Category Archives: Obituaries

Marvin F. Olson, 77, of Wood River, formerly of Winner, SD, passed away on Monday, March 1, 2021 at Kearney Regional Medical Center in Kearney, NE.

 Funeral services were held  1 p.m.  on Saturday, March 6, 2021 at the United Methodist Church, 301 West 4th Street – Winner, South Dakota.  Interment will be in the Winner Cemetery in Winner, South Dakota. 

 In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Marvin Olson Memorial Fund.  Jacobsen-Greenway-Dietz Funeral Home in St. Paul, Nebraska is assisting the family. 

 Marvin was born on June 19, 1943 to Amiel “Bud” Olson and Stella (Nelson) Olson, inside a farmhouse on a little farm 8.5 miles west of Colome, SD.  He was the 4th oldest of 8 children, with 2 sisters and 5 brothers.  In 1945, his parents moved to their forever home 12.5 miles south of Winner, S.D. where he spent most of his life and even became blessed enough to own the property later on in his life.

In 1957, Marvin completed his first semester at Winner High School before becoming ill in the fall and choosing to leave school and help on the family farm. Marvin also helped on neighboring farms until 1963, when he started working for Hanson Feed and Fertilizer. He was employed here for four years before taking a job as a mechanic at Schramm Auto Sales and Repair. He and his brother Ken also did custom haying and harvesting across the state of South Dakota during this time.

 In the fall of 1962, Marvin met the love of his life, Beverly Engel, and the two were married on May 10, 1963. To this union, five children were born, with a plus one born in 1987. In 1972 they moved to a farm south of Winner where they farmed while he continued to work at the garage. He never retired from being a mechanic.

 Marvin and his family started Olson Dairy Farm. This was a family venture with all hands-on deck. Marvin, with the help of his children, ran the dairy farm while he also drove truck, hauling milk for other dairy producers for 18 years. During this time, he worked for Meyer Dairy Transport out of Springview, NE and Riteway Milk out of Holdrege, NE. After 18 long years in the truck, and numerous friendships made, Marvin decided to give up the open road and took a job at the City of Winner as a Shop Foreman and Maintenance Supervisor. He worked here for four years before retiring.

 Marvin had a strong set of family values, which he instilled in his children and grandchildren. There was not a person around that Marvin would not invite to their dinner table or lend a helping hand, if there was a need. He was a wealth of knowledge and a caretaker, mechanic, friend, and the go-to for many. He loved to sit around and tell stories, and his laugh will never be forgotten. His love for music will live on in all of us left here to cherish the memories and appreciation for a good guitar solo.

 After retirement, Marvin continued to be the family mechanic and was always working on something. He never rested and was always busy. He cherished his time with his great-grandchildren and on Tuesdays and Thursdays you would find him in the carpool lane, picking them up from school. This was the highlight of his week. There was not a birthday or event that he missed. He was incredibly involved in every aspect of our lives, until the very end. He was the unofficial Shop Foreman at Mid Plains Landscaping, LLC until his passing and took his duties for the business very seriously and had great pride in the success of the business.

Those left to cherish his memory include his wife, Beverly Olson; brothers, Alvin Olson, Donald Olson, and Dale Olson; his sister, Carol (Bill) Boerner; his sister-in-law, Marilyn Olson; children Ronda Olson, Roslyn Olson, Kimberly (Bob) Farley, Ed Olson, Kerry (Jamey) Vannier, and Chelsea (Danny) Powell; 9 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Amiel and Stella Olson; his in-laws, Ben and Gleva Engel; brothers, Kenneth and Larry; sister, Lorraine; and sisters-in-law, Arlene and Sherry.

Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.jacobsengreenway.com

Larry Jackson McCollam of Spearfish was born Sept.  3, 1940 in Pierre, SD to Andrew McCollam and Ruby Evans McCollam.  He grew up in Carter, SD working for the Farnsworth family on their farm until 1960 when he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. Larry served for 6 years which included two tours in Vietnam. 

After being honorably discharged, he worked in Carter helping his mom run the family grocery store and his dad with the family gas station.  He subsequently bought and ran a farm outside of Carter until 1975 when he moved to Spearfish to work for Don Nichols Construction. 

