Category Archives: Obituaries

Reuben Henry Brei was born on April 24, 1923 at the family home near Mission, SD in Todd County to Henry and Anna Brei, nee Kasat. He was baptized and confirmed at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mission, SD. He was a faithful member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod his entire life, having served for many years on various boards and committees. Reuben was a member of Zion in Mission, SD, Trinity in Winner, SD and Good Shepherd in Kearney, NE.

Reuben graduated from Todd County High School in 1942 and worked for Wierr Construction Co., Orville Barry and L.E. Jones prior to beginning his career with the South Dakota Department of Transportation, where he worked for 36 years, retiring in June of 1986 as a certified heavy equipment operator.

Reuben married Phyllis Christiansen on June 12, 1954. To this union two children were born, Philip Reuben and Cheryl Irene Brei-Phillips.

Reuben retained his family’s farming roots as was evidenced for many years by the large garden and fruit trees at their home in Mission, SD. Caring for the lawn and the trees around the home was a passion of Reuben’s, the time and care spent on their home was very apparent. Reuben enjoyed hunting and fishing around the Mission, White River area. He was an avid fisherman for much of his life and loved to spend time with family and friends at a lake or perhaps even better telling and re-telling stories of past adventures. He also enjoyed attending Todd County High School reunions, he looked forward to them with great anticipation and loved to visit with old friends from the area and from across the country.

Reuben and Phyllis moved from Mission, SD to Winner, SD in November 2001, after living at their home in Mission for 45 years. They enjoyed their retirement years in Winner, especially the opportunity to meet old friends at coffee and the friendship that they made with their neighbors in Winner. They lived in Winner until February of 2012 when they moved to Cherry Hills in Valentine, NE. Reuben and Phyllis moved to Kearney, NE in March of 2013 due to Phyllis’s declining health.

Daniel Philip Musilek was born on January 3, 1964. He was the youngest of 3 children born to William and Cecilia (Rohde) Musilek. Daniel spent most of his life on the family farm south of Colome. Daniel worked off the farm also as a care giver at Silver Threads, Rose Manor and the Elder Inn. Daniel cared for his parents and brother on the farm until their deaths.

Daniel sold the farm and bought a house in Winner, in January of 2013. He was very proud of his home in Winner. Daniel went to work at Holiday Inn Express as a maintenance foreman shortly after moving to Winner.

When he retired from the Holiday Inn he made a trip to Armour weekly to have the local paper printed. Daniel loved cars and tractors. He always had his vehicles clean and waxed. If they had dust on them they got washed. We would joke with him that he cleaned them so much that the wax wouldn’t stay on. He would just laugh and say “yes, they are clean”. He detailed cars for people in his garage. His favorite car was a corvette. He liked to restore cars and tractors and was very good at it.

Terry Earl Luse was born July 28, 1951 to Earl and Lucile (Johnson) Luse. He was the third of four children. Terry attended grade school all eight years at the little school house right at the top of the hill being taught by his sister Kaye, and Rod Billings and Glenn Linse, who later became his cousins-in-law. He went to Keya Paha County High School and graduated in 1969. Terry then attended a semester of diesel mechanics school in Springfield, SD.
Terry married his high school sweetheart, Karla Nilson on April 4, 1970. Other then 2 years spent living east of Burton, NE, they lived all of their married life on the home place just north of Wewela.
Terry was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith on December 13, 1970. They were members of Grace Lutheran Church in Burton, NE for over 40 years and later transferred to the Zion Lutheran Church of Colome, SD.
He was a member of the Burton Bombers men’s softball team and also coached baseball in Wewela and Clearfield. Many fond memories and friendships were made during these times. Terry was also active on the Wewela Community Hall Board, the Keya Paha township board, Grace Lutheran Church, and Zion Lutheran Church and belonged to trap clubs in Springview and Winner.
Terry instilled his love of shooting and hunting in his son and grandkids. Many hours were spent out on the deck shooting prairie dogs or waiting in a deer blind and walking the draws looking for “the big one” during deer season. His other love was farming and watching his crops grow. This started at a very early age, as he remembered and talked fondly about using an 8N Ford and 2 row equipment with his Grandpa Johnson and dad.
Terry was a people person, he never met a stranger and greatly enjoyed visiting with anyone he encountered. He was a prankster with a contagious attitude and laugh, who loved his family and friends very deeply, especially is grandkids and lived by the motto “the best things in life are not things.” Terry will be greatly missed.

