Category Archives: Obituaries

Logan Wayne Thoene was born September 14, 1927 at Bonesteel, South Dakota to Fred and Lillian (Lunn) Thoene. He died February 7, 2016 at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at the age of 88 years. Prior to his hospitalization Logan and his wife Leone lived in Sioux Falls at the Inn on Westport Assisted Living from the time that his health began failing.

Logan attended Bonesteel High School. At the age of 16 he took over the family farm and ranch when his father was struck by lightning and was killed. On March 9, 1948 Logan married Leone (Perlenfein) Thoene, the love of his life. To this union three children were born: Cindy, Fred and Shelley.

Logan and Leone operated the farm/ranch for most of their married lives where they farmed, raised registered Polled Herefords, and ran a grade A dairy, milking 100 cows. They also turned a hobby of making beautiful porcelain dolls into a full-blown business. Their dolls can be found in many states and in some foreign countries. They were honored when they were chosen to create the “official centennial doll” for the State of South Dakota in 1989. Logan and Leone moved to Sioux Falls in 1992. They also enjoyed their Florida home where they spent six months of every year.

Logan was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was a kind and gentle man who loved his family dearly. He enjoyed working on the farm and raising cattle, which stemmed from his participation in 4-H at a very early age. He was also actively involved in the 4-H programs with his children. Logan loved making the porcelain dolls with Leone and taking them to shows. The beautiful flowers that adorned the Thoene yard were a source of pride.

In 1962 Logan was chosen as the “Outstanding Young Farmer of the Year” for the State of South Dakota. Over the years he was also honored with several conservation awards. Logan served on the Gregory County School Board, the local Bonesteel School Board, and the Pleasant Valley Township Board. He was a member of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Bonesteel and later St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Sioux Falls.

Ruth Elizabeth (Peitz) Taggart was born in Winner, SD on December 6, 1935. She was the fourth of seven children born to William and Betty (Bruce) Peitz.

Growing up on the farm Ruth enjoyed walking to school with her brothers and sisters and playing with the neighbor girls. Her imagination for “make believe” was a great characteristic of Ruth’s creativity.

Ruth graduated from Colome High School in 1953. After high school she worked at The Winner Advocate. She loved her job and was good at it. Fate had different plans for her though as she soon met Paul Taggart, her love of 60 years. They married on November 12, 1955 and moved to Paul’s family farm northwest of Dallas, SD and raised five children. She was a wonderful wife, mother, and business partner. Ruth was active in her children’s school activities as well–serving as fund raiser and chaperone for various high school events. She never missed a wrestling match, baseball, football, or basketball game.

In 1980 Paul and Ruth along with the help of their five kids began one of the first commercial pheasant hunting operations in SD. They named it P&R Hunting Lodge. It was a great success and she took great pride in nurturing it. Her grandchildren grew up watching and learning from her. They will all tell you she was a great influence in shaping their lives today.

Ruth was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church. Her favorite saying was “You must walk through glass to get to mass”.

In 2010, Paul and Ruth moved from the farm and retired in Gregory, SD. From here she followed the grandkids in their sports activities. She was also a huge NFL fan and was always following her favorite teams and had great fun placing wagers on the game. She was an accomplished breadmaker and made it her duty to make sure that everyone got a taste. Her blue Lincoln car was fondly called the “blue bread buggy.” If you saw it, you can be sure she was delivering some warm rolls to someone. When asked why she did it, she would reply, “Because I want too.”

After a short illness, Ruth passed away February 10, 2016 at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls at the age of 80 years.

Olive Juanita Sargent was born April 4, 1922 at Thermopolis, WY, to John E and Blanche (Brown) Hammett, Sr. and she died February 4, 2016 at the Avera Gregory Hospital in Gregory at the age of 93 years.
She was the oldest of six children. At the age of five her family moved to Upper Lodge Grass Creek near Lodge Grass, MT. Her father, John, was a cowboy and worked on various large ranches. They moved often to various cow camps. Olive attended several country schools while growing up. She attended Lodge Grass High School in Lodge Grass, MT. On December 12, 1940, Olive married Hollis Wayland Sargent at the Baptist Church in Hardin, MT. They traveled to Dixon to visit Hollis’s mother, Adelein and step-father, William Moore and family.
In 1947, Olive and Hollis moved to Bonesteel where they worked on a ranch. In 1958, they moved to Gregory where they farmed until 1961, then moved to Burke where they continued to farm. They later sold out and purchased a home in Burke where she continued to live after the loss of her husband.

Robin Heath Star Boy, age 26, of Mission, passed away on January 30, 2016. Funeral Services were held Feb. 4, at the Multi-Purpose Center in Mission. Burial followed at the St. Peter’s Catholic Cemetery. Wake services were held Tuesday, Feb. 2, and Wednesday, Feb. 3 at the Multi-Purpose Center in Mission

Nancy Kay (McNamara) Gunner died on the evening of February 4, 2016 in Sioux Falls, SD lovingly surrounded by her children after a long, valiant fight with cancer.