Larry then moved to Spearfish, SD in 1980 where he met his lovely wife JoAnn Crofutt-Clevenger. They were married in August 1981, and they began L&J Log Hauling.  Larry retired from logging in 2016, and enjoyed working in his garden with his faithful canine companion, Sparky.  Larry was a man of few words, however he was a loyal friend who would bend over backwards to help anyone who needed it.  He fought a courageous battle with cancer for 13 years.  His battle ended on Thursday, March 4 surrounded by his wife, his three children and many of his grandchildren. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, Andrew and Ruby, three brothers and three sisters, and a grandson Andrew.

He is survived by his wife of 40 years, JoAnn McCollam of Spearfish; son, Dave Clevenger (Michele) of Custer, SD; daughter Michele Joyce (Kirk) of Tucson, AZ; daughter Megan Molm (Brandon) of Billings, MT; 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren; one sister in Winner, SD, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.  If you would like to honor Larry, please donate in his name to Western Hills Humane Society in Spearfish.

Arrangements are under the care of the Fidler-Isburg Funeral Homes and Isburg Crematory of Spearfish. Online condolences may be written at www.fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com

Rose Marie Schlem was born on Jan. 27, 1944 in Winner, SD to Frank and Helen (Vosika) Dierks.

 Rose married Roger Schlem on Aug. 19, 1962. Together they had three children, Valarie, Dana, and Richard. Rose was an avid bowler, knitter, and also had quite the green thumb. For a number of years, she cared for a spring greenhouse and loved taking care of her garden. She was a member of the VFW Auxiliary in Winner for many years, and was later a member of the Piedmont Legion Auxiliary.

Rose Schlem, 77, of Piedmont, SD, died Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021 at the Monument Health Sturgis Hospital.

She is survived by her husband of nearly 59 years, Roger Schlem of Piedmont, SD; her daughters, Valarie Schlem of Tilford, SD, and Dana (Rich) Schmidt of Huffman, TX; her son, Richard Schlem of Rapid City, SD; two sisters, Jeannie Ramsden of Wittmann, AZ, and Glades “Peach” Guisinger of Oracle, AZ; three brothers, Grant Dierks of Orofino, ID, Clark Dierks of Prescott, AZ, and Ward Dierks of Sun City, AZ; three beloved grandchildren; two nieces, seven nephews; and a host of dear friends and neighbors.

Rose was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Helen Dierks; and a sister, Nancy Piper.

A visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 25, 2021 at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis. A graveside service will be held at the Piedmont Cemetery at a later date.      Condolences may be sent to the family at www.kinkadefunerals.com.

Nathan McPhee, 44, of Carter, SD passed away on Wednesday, February 24th, 2021. Funeral service were held on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2021 at 11:00 AM at the Winner United Methodist Church. Burial followed in the Winner City Cemetery.

Nathan was born on July 30th, 1976 to James and Patricia (Schilling) McPhee in Winner, SD. He was the youngest of 4 children. He grew up on his family’s farm in Winner, SD.

After graduating from high school, he moved to Colorado, where he worked at the Sweet Buffalo Ranch, before moving back to South Dakota. Once back in South Dakota, he worked at various jobs, including Butler Machinery and Ferguson Farms.

Nathan married the love of his life Amber (Rowe), in Cancun, on November 12, 2004. To this union one daughter, Ashlynn Ann, was born on September 25, 2005. In 2005, they made their home on the family farm. This is where Nathan found his true calling of farming and ranching with his father-in-law.

Family was very important to Nathan. Ashlynn was the light of his life. As a family, they enjoyed activities such as camping, hunting, running to sporting events, and riding motorcycle. Nathan and Amber enjoyed many miles together on their Harley. This was something they looked forward to every summer. Nathan had an outstanding personality; therefore, he built many friendships.

