Clara Vobr, 81, of Mitchell, SD formerly of
Colome, SD passed away on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021 at the Avera Queen of Peace
Hospital in Mitchell, SD.
Funeral services were held on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021 at 2 p.m. at the Zion Lutheran Church in Colome, SD. Burial followed in the Colome City Cemetery.
Clara (Kaiser) Vobr was born in Winner, SD
on Feb. 27, 1940 to Lydia (Bender) and Jacob Kaiser Jr. She graduated from
Winner High School in 1960.
After graduation she worked at West Side
Cafe where she met Leonard Vobr. They got married on April 13, 1963 and resided
on a farm east of Colome. They were married just short of 50 years before
Leonard passed away in 2013. To this union there were four children born. In
1984 they moved to Colome. Clara then went to work for Sargent’s Cafe in Winner
and then babysat for a family in Colome.
In 2001 they relocated to Mitchell, SD to be closer to family where she would periodically babysit the grandchildren. When Leonard passed away in 2013 she continued living in her own apartment. She happily celebrated her 80th birthday in February 2020 with her children and nieces and sister and was so happy and talked about it to many.
Clara was baptized and confirmed in the
Lutheran faith. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary of Colome, SD
and a member of Ascension Lutheran Church in Mitchell, SD.
Clara is survived by her daughter Linda
(LuVerne) Jager of Wessington Springs, her sons Brad (Jennie), Jerry and Gary
(Kristy) Vobr all of Mitchell. Three grandchildren: Austin, Tiffany, and
Carissa Vobr of Mitchell. Two Sisters, Eileen Kaiser of Brookings and Judy
Swartz of Hamill, SD.
She is preceded in death by her husband,
Leonard, her parents, Lydia (Bender) and Jacob Kaiser, Jr and her mother and
father-in-law Ludvik and Stasie Vobr. Also preceded in death by her
brother-in-law James Vobr, half-brothers Fritz Kaiser, Henry Kaiser, Rueben
Kaiser, Arthur Kaiser, and Irvin Kaiser; half-sister Edna Wicker and sister
Leona Ellis.
Funeral services for Betty Lou Kost, 88, of
Eagle Butte were held Monday, Sept. 13, 2021 at the Holloway Arena in Parade.
Burial was at the Eagle Butte Cemetery
under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge.
Betty passed away Monday, Sept. 6, 2021, at the Mobridge Regional Hospital.
Just north of Parade, South Dakota, about 5 miles there is a sign at the ranch gate that reads “HE WHO ENTERS IS A STRANGER BUT ONCE”. The author of these prophetic words really meant them. Here is her story:
On March 11, 1933, Jack and Alberta Hayes Strong welcomed their first born, a beautiful, brown-eyed girl named Betty Lou. Betty Lou Strong was brought into this world with the aid of a county nurse at Grandma Hayes’ home near Glad Valley – her folks were sheep herders following the sheep from hill to hill in their sheep wagon. Betty Lou grew up riding her pony Snooky to herd the sheep. She bathed in the dam, baked in the summer sun, and slept in the wagon. While riding Snooky, she dreamed of being a cowgirl – a dream that she lived out in a big way through her children, grandchildren and now great- grandchildren.
As
Betty grew up, her momma wished for her to know the finer side of life and so,
Betty was sent to live with Grandma and Grandpa Hayes for a short time and
while there graduated from Morgani Modeling School in Denver, Colo. Betty loved showing her girls how to set a
striking pose when it came time for queen contests, proms, and pictures. To this day, her daughters and granddaughters
know that pearls will compliment any outfit.
Betty graduated from Eagle Butte High
School in 1951. That summer she attended
Black Hills State College and that fall began teaching at the Strool Country
School just south of Prairie City. She
also taught one year in Pavilion, Wyoming.