She was born on December 19, 1940 in Watertown, SD to Les and Marge McNamara and graduated with her beloved class of 1959 from Watertown High School. After graduating, she attended college in Aberdeen, SD until she attended a fraternity party at the University of South Dakota and met Larry Gunner. They were married on September 15, 1962 and after Larry graduated from dental school at the University of Minnesota, they settled in Martin, SD where Larry opened his practice and they began their many adventures. They raised their four children: Pam (Longmont, CO), PD/Philip (deceased), Eric (and Bill Roach, Delray Beach, FL), and Anna/Andrea (Sioux Falls, SD) and lived there for 36 years before they moved to Winner, SD and eventually Sioux Falls. In addition to her own children, she helped raise Wauneta (Curry) Lone Wolf McCall (dec.), Steve Johnson (dec.), and Eric Johnson, and several exchange students: Marco Aurelio de Suza (Brazil), Mik Fallesen (Denmark), Jean Francois Pernette (France), Elsa Viscarra Castro (Mexico), and Ignacio Sanchidrian (Spain), as well as Michelle Pernette (Jean’s brother) and Signe Fallesen (Mik’s daughter).

In her lifetime, Nancy owned two stores in Martin: a clothing store named Clancy’s and a craft store called the Happy “Latch” Hooker (an ode to her latch-hooking mother, Margie). She held an appointed seat on the SD Lottery Commission and was the chairman of the Bennett County Republican Party for many years. She worked as the proof-reader/editor of the Lakota Times newspaper and also worked at Gunner Family Dentistry both in Martin and Winner. After she moved to Sioux Falls, Nancy worked at Coldwater Creek and volunteered at the Washington Pavilion.

The Arts held a special place in her heart and Nancy loved seeing plays and attending the symphony. She enjoyed theatre at the Black Hills Playhouse equally as much as Broadway in NYC. She especially loved the Sioux Falls Symphony and was an active member of the SF Symphony League. Nancy was an adventurous soul and loved to travel, visiting many countries around the world and making friends everywhere she went. We often told her to stop telling people “If you’re ever in SD, look me up” because they always did; they all loved her. Her annual girlfriend’s trips to Mexico were a highlight of her life. She seldom had idle fingers and was usually knitting something for someone’s new baby or grandbaby. Nancy was an avid reader and always enjoying a good book – or two or three. Even while suffering the debilitating effects of her cancer, Nancy managed to read 86 books last year.

Always generous, Nancy gave her time and spirit to causes she held dear such as the Berakhah House, PFLAG, the Sioux Falls Banquet, and the Bennett County Library. She touched the lives of so many and her family is so grateful to the staff and doctors that helped her through this brave fight at McHale Institute, the Avera Prairie Center, Avera McKennan Hopsital and the Dougherty House especially Dr. Jerry Walton, Dr. Todd Sorenson, and Dr. Benjamin Solomon. Her infectious giggle and magnetic personality brought sunshine into so many lives. She will be dearly missed by all of those who were lucky enough to meet her.

Louie (Bud) Karel Jr. was born at home on a farm south of Gregory on February 17, 1922 to Louie Sr. and Flora (Bruns) Karel. Bud attended first and second grade at the Carlson School, grades three thru six at the Saathoff School, and Jack School in grades seven and eight. He went to Colome High School and graduated in 1941. He assisted his parents on the family farm during these years.

Bud entered National Youth Association Welding School in Sioux Falls for an 8 week program in 1942. He then moved and became a welder at Seattle Tacoma Shipyard working on destroyers until 1943. His friends Russ Shirie and Virgil Aden went with him.

Bud enlisted in the US Navy on July 23, 1943. His honoree activity was commando North Pacific in 1943-44, Aviation Mechanics Carrier in 1944-45, and Planes AM2/C. Bud served with combat troops as an Honor Man due to his marksmanship. He was part of the Marines where he did his training at Alamedco, CA. Louie served in the Marshall Islands, Roi-Namier, and Gilbert Islands. He recalls servicing the Enola Gay—not even knowing it was loaded with an atomic bomb. Bud was honorably discharged on February 4, 1946.

Bud returned to the farm and farmed with T.J. Brewer. He bought a DC Case tractor, a corn sheller, and a thrashing machine. In 1947 Louie batched with Harold Elliott on Powell land south of the farm. In 1948 Bud and Harold moved to the Holger Cassling place—now the Krizan place.