Nathan is survived by his loving wife, Amber and daughter, Ashlynn. The loving son of James and Patricia; one brother, Matt McPhee; two sisters, Jamie McPhee and Jody Keegan. His in-laws, Doug and Bonita Rowe; sister-in-law, Autumn (Mark) Tucker; brother-in-law’s, Ryan (Shaneyl) Rowe; Kelly Keegan; and many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by grandparents, Melba and George Schilling; William and Margaret McPhee; Keith Rowe; and a nephew Chalan Hedman.

Kevin Leroy Graesser was born on Nov. 12, 1961, at the Rosebud Community Hospital in Winner, SD, to Walter & Arlene (Lebert) Graesser, and died Feb.  23, 2021 at the Avera Gregory Hospital surrounded by his family after a courageous battle with cholangiocarcinoma.

He was the third of four children, Rod, Steve, Kevin, and Karen. Kevin grew up on the family farm southwest of Dallas where he would later return to raise his family until his death.

In 1980 he graduated from Colome High School. He initially attended Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, SD on a basketball scholarship. He would transfer to South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD, where he graduated in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. Following graduation, Kevin returned to Gregory and worked as a feed salesman while helping on his family farm.

He was united in holy matrimony to Tammy (Thomas) on Aug. 1, 1987 at the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Gregory, SD. They moved to Brookings for a short time before making their way to Mitchell, SD, where Kevin took a job as a loan officer in Parkston, SD. Though they only lived in Mitchell for a short while, they were blessed with many life long friendships. It was also here where their first two children, Derek and Alisyn, were born.

Kevin and his family would then return to his family farm following the retirement of Kevin’s parent’s to join his brother Rod. In May 2008 Kevin and Tammy completed their family with the addition and blessing of Regan Ruth. Kevin had a strong passion for the cattle business. He built a successful cow operation along with a registered Angus bull business. Again, Kevin was able to create lasting relationships, much in part due to his kind and honest spirit.

Since a young age, Kevin would follow in his father’s footsteps with his love for sports. He was an avid Twins and Vikings fan. As a child Kevin would sit for hours playing with football and baseball cards, along with playing catch with his brother Steve. This passion would continue throughout his life as he excelled in athletics even into the later years of his life. In 1979 as a junior in high school Kevin would go on to score 64 points and pull down 24 rebounds in a 103-90 win against Delmont. His love for the game continued throughout his life as a coach in baseball, basketball, and football at various levels. One of Kevin’s greatest joys was coaching his son Derek’s teams. Kevin played amateur baseball up until 2019 and had the opportunity to participate in an Amateur World Series over 30 tournament. The passion he had for sports was felt by many of his players, fans, and opponents.

Kevin loved his family dearly, building relationships and friendships with everyone – meeting people where they were at, empowering and leading the many players that he coached. He was unselfish, offering love and friendship unconditionally. His kindness was abundant, genuinely caring about the community and village he had created and surrounded himself and his family by. He was a devoted father and took every opportunity he had to spend with his children.

Kevin, a faithful servant, trusting God in the best of days and in the darkest of days. His faith constant without waiver. He served on St. Joseph Catholic Parish Council and Knights of Columbus at the time of his passing.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Walt and Arlene, and brother, Steve.

He is survived by his wife Tammy, children Derek (Cheyenne) Graesser, Alisyn (Jeff) Donnelly, and Regan Graesser; grandchild to-be Baby Donnelly; his siblings Rod (Beverly) Graesser, Dallas, SD and Karen (Jim) Baumgartner, Iona, SD; in-laws Dick & Vickie Thomas, Gregory, SD; Greg Thomas, Ainsworth, NE; Jessy (Brett) Kenzy, Iona, SD; Jenny (Matt) Mangulis, Mankato, MN; Sarah (Jon) Sperl, Gregory, SD and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Funeral services for Kevin Graesser, age 59, of Dallas, South Dakota, were held on Monday, March 1, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. at St Joseph Catholic Church, Gregory, SD, with Father Jonathan Dillon as celebrant. There was a visitation and prayer service Sunday night at the church.

Burial was in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Gregory, SD.

Ann M. Peck, age 80 of Cherokee, IA, passed away on Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, at her residence in Cherokee.

A private family service will be held at a later date. The Greenwood-Schubert Funeral Home in Cherokee is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.greenwoodfuneral.com.