Betty Lou met her match in tenacity, hard
work, and no quit in 1954 when she married Anton (Cotton) Kost, a handsome
rancher. Together they commenced to building a ranch and farming operation with
Betty Lou doing everything in her power to make it all work. That included
attending summer school and taking extension courses to obtain that valuable
teaching degree. Betty taught second
grade and when the Cheyenne River Agency moved to Eagle Butte, she moved to
kindergarten.
Betty made kindergarten a famous and special place in Eagle Butte for over 40 years. The lives that she touched are immeasurable. Every student was special to her, and all believed that they were Mrs. Kost’s favorite. Betty loved music and invited fellow teachers, Mrs. O’Neil and Ms. Sutphen to gather in her classroom for music. Betty produced outstanding musical programs, and busy as they were, she could coax Anton into making elaborate backdrops for her programs.
In 1987 tragedy struck when Anton was killed
in a farming accident while planting winter wheat south of Eagle Butte. Betty continued to teach and partnered on the
ranch with son John, a recent graduate of Kansas State University. John put his animal science degree to
work. Daughter Melissa and husband Doug
Maher were vital to the transition of the operation as well. The workload was heavy – Grandma Betty was
thrilled when granddaughter Lacy and grandson Dane came home to help. Betty was a director for Production Credit
Association (PCA) and in 1988 she was presented the South Dakota Pioneering
Spirit Award in recognition of “The Tenacity, The Ability to Improve, The
Unselflessness of the Pioneer”.
In 2002 Betty Lou made the decision to
retire from teaching. That year marked
her 48th year of teaching. Betty was
honored to be the National (NAIA) Teacher of the Year in 1993.
Betty Lou loved rodeo. She was determined that her crew be afforded
the opportunity to win at every level.
From horses to pickups and trailers, she made it happen. She hauled or followed her kids
everywhere. She donated countless
buckles and awards. She wrote countless
letters, with a little spending money tucked inside, to her rodeo kids and many
others. When at a rodeo, Grandma Betty
was where you went for times, scores, placings, and the answer to “how
many til’ me”. Betty was inducted
into the Casey Tibbs Hall of Fame as a rodeo promoter in 2003.
Betty picked up where her folks left off as
a prayer warrior for all. She was
remarkable in her Christian walk because she didn’t just believe it, she lived
it.
Betty had pretty much been denying that she
had Parkinson’s for the past 15 years.
Ever the positive one, she gritted through the debilitating
disease. On Sept. 6 Betty’s earthly
journey ended, and her heavenly journey began.
Among her final words of love and
confidence that all would carry on, she smiled ever so sweetly and said,
“I loved what I did”.
Her beloved family includes son John Kost,
Eagle Butte SD, daughters Renee (Bill) Sutton, Burke, SD, and Melissa (Doug)
Maher, Eagle Butte, SD. Grandchildren Dee (Tyler) Haugen, Sturgis, SD, Lacy
Maher, Eagle Butte SD, Billie (Kelsea) Sutton, Burke, SD, Rehme (Tayler)
Thompson, Stephenville, TX, Dane (Sydney) Maher, Eagle Butte, SD. Great Grandchildren, Landry, Arina and
Blaisely Haugen, CeCe Lou Cowan, Liam Sutton, Maris and Maysa Thompson, Waylon
and Vince Maher. Sisters Lois (Texas
James) Bennett, Fritch, Texas, Paula (Dan) Veit, Bismarck, ND. Nephews Butch (Renee) Kost, Amarillo, TX,
Steve Kost, Pierre, SD, James Lee (Charlotte) Bennett, Fritch, TX, Colby
(Jessy) Bennett, Fritch, TX, Matt (Kendra) Veit, Malta, MT. Nieces Judy (Martin) Albl, Aberdeen, SD,
Cheryl (Brett) Hamilton, Palm Desert, CA, Gaye (David) Newlun, Palm Desert, CA,
RaeLynn Snidal, Calgary Alberta, Canada, Penny (Lee) Hetletved, Bismarck, ND.