In 1948 Bud and a friend, Joey Papousek, brought a load of cattle to the stockyards in Sioux City. This is where Bud became acquainted with Ardyth Warnkvist. Later that summer on July 4th they attended a street dance in Gregory. At Christmas time the young man gave her a diamond ring and they were married on February 7, 1949 at Elkpoint, SD by the Justice of the Peace. Virgil and Rose Aden were their attendants with Harlan Warnkvist driving the car.

Bud and Ardyth made their first home on the Holger Cassling place three miles west and 2 miles north of Dallas. They began farming together and in the spring of 1950 they had an opportunity to move onto the Ben Doering homestead west of them. They soon bought this farm and it became home for their entire lives.

On the home farm they raised three children, Gary, Sandy, and Jim. They were good neighbors and had many good times playing cards. The yearly mountain oyster feed was a neighborhood highlight. Bud loved all sports whether following his boys in high school sports or watching the Vikings. Louie enjoyed hunting deer and pheasants. After WWII he and his war buddies would make an annual event hunting together. It was just a good reason to get together and tell stories. Bud had a big heart for animals especially dogs and had several great cattle dogs through the years. Bud would train the dogs to watch an open gate or to round up the cows in a pasture. Bud could be seen with his dogs on the four-wheeler or in the 1974 Green Machine his pride and joy.

Bud served as clerk of Irwin School District #23 from 1949-68. He served on the Rosebud Farmers Union Board of Directors from 1969 to 1987. He served on the Irwin Township Board for several years and was a member of the Colome Legion for 69 years.

Bud was a loving family man. He treasured the times that he could spend with his grandchildren. Bud passed away on January 21, 2016, with his three children by his side, at Avera Gregory Healthcare center at the age of 93 years.

Walter Marion Johnson, the fourth of six children, was born on July 11, 1930, to Axel and Alice (Nelson) Johnson on a farm near Winner, SD. Walter attended grade school at a rural school near his home for eight years and for four years attended high school at Colome High School in Colome, SD, graduating in the spring of 1948. While in high school Walter participated in football, basketball, track, and played the cornet in band and was the Valedictorian.

After leaving high school Walter (Walt as he became known) was employed by Van Collins Implement for the summer. At the end of summer he enrolled at the School of Mines and Technology at Rapid City, SD, and attended for two years. He then resumed working for Van Collins Implement. After a year of employment Walt returned to the “Mines” and graduated in 1953 with a degree in General Engineering. He was then employed by Northwestern Bell Telephone Company starting out as a lineman.

While still attending college in Rapid City, Walt married Jeannine Kinzer on February 11, 1951 and to this union three sons were born, Steven, Scott, and Stuart. Walter loved his children and together they did much camping, fishing, and hunting. Camping started out in a station wagon tent and progressed to a converted bus and then a fifth wheel camper. After retirement Walt and Jeannine traveled to Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, and Hawaii.

Walter’s professional career with Northwestern Bell Telephone Company encompassed some 36 years over which there were many transfers and promotions: twice to Omaha, NE; once to Sioux Falls, SD; then Huron, SD; and twice to Des Moines, IA. One transfer in particular involved a trip to Europe during which he visited with European government and communication executives. Sometimes these transfers came with more education, culminating in his being privileged to be chosen to attend MIT in Boston, MA for a year of study resulting in a MA in Business Administration. When AT&T was “broken up” Walt was one of several employees in upper management instrumental in dissolving the monopoly. Walt then went to work at an AT&T spin-off company called Belcore (Bell Communication Research) and became the Assistant Vice President until retirement in 1989. It was at this time they purchased their home near Gregory and later a winter home in Phoenix, AZ.

Time spent on the farm involved enjoying his children, grandchildren, and extended family, attending football games at Colome (which he rarely missed), square dancing wintering in Arizona, mowing, and plowing snow.
Walt passed away peacefully with his loving wife of almost 65 years, Jeannine, at his side on January 21, 2016. He will surely be missed by all.

Larry Juracek, age 74, of Winner, passed away on January 23, 2016 at the Winner Regional Healthcare Facility in Winner. Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Thursday, January 28, 2016 at the United Methodist Church in Winner. Burial followed at the Winner City Cemetery.

Larry was born on August 31, 1941 in Stuart, NE to Ernie and Edna (Spahn) Juracek. He grew up on the family farm west of Naper, NE. where Larry attended country school and then graduated in 1959 from Naper. Larry had one younger brother, Darrel.

He attended Yankton College for one year then came back to marry his high school sweetheart, Karen Reber, on October 15, 1960. The Lord blessed them with four children, Cheryl Lynn, Angela Jo, Clayton Dean, and Cody James.

They moved to Winner in 1961, where Larry worked for the telephone company for one year then for the Winner City Light Dept. for the next 43 years. He was the foreman of the light crew for the last 25 years of his employment with the city.

