. He was a brilliant bridge player and was rarely contested in Jeopardy! or Trivial Pursuit.

Stan Ainsworth passed away at the age of 92 in Payson, AZ. Stan was born on January 19, 1924 in Deadwood, SD to Rena and Ellis Ainsworth.

Upon graduating in 1942 from Spearfish High School, he served in the Army Air Corp/USAF as a crew chief on a P51 in WWII. He married his sweetheart Joan (Moorhead) in 1946 and from this union, 7 daughters would be born.

Stan attended BHSU in Spearfish, SD where he was a defensive spark plug for the basketball team, obtaining Hall of Fame honors years later. He received a BS in Education and went on to teach in Buffalo, SD and Winner, SD while also coaching basketball, track and football. In his twenty five years of teaching, Stan was known as a caring educator who touched many lives.

While in Winner, Stan and Joan owned the Modern Cleaners and then went on to purchase the bowling alley. They then built the new Galaxy Inn and Star Lanes outside of Winner in 1975.

In 1979, Stan and Joan moved back to Spearfish, SD where he worked in construction for several years. He and Joan spent these years enjoying visits from family and friends. Stan was an avid sports enthusiast who worked out religiously and never missed any of his grandson’s games at BHSU. In 2005, the couple moved to Payson, AZ where he spent most of his days “raking the forest”, working on his tan and tending his garden on his daughter Doni’s property.