She was preceded in death by husband Anton
Kost, parents Jack and Alberta Strong, twin sons Joseph Paul and Douglas
Dwight, Great-Granddaughter Lenore Sutton, special cousins Ralph and Buck
Scheele.
Funeral service for Shirley A. Volquardsen,
82, of Laurel, Neb., formerly of
Norfolk, Neb., will be held at 10:30
a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021 at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Wayne.
Father Jerry Connealy will be officiating the service. Visitation will begin at
9 a.m., prior to the service on Wednesday.
Graveside service for Shirley and Henry “Hans” Volquardsen will be held at 11:30 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 16 at the Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Norfolk. Father Scott Schilmoeller will be officiating the graveside service.
Shirley passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021 at the Providence Medical Center in Wayne. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Mason Mendez which will be put into his Nebraska college fund.
Stonacek Funeral Chapel in Norfolk is in
charge of the arrangements.
Shirley was born on March 19, 1939 in Colome, South Dakota to Martin and Martha (Tuttle) London. She grew up and attended grade school in Colome. She graduated from Colome High School in 1957 and worked at the Colome Bank. She moved to Norfolk in 1966. Shirley married Henry “Hans” Volquardsen on July 8, 1972 in Norfolk. Henry passed away in 2005.
After marriage, Henry and Shirley continued
living in Norfolk. She worked for Northwestern Bank in Norfolk for 8 years. In
1979, due to the health of their daughter Gloria, Shirley and Henry welcomed
into their hearts and home their grandson, Chris Mendez.
She enjoyed dancing, having a good time, and attending baseball games in Winner, SD. Shirley was not a fan of heights. She was a member of Sacred Heart Parish, Norfolk, and the Rosary Crusade.
Survivors include her grandson Chris Mendez
of Laurel, great-grandson Mason Mendez, brother Dave “Bud” London of
Newman Grove, friend Mike (Sarah) Naeve and their family of Winside, 12 nieces
and nephews and their families.
She was preceded in death by her husband Henry, daughter Gloria Jean, parents, two sisters Catherine Flakus and Marlene Cahoy, 3 nephews Marty London, Damon London, and Jim Flakus.
Condolences may be expressed to the family
on-line at www.stonacekfuneralchapel.com.
Bavily Gerrit Foote Jr., 50, of Winner, SD
passed away Sept. 3, 2021 at the Avera McKennan in Sioux Falls, SD due to
complications of Covid/Pneumonia.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021 at 10 a.m. at the Winner Ideal Community Hall in Winner, SD. Burial will follow in the Calvary Episcopal Cemetery in Okreek, SD. Wake services were held on Monday, Sept. 13, 2021 and Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021 at 7 p.m. at the Winner Ideal Community Hall in Winner, SD.
Bavily Jr. was born at the Pine Ridge IHS
Hospital on Aug. 19, 1971 to Bavily “Gerrit” Foote Sr and Darlene (Andrews)
Foote.
He went to live with his paternal
grandparents Anastacia and Fred Reed where he attended Winner Elementary and
later went to school in White River and Todd County High School. Where he met
Justina Thin Elk and to that union Rowdy Thin Elk was born. He later moved to
Tulsa Okla., in 1992 where he met and later married April Bailey, and to this
union three children were born and he raised a step daughter.
Bavily Jr. loved spending his time with
family and friends but, his enjoyment was truck driving. He drove truck for JCC
trucking in Joplin, Mo. He later moved home to South Dakota where he drove for
Kerner Trucking, Tripp County Highway Department and Engel Trucking. Bavily Jr.
made a lot of friends and everyone who knew Jr. well he was always smiling and
joked around with everyone. He was always willing to help a person out, even
when he didn’t have much to give. Bavily Jr. will be missed by many.
He is preceded in death by his mother
Darlene; his paternal grandparents William Foote, Anastacia and Fred Reed;
maternal grandparents Ronald A Andrews and Lucinda Medicine Eagle. His
stepmother Tammy Foote; A niece Sarah Andrews; brother-in-law Neal Kramer Sr.;
and a grandson Ray Don Hairy Bird.