Ann M. Peck, the daughter of Elvin and Esther (Barton) Barnes, was born July 30, 1940, in Winner, SD. Her childhood years were spent in Winner, where she attended school and graduated from high school in 1958. She then attended college in Sioux Falls, SD, and graduated as an x-ray tech.

Ann moved to Cherokee, IA following college and worked for Sioux Valley Hospital. She was united in marriage to Merlyn Peck on Aug. 5, 1961. They were blessed with 4 children. During that time, Ann stayed at home to raise their kids. She eventually went to work at the Cherokee MHI for several years and then worked part time at the Hy-Vee meat department until her retirement.

Ann enjoyed crossword puzzles, gambling, and knitting. She loved a stout cup of black coffee and visiting with friends. Most of all, she enjoyed time spent with her family, especially her grandchildren.

On Feb. 22, 2021, Ann passed away at her residence surrounded by her family at the age of 80.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Elvin and Esther Barnes; and her husband, Merlyn Peck in 1992.

She will be lovingly remembered by her four children: Cindy (Matt) Hyndman of Sioux City, IA, David (Holli) Peck of Cherokee, IA, Marvin (Heidi) Peck of Olathe, KS, and Cheryl Peck of Waterloo, IA; five grandchildren: Alex Peck, Annamarie Hyndman, Muriel Hyndman, Sydney Peck, and Jordyn Peck; one great-grandson, Maddox Peck; brother, Eugene (Becky) Barnes of Mesa, AZ; sister, Linda (Bob) Caton of Littleton, CO; one uncle, Roland Barton of Murdo, SD; and other relatives and friends.

In lieu of flowers or other gifts, the family has set up an educational scholarship fund for local students. Any contributions can be sent directly to Peck Education Memorial Fund @ Cherokee State Bank  212 W Willow St, Cherokee, IA 51012.

Donna D. New, 80, of Grand Island,  wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021 at CHI-Health St. Francis Skilled Care.

Services were held at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 1, 2021 at All Faiths Funeral Home. Dan Naranjo  officiated.

Services in her hometown of Winner, SD will be held at Mason Funeral Home and Cremation Services at 625 W. 3rd St., Winner, SD 57580, on Wednesday March 3, 2021 at 11 a.m. with visitation the hour prior. Burial will follow in Winner City Cemetery.

All Faiths Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements.

Memorials are suggested to the Alpha-1 Foundation.

Donna was born on April 5, 1940 on the family farm near Carter, SD, daughter of Frank and Majel (McManigal) Horstman.

Donna grew up on the family farm, and graduated from Winner High School. While in high school she met the love of her life Alvin New; on April 4, 1959 they were married. They made their home on the farm until 1972 when they moved to Grand Island.

Donna was employed as a cook at Wood School and a local nursing home while living near Winner. After relocating to Grand Island, Donna was a seamstress and made many custom drapes. She was also employed at the Stop & Go gas station at 5 points in Grand Island, where she made many long-lasting friendships.

Donna loved to camp and fish in South Dakota and spent many summers there with her children, grandchildren, and later great-grandchildren. In her spare time, she would crochet blankets for family and friends and also made other beautiful creations that she would give as gifts. Donna also enjoyed cooking and baking and could almost always be found in the kitchen making things from scratch. She was famous for her jellies and jams. Bowling was another hobby she loved and she was a part of a Senior League at Westside for many years.

Donna was exceptional at giving unsolicited advice and was usually correct. Donna was homebound due to her health but it didn’t stop her from keeping track of her grandkids and keeping up with their events. Donna didn’t mince words and spoke her mind. She will be missed for her determination, strength, and love!

Donna is survived by her husband of 62 years, Alvin New of Grand Island; daughter, Diane (Jim) Stevenson of Doniphan; son, Doug (Annette) New of Kearney; grandchildren, Brent (Jen) Stevenson, Brady (Kylee) Stevenson, Kelsey (Josh) Meier, Brandon (Amy) New, Tara (Logan) Ruzicka and Sean (Lorena) Schultz; brother, Ronald (Bonnie) Horstman of Winner, SD; sister-in-law, Carol Horstman of Winner, SD; seven great-grandchildren with one on the way.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers, Barry and Darrell.