Randy Dean Nespor, 56, was born April 6, 1959 to Leonard and Bev (Smith) Nespor at Winner, SD. He attended school in Hamill and Winner. He worked as a heavy equipment operator on road construction and also as a gunsmith at A & A Ingraving. Most recently, he worked at Al’s Oasis in Oacoma.
Randy enjoyed fishing, hunting, Chevys, guns, beer, and being with his friends. He also like watching westerns and animated movies. He was always willing to help anyone in need.
Randy passed away on September 7, 2015 at Oacoma, SD at the age of 56 years. Family services will be held at a later date.

Beverly Helen Bailey Burtz went to be with the LORD on August 19th at the age of 85.  She was the youngest of 3 children and the last surviving.  She was born on October 21, 1929 on the family farm to Clifford and Gertrude Bailey.  She attended South Greenwood School and then Winner High School.  Beverly married Bill Burtz on Sept. 2, 1951 at their farm home on the White River.

Beverly was a dedicated farm wife who enjoyed gardening and canning, feeding and caring for her farm animals, and writing the local news for the Winner Advocate.  She was a substitute teacher in both the Eden and Greenwood rural schools and was also a Teacher’s Aide at the Winner Schools in 1972-73.

She had a great interest in history and worked hard to document her family’s ancestry.  She recently researched and presented the history of the Witten Baptist Church at the 100th anniversary program.  Beverly volunteered as a 4-H leader, was involved in her local Greenwood Kensington Extension Club and her local Ladies Community Bible Study.  She also was a Greenwood township board member.  She was very involved in her church as a Sunday School Superintendent, a Deaconess, a member of the Women’s Mission Circle, as a Bible School supervisor and most recently, as church secretary.

Being very proud of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Beverly would often share their pictures with friends.  Her house walls, refrigerator and bulletin boards are covered with photos and newspaper clippings that she would enjoy and share with others.  She enjoyed visiting with family and friends on the phone as well as keeping in touch by writing many long letters.

Alice was born January 2, 1933, to William Peitz and Elizabeth (Bruce) Peitz. She was raised with two sisters and four brothers on a farm outside Colome South Dakota.

She entertained her twelve young ones with vivid stories of her youth, the basic amenities of those times, dust storms, cold winters, watching the land come to life in spring, helping her Mom prepare meals for thrashers that assisted in the harvest and experiences in the one room school house she attended from kindergarten to sixth grade.

Her love for music began at a young age listening to The Grand Ole Opry, on Saturday nights. When the radio batteries were weak, determined to hear her favorite performers. she would put her ear to the speaker, to enjoy songs by Ernest Tubb and other popular country singers of that era.

Upon graduation from Colome High School in 1950, Alice moved to the big town of Winner. She worked as a waitress at West Side cafe where she met “Big Marv the handsome Swede”. After a brief courtship the two eloped on April 22,1952 and following the birth of their 2nd child their marriage was blessed in the Catholic Church. Alice contacted polio at that time, which doctors said would immobilize her arms and upper body. She regained the strength in her arms by hanging clothes and lovingly caring for her family.

Marvin operated heavy equipment though out the state of South Dakota, which kept him away for weeks at a time, leaving Alice to care for her growing family. In 1968 the family was blessed with the eleventh sibling. Shelly was blind at birth and required many operations during her young years. Alice, determined to provide a main stream learning educational environment, relocated the family to Minnesota in 1972. The twelfth child Annie was also born that year.

In the course of her life, her children completed their education, with Shelly graduating from Rockhust University in Kansas City, marriages that blessed her and Marv with 31 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren, and two daughters and two sons that served their country in the military.

In 1989 Alice and Marv returned to their beloved state of South Dakota. She had worked at the University in Minnesota from 1976 until the move to Sioux Falls, and then resumed working until 2007 at Sioux Falls College (USF).

They belonged to the St. Joseph Parish, her dedication to the Catholic Church and the celebration of her God were apparent in her daily life. Every Saturday for many years both participated in the 24 hour Eucharistic Adoration.

Alice was a strong supporter of the Democratic Party, and over time had converted Marv.

In celebrating her life, she will be remembered for the love of her family, love of little babies, singing to her children, making and mending her children’s clothes, discussing current events, cooking and baking bread, working the “Jumble” puzzle in morning newspapers, and expressing herself through dance. As her children grew she could spend time helping Marv building and repairing houses.

Betty Ann was born in Lyman County on the way to the hospital as a triplet with Billie Mae and Bernard on January 31, 1930 to C. Edward and Naomi (Anderson) Schooler.  The trio was born as the middle children of a family of 15.  In 1934, the family moved from the family homestead south of Reliance to a farm south of Oacoma less than half a mile from White River.  Betty attended the Walker Country School through the eighth grade.  During the summers she worked in the two acres of gardens with her family.  She helped take care of her younger siblings and would help care for neighbors families.