William Dubray, 86, of Ideal, SD passed
away on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021 at his home in Ideal.
Funeral service were held on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021 at the St. Bridget Catholic Church in Rosebud South Dakota. Burial followed in the Holy Innocents Cemetery in Parmelee, South Dakota. A wake service began on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021 at noon at the St. Bridget Catholic Church in Rosebud, South Dakota.
William Earl DuBray, “Wiley The Fox” was
born in Rosebud on Aug. 28, 1935 to Dewey and Jenny (Big Horse) DuBray. Wiley
was baptized in the Catholic Church on Oct. 5, 1935 with Mary DuBray as his
Godmother. Wiley was the youngest of 5
children; Ruby (DuBray) Cousins, Marveen (DuBray) Gunhammer, Dewey DuBray Sr.,
and Donald DuBray all preceded in death.
Wiley had several 1st cousins who he considered himself to be the older
brother of; Harry DuBray (Mission,SD), Harriet DuBray and Stanley DuBray both
deceased.
Wiley attended school at St. Francis Mission and graduated in 1954. He then joined the United States Army on Jan. 25, 1956 and was honorably discharged Jan. 31, 1962. Upon discharge from the army, he made his way across the United States. He loved traveling and had many stories and experiences to share. Wiley “the Fox” was full of adventure and humor, fearless in his endeavors to experience life outside of the reservation.
Wiley worked in carpentry off and on throughout his life. Wiley always had a sense of humor and a genuine concern for others. He enjoyed playing cards, watching wrestling, boxing and his team, the Kansas City Chiefs.
Although Wiley never had any children of his own, he had numerous nieces and nephews and grandchildren he loved and who loved him dearly.
Wiley met “the love of his life”, Ruth Iron Shooter in 2002, and married on Aug. 23, 2004. He and Ruth resided in Ideal, SD, where he enjoyed a quiet life working on his yard and fixing up the home in which he passed away, on Sept. 2nd, 2021, with his surviving wife of 16 years and family by his side.
Reginald Wayne Schnabel was born on May 8,
1970, to Randy and Linda (Hendrix) Schnabel at the Gregory Hospital.
Reggie spent his childhood years on the
farm south of Dog Ear Lake. He attended grade school in Colome, SD, and rode
the bus. Reggie attended Winner High School until his family moved to Mt.
Vernon, Washington, where he attended Mt. Vernon High School and then Skagit
Valley College for Mechanics and Small Engine Repair.
The family moved back to the farm south of
Dog Ear Lake. Reggie then took a job in Spearman, TX, harvesting from Arizona
to Montana. During this time Reggie married Pam Stump from Spearman, TX. After
ten years of harvesting he came back to South Dakota alone and drove truck for
Doug Kerner in Winner.
Reggie’s brother Dustin had a plumbing
company in Mitchell, SD, and he worked as a plumber with him for two years.
Then Reggie came back to Gregory and drove truck for Gary Reber and then John
Sand. After that he became ill and slowly waned away. Reggie passed away on
Sept. 3, 2021, at home in Gregory.
He was preceded in death by his mother
Linda Schnabel, both sets of grandparents, and two uncles Reginald Allen
Schnabel and Ed Manshiem.
Surviving are his father Randy Schnabel of
Dallas, SD; brother Dustin and wife Amber of Mitchell, SD; two aunts on his
father’s side and several aunts on his mother’s side; a close uncle Mick
Hendrix of Lake Charles, LA; great
grandma Babe Haskell; many cousins and many, many friends all over the United
States.