Larry and Karen purchased several rental properties, working side by side to fix them up. They also kept hunters in their home during pheasant season and had a pheasant cleaning service for many years. Karen ran a private daycare from their home for many years and Larry was very helpful with the children during meal time and after work. The kids loved Larry’s entertainment! Larry took much pride in his family.

Over the years he attended many music and sporting events of his three children, and more recently, of his two grandsons.

He was a member of the United Methodist Church where, over the years, he taught Sunday school, sang in the choir and served on many committees and projects. He sat on the Camp Fire Girl Council, was active in Winner Lions Club, and was a board member of the Tripp County Historical Society, and also a board member of the Tripp County Library. Larry also coached youth basketball for several years.
In 2008, Larry went on a mission trip to Haiti where he and others helped the Haitian people build solar ovens. Larry truly had a servant’s heart. That trip was a life-changing experience for him and something he spoke of often.

Some of his best-loved hobbies included drawing, painting, reading, and working in his vegetable and flower gardens. He was known for gardening and for the beautiful flowers he raised. He was an avid sports fan of the Winner Warriors, Green Bay Packers, Nebraska Cornhuskers, and the New York Yankees. Larry got the opportunity to attend home games of all of his favorite teams. He and his good friend, Gary Bowar, went on several baseball trips out east together over the years.

Larry had many friends and enjoyed visiting with his cronies at Lil’ Feller every morning for coffee and Monday mornings at the Legge Agency. He also enjoyed playing cards with the Elite Card club for many years. Larry was a devout Christian and knew someday he would walk with the Lord. He touched many lives over the years and will be remembered as a good friend. Many will miss his good sense of humor!

Trula Ruby (Hayford) Heath was born in Huggins Township Sec 17 to Ralph Leslie and Vera Estelle (Meyers) Hayford on June 30, 1926 near Millboro, SD. When born, her parents had not decided on a name, so the doctor declared her name as Mary Ann. Trula did not find out she was using an illegal name until 1974, when she and Howard needed passports to travel abroad.

As a child, Trula’s family lived in many places, both in Nebraska and South Dakota. She lived west of Shadley Creek and west of Kewanee School. Her fondest memories were on Plum Creek near Johnstown, as it related to her favorite books written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Her family finally settled in Beaver Creek Township where they ranched and she met the love of her life, Howard Heath.

Trula attended Beaver Creek during grade school and three years of high school. She graduated from Valentine High School. While attending her final year of high school, she received her normal training, allowing her to teach school. She taught school several years prior to marrying Howard.

Howard and Trula united in marriage October 26, 1946 and were blessed with three children. They settled in Huggins Township where they farmed and ranched until retirement on a very cold, blistering day on January 1, 1993.

Trula taught at various rural schools around the Millboro and Keyapaha area over a 25 year period. Some of those schools included Beaver Creek, Roberts, New Huggins, Riverside, Cloverdale, Sand Creek and East View. During her teaching career, she established many lifelong friends and all her students were favorites.

At the age of 33, Trula decided to return to Southern State Teachers College, Springfield, SD to obtain her Bachelor of Science degree in education. She attended summer school every summer until graduating at the age of 45. She was recognized as being one of the best teachers in Tripp County.

Trula will be remembered for her positive attitude, her love for learning and her wittiness. She was a person that never complained. She inspired many and loved many. Trula had many artistic hobbies, however in the last few years was unable to participate.

Dorothy Dean O’Bryan Rohde was born April 29, 1930 at the family farm near Mosher, South Dakota to Boyd and Theodoshia (Eastin) O’Bryan where she joined eleven brothers and sisters. She attended rural schools near her home through eighth grade and attended high school at St. Mary’s Catholic School in O’Neil, Nebraska where she graduated in 1948.
On June 2, 1949 Dorothy was united in marriage to Edward Rohde in Dallas, SD. Dorothy and Edward made their home on a farm South of Colome, South Dakota, where they had three children, David, Donna, and Karen, and lived for the next forty-seven years. After her children were grown, Dorothy began a career as a cook working part time at the Sale Barn Cafe in Winner, South Dakota, where she continued to work for 20 years.
Dorothy was well known for her talent as a cake decorator. Many, many birthdays, baptisms, weddings, and other special occasions were celebrated with cakes made by her throughout the neighboring communities. Her talents were many. Among them, was her ability to restore old furniture, as well as car and tractor seats, to look like new again.
In the spring of 1996, Dorothy and Edward moved to their final home in Gregory, South Dakota, due to Edward’s declining health. While living in Gregory, Dorothy continued to decorate cakes for special occasions and made several friends throughout the community. Dorothy compassionately cared for her husband during his battle with Parkinson’s disease for eight years until he lost his battle in 2004.
During her final years, Dorothy remained very social. She enjoyed greeting everyone she knew when out, but especially looked forward to her Saturday morning coffee group, card parties, Bunco parties, and visits from family, friends, and neighbors.