Betty was united in marriage to Wayne Ellis on September 9, 1950 at Pierre, and to that union seven children were born: Danny, Dickey, Darrell, Nancy, Cindy, Annette, and Scott.  After their marriage, they lived near the river at Iona until 1952 when they moved to Hamill and began raising their family.  In 1969, they moved to Chamberlain where they continued to raise their children and later enjoy their grandchildren.

Betty worked as a cook at the Hamill School, and a waitress at the Rainbow Cafe and the Truck Arena.  She also worked as a cashier at Joe’s Super Value and most recently at Alco.  She was a Tupperware consultant for many years.

She enjoyed bowling, crocheting, and sewing.  She sewed and mended many items for people over the years.

Beverley Jean (Mason) Sinclair was born August 6, 1937 in Winner, SD, the daughter of Earl and Libby (Kotrba) Mason. She grew up in Winner, attending Winner schools and graduating from Winner High School in 1956.

During her school years Bev was involved in many activities including band, cheerleading, homecoming princess, school plays, and gymnastics. After graduation Bev attended the University of South Dakota for a semester before transferring to Nettleton Business College and completing a secretarial degree.

Returning to Winner she was employed by Ranchers National Bank (now First Fidelity) in Winner for a few years.
In 1963 she and Douglas Sinclair were married in Winner and a daughter Tera was born in 1965. Shortly after her birth the family moved to Dodge City, KS, and son Troy was born in 1967.

The family then moved to Huron, SD and son Trent was born there in 1971. Bev returned to Winner in 1978 and worked as the secretary for the Tripp County States Attorney. She later worked at Pamida until her retirement.

Bev was always happy to be a part of the Winner community. She made friends easily, enjoyed local conversations, loved to play cards and have coffee with friends, and watch her grandchildren and great nieces and nephew grow. She was a devoted mother. She was a past member of the ESA and Jobs Daughters.

Bev’s health began to decline several years ago and she became a resident of Elder Inn. Recently severe health problems developed requiring surgery in Sioux Falls from which she was unable to recover. Bev passed away peacefully on Sunday evening August 2, 2015 at the age of 77 years.

Dorothy was born October 28, 1924, to Daniel and Henrietta (McCoy) Shea at the Shea homestead south of Colome, the youngest of eight children.  She attended country grade school and graduated from Colome High School in 1943.  There she met her husband Kenneth Charles Kulbel.  They were married March 10, 1945 . To this union 5 children were born. They just celebrated their 70th Anniversary this past March.

Kenneth and Dorothy started their married life in Dallas, then moved to the Kulbel homestead place near Hamill.   They were engaged in farming and ranching for over 30 years, after retiring to Winner, they moved to Keystone, for almost 30 years before moving back to Winner.

Dorothy was a caretaker, always taking care of her husband and family.  She was a devoted member of the Catholic faith, whether she was in Colome, Hamill, Keystone, or Winner.  She loved her 15 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, 3 step great-grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, and many others whose lives she’s touched.

Throughout her life Dorothy enjoyed playing cards with friends.  She was very talented in her knitting and crocheting, sharing much of her fancy work with family and friends.  If you stopped by their house she always had homemade cookies.  From the ZCBJ Hall to the Senior Center, Dorothy and Ken loved to dance to their favorite band, the Easy Sounds (Tom and Diane).

Elaine was born in Winner, to Lloyd and Emiline (Good) Wagner and baptized in the Church of Christ. She grew up in many different areas, attended numerous schools and helped with a lot of chores. In Oregon at the age of 12 she worked in the fields; hoeing mint and corn by hand, picking beans, carrots, beets, strawberries, potatoes, and string beans. She enjoyed hunting, trapping, and fishing. Some of the many jobs she had include: working at the 5 & Dime stores, running reels for movies, waiting tables, and washing dishes.

In 1955 she married Cecil Hight and to this union 6 children were born; Clifford, Glenda, Mary, John, Betsy, and Calvin. Wherever she lived she always made a home; even out of a 10 x 8 shack. She became a nurse in 1956 helping all of her children from bruises to cuts to broken bones and helping to sew dad’s wounds. She made it work with whatever she had at the time. Over the years, the family moved wherever there was work. She worked alongside Cecil and also had various jobs of her own.

She loved and adored her children, adopted children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She enjoyed helping out mowing lawns, painting or riding along to doctor’s appointments or to get parts. She was up for anything, especially a game of cards and no matter how late it became. She was lovingly called GG by her kids and grandkids and she loved it. She never complained about anything and would stand up for her kids no matter what.

She enjoyed going on vacations when she was able as well as horse races and casino trips. Her door was always open and she welcomed everyone who entered. She never had a mean bone in her body but wasn’t afraid to voice her opinion.