Vernon D. Fischer, 89, passed away on Monday, Sept. 6, 2021 at Fountain Springs Health Care in Rapid City. He passed away on Labor Day, the same holiday on which his mother passed away 30 years ago. Vern is now in the loving arms of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Vernon Dallas Fischer was born May 22, 1932 near Colome, SD to Pete and Hulda (Redlinger) Fischer. His early years were spent with his parents and three sisters, Violet, Betty and Joan, working on his parents’ cattle ranch south of Colome. He rode his horse, Ranger, to a small rural schoolhouse for eight years. He attended high school in Colome and it was there he met Irene Spinar. They were married in 1952, shortly before he left for the military in the Army during the Korean War.
Upon returning home in 1954, Vern and Irene farmed near Colome and after a few years saw the arrival of their first daughter, Lynn and a couple of years later, Teresa. After farming for about five years, the family moved to Rapid City in 1961, where Vern ventured into the car dealership industry. A few years later, his third daughter, Diane, was born.
Vernon loved everything about the car business and after selling used cars and owning a used-car lot, he purchased the Pontiac-GMC dealership and retained ownership until the late 70s. After remodeling his basement, Vern took up woodworking as a hobby and developed it into a furniture manufacturing business, establishing Country Estates Furniture in 1981. He retired from the furniture business in 1989.
His love of antiques and auctions prompted him to open an antique and second-hand store and after 31 years of serving in the business community of Rapid City, he bought an RV and the two of them started traveling. They spent their winters in Arizona until Irene passed away in 2018. Vern moved back to Rapid City, where he lived at Edgewood Assisted Living.
Vern was an active member of Westminster
Presbyterian Church and Gideons International.
He was also a member of the V.F.W., American Legion, and the Elks. He enjoyed RVing, golfing, shooting pool,
playing cards, and visiting with anyone he met.
His hearty laugh and big heart will be missed.
Vern is survived by his daughters, Lynn
(Richard) Murphy of Bulverde, TX, Teresa Horsley of Whitewood, and Diane
(Scott) Sharp of Rapid City; nine grandchildren, Alicia Murphy of Livingston,
MT, Aaron Murphy of Bozeman, MT, Hudson Horsley of Dallas, TX, Dallas (Alise)
Horsley of Medford, OR, Nelson Horsley of Rapid City, Savannah Sharp of Rapid
City, Christian Paulson of Kansas City, KS, Christopher Sharp of Rapid City,
and Amanda (Blake) Booton-Popken of Panama City, FL; three great-grandchildren;
three brothers-in-law, Frank (Joanie) Taggart of Mesa, AZ, Leo and Melvin
Spinar, both of Sioux Falls; and numerous nephews and nieces.
He was preceded in death by his loving
wife, Irene; his parents, Pete and Hulda; his in-laws, Jerry and Emma (Urban)
Spinar; his three sisters, Violet, Betty, and Joan; his son-in-law, Gary
Horsley; and his infant grandson, Charles Murphy.
Memorial services were held at 10 a.m. on
Friday, Sept. 10, 2021 at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Visitation was held one hour prior to
services. An inurnment of his ashes was at 2 pm on Tuesday, Sept. 14 at Black Hills
National Cemetery, near Sturgis.
A memorial has been established with
Gideons, International. An online guestbook may be signed at
www.kirkfuneralhome.com
Ruth (Dobbin) Whiting, 90, of Rapid City, SD and formerly of Winner, SD, passed away Thursday, September 2, 2021 at Avantara Saint Cloud Nursing Home in Rapid City.
A visitation was held on Wednesday, September 8 at Kirk Funeral Home in Rapid City. Burial will be Thursday, September 9, at 10:00 am at the Black Hills National Cemetery.
Ruth was born March 22, 1931 in Iona, SD to Gerald and Laura (Foote) Dobbin. Ruth grew up on the family farm in Iona, SD. She told stories of her travels which included living in Japan.
Ruth returned to the Winner area and had various jobs. One of those jobs was working for the late Dr. Robert Still as a medical secretary. Ruth and Harold Whiting were united in marriage in June of 1960. They had one infant son, Michael Todd who passed away. They adopted three children, Laurie, Steve and Mary. They also took care of and raised 179 foster children within the mix. Ruth was a member of the Winner United Methodist Church and believed in bringing God into the foster children’s lives.