Condolences may be left at www.giallfaiths.com

Rose Schlem, 77, of Piedmont, SD, died Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021 at the Monument Health Sturgis Hospital.

A visitation will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 25, 2021 at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis. A graveside service will be held at the Piedmont Cemetery at a later date.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.kinkadefunerals.com.

Mary R. Olson was born Mary Ruth Heinicke, along with identical twin sister Martha, on Feb. 7, 1956 in Council Bluffs Iowa to parents Edward and Nadine (Weber) Heinicke.

She graduated from Manning High School in Manning Iowa in 1974. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education from the University of Northern Iowa. Mary was a Special Education Teacher at Todd County Schools in Mission SD for 17 years. While teaching in Todd County she acquired her master’s degree in Special Education from the University of South Dakota, graduating with a GPA of 4.0.

In 1995 she started teaching Special Education at Stanley County Schools in Fort Pierre SD, she taught there until her retirement in August of 2018.

During her teaching career she loved many of her students as much as her own children and they loved her.

Mary married Ricky D. Olson from Winner SD on May 4 1985. To this union were born two sons, Noah and Robert Olson.

Mary was a Breast Cancer Survivor. Mary was a tough lady battling many medical problems during her working career. She beat cancer, obtained her Master’s Degree all while working and raising two young children. She had the full load when her husband served in the Gulf War.

She was a strong supporter of Women’s and LGBQT rights. Mary also supported legalizing medical marijuana because of her many decade fights with pain.

Mary was much loved by her husband, sons and dogs Aramis and Sir. Mary enjoyed vacationing with her family, mother and sisters.

Mary was very mad and saddened that the political brainwashing of people like Rush Limbaugh had split her once close family in half. Many of the siblings have not talked in over a decade.

She was preceded in death by her parents Edward and Nadine Heinicke. She is survived by her husband Ricky, sons Noah, Robert, Craig Westergren and Thomas Metzker, Sisters Martha Heincke and wife Karen Mills, Rebecca Heinicke, Sandra Hespe, brother Philip Heinicke and brothers Mark, John and Peter Heinicke.

She is also survived and will be sorely missed by mother Marilyn Olson and the whole Olson clan from the Winner SD area.

Mary’s memorial charity is Hopeless to Homes Animal Rescue in Pierre SD: c/o All Creatures Animal Clinic, 1415 N. Harrison Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501. There will be a Celebration of Life in May when it is hopefully warmer and safer from Covid. Mary would be deeply saddened if anybody got Covid celebrating her life. Online condolences may be written at: www.isburgfuneralchapels.com

Memorial services for Tim Mills, 60, Gregory, were held Feb. 20 at Kotrba-Smith Funeral Home.

Timothy Paul Mills was born on Aug. 28, 1960, in Huron to Bob and Ardis (Eske) Mills. He grew up in Huron and graduated from Huron High School in 1978 and from Huron College in 1984.

Tim married Misti Engel in Huron on Aug. 31, 1979. In 1984 they moved to Burke where Tim taught school and coached for many years. They later moved to Gregory where they raised their two sons. Chris was born in 1990 and Hunter was born in 1998.

Tim began working for Sinte Gleska University and continued his work in the education field by helping students obtain their GEDs. He then went on to become the HR director at Community Connections in Winner until November 2020.

Tim was active in the community having been a city councilman and board member at CFCU. Tim enjoyed hunting, fishing, and golf throughout his entire life. He also enjoyed going to concerts–his favorite being Garth Brooks, camping with family and friends, and trips to Deadwood.

 Tim passed away on Monday, Feb. 15, 2021, at Avera Gregory Healthcare Center after a long hard fought battle with cancer at the age of 60 years.

 Tim is survived by his wife, Misti of Gregory; two sons Chris of Sioux Falls and Hunter of Mitchell; sister Sandie Reecy of Sioux Falls; brother Terry (Julie) of Rapid City; and numerous brothers/sisters-in law and nieces and nephews.

 Tim was preceded in death by his parents, paternal and maternal grandparents, and brother Doug.