She loved to crochet, doing jigsaw puzzles, word search books and writing short stories and poems.
Ruth is preceded in death by her husband Harry in May of 2013; infant son; her parents and brother Harold Dobbin.
She is survived by her children, Laurie (Darwin) Heying of Rapid City; Steve (Karla) Whiting of Watertown, SD and Mary Roubidaux of Red Oak, TX; six grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
Sympathy cards may be sent in care of Laurie Heying 572 Field View Dr., Rapid City, SD 57701.
Tiny (Larry) Eugene Keierleber, age 73, passed away on September 1, 2021 in Rapid City, South Dakota. Left behind was his spouse, Connie Royer, who he married in October of 2020.
He was born in Winner South Dakota on September 8th, 1947 to Phyllis Keierleber (Harthaus) and Harold Keierleber. After two years of High School in Winner, Tiny attended two years at Sunshine Bible Academy. Following high school, he moved to Rapid City, South Dakota in 1968 for further education. After moving, he stayed in the Black Hills area. He worked at Hills Material, and then for a while as a long haul driver. He owned The Bicycle Shop for a while. More recently, he’s had the titles of Chef and Partner at Connie’s Place and Owner of Tiny’s Knives and Things where he sold his curated knife and fire arm collection. Other odd jobs included delivering fire wood in the winters and security guard.
In October of 1969, Tiny married Carol (Pautsch) Keierleber and they had two children; Shawn (Justin) Moss, and Shane “Sweet P” (Tara) Keierleber.
Tiny’s personal interests involved outdoors, motorcycles, creativity, time with family, reading, and being the master of silly (sometimes bad) jokes. He liked to make big hearty meals and was known for his famous green chili recipe. There are dozens of handmade wooden toys that are still used and appreciated. There are also many stories of him being good with animals.
Tiny is survived by his wife, Connie; children, Shawn (Justin) Moss and Sweet P (Tara) Keierleber; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and many other relatives.
He was preceded in death by his parents, infant sister Mary Jo, and aunt Lorraine Meeder.
A private visitation will be held for family and close friends at 9 a.m. Thursday, September 9, 2021 at the American Legion in Piedmont. Celebration of life will begin at 11 a.m. All are welcome and lunch will be provided.
Veronika Lakstigala, age 99, passed away on
Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021 at Good Samaritan Society Center in Sioux Falls, South
Dakota.
Veronika was born March 13, 1922 in Daugavpils, Latvia to Sebastjans and Karina Paberzs. Her family fled to Sweden from Latvia in 1944. They moved to the United States in November 1959, locating in White River, South Dakota.
Veronika was joined in marriage to Peters E. Lakstigala on Dec. 20, 1959 in White River, South Dakota. In 1968, the couple moved to Sioux Falls. She was a piano and music teacher for 54 years before retiring in 2004.
Veronika was a member of St. Mark’s
Lutheran Church. She served as a board member of the First Arts Council. She
received the honor of the Knights of the White Buffalo award. Veronika founded
the Piano Forum in Sioux Falls. She joined the Sioux Falls Area Music
Association Auxiliary and was their first president. Veronika served 22 years
as secretary treasurer of the South Dakota Music Association, and as the
president from 1972-1973.
Veronika’s hobbies include gardening,
geography, languages and art. Her greatest passion was music, especially
teaching piano lessons to all her wonderful students.
Veronika was preceded in death by her
husband, Dr. Peters E. Lakstigala.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent
to Lions Eye Bank or American Latvian Association.
A funeral service was held on Tuesday,
Aug.31, 2021 at Miller Funeral Home – Southside Chapel, in Sioux Falls, SD.
Interment Woodlawn Cemetery, Sioux Falls, SD.
Funeral arrangements held by Miller Funeral
Home, Sioux Falls, SD. For obituary and online registry book, please visit
www.millerfh.com.
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