Category Archives: Obituaries

Karen Faye (Lowry) Week, age 70, of Winner, SD passed away peacefully Sunday, July 21, 2019 at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019 at 11 a.m. at the White River Cemetery, in White River, SD.

Karen was born Sept. 29, 1948 in Valentine, NE to Melvin & Ruth Lowry of White River, SD. She joined 2 sisters (Melva & Linda) at home. In 1955, Karen’s mom remarried to Robert (Bob) Winters & to this union Karen got a baby sister, Sheryl.

Karen grew up in White River, SD. She loved being on the Novey ranch where she rode horses and had many animals she watched over. She enjoyed her family. She attended White River School & graduated high school in 1967.

Karen met her husband Arnold in October 1966 while babysitting for her sister Linda. Karen & Arnold were married on Aug. 27, 1967 at the Lutheran Church in White River. After they were married, they moved a few times while Arnold worked construction. They moved back to White River, and started their family, in 1971 they were blessed with a son, Robert, and in 1978 a daughter, Rita. Karen worked in the café business and later took a job with the Mellette County News, she retired in 1999.

Karen enjoyed spending time with her family and friends. You could always catch her at the café having coffee with her friends after work. She loved being a grandma, and spent many days & hours with her grandkids, she would do anything for them, and they talked her into do everything for them.

In 2014 Karen moved to Winner as she was starting to have some health problems, and needed to be closer to her children, and grandkids. She was later diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and traveled to Sioux Falls for chemo, she did amazing through treatments and was cancer free in February 2018.

Karen is survived by her children, Robert Week (Michelle), Rita (Greg) Pravecek all of Winner. Grandkids Lauren, Jaikob, Cailob, Adysen, Alex, Payton, Chelsea, Brittany, Dustin, Eric, Kayla, & Kenzie. Three sisters Linda Sumners, Melva Vik, & Sheryl Ferdinand all of Spearfish. A special sister-in-law Janice Ring of Norris, sister-in-law Carol (William) Tuttle, Belle Fourche, brother-in-law Rod (Rhonda) Week of Kearney, NE. And many nieces, nephews, and many close friends.

Karen is preceded in death by her husband Arnold, her parents Melvin Lowry, Ruth & Bob Winters, her mother & father in law Reinhart & Mabel Week, a special granddaughter Shauna Pravecek, & brother-in-law’s Reinhart Jr., Bernard, Jack, Roger, & Allen.

Joseph Louis Janak, 97, of Winner, SD passed away on Monday, Aug. 19, 2019 at the Winner Regional Long-Term Care Center in Winner, SD.

Funeral services will be on Saturday Aug. 24, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Winner, SD. Visitation will be held on Friday Aug. 23, 2019 at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church from 5-6 p.m. with a rosary beginning at 6 p.m.

Janak was born on April 30, 1922 to Mr. and Mrs. Lou and Anna (Staska) Janak who lived north of Jordan Corner near Winner, SD. He received his elementary education at Royal School near there and attended high school in Winner.

Joe went to work for the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) Camp and was in charge of the construction work for the Sheridan Dam, which was constructed in 1937 in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Joe was also a member of the construction crew, which built the original runway at the Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, SD.

From 1940 to 1943 he worked for Joe Week’s Livestock Company in Winner where he drove a truck and also purchased cattle for Week’s. In 1943, Joe entered the US Army and served as a tank commander with an armored battalion in both Africa and Italy. Joe served in five major campaigns in Italy and his unit spent 387 days in the front lines without any relief. During this time his unit suffered 83 percent casualties. He was a decorated WWII Veteran and received his honorable discharge in December, 1945.

On Sept. 16, 1946, he married Bernetta M Erickson, daughter of Clarence and Marina Erickson. To this marriage, they had four children, DuWayne, Gregory, SD; Delaine (Janak) Larson and husband Dale, Sioux Falls, SD and fraternal twins, Brent and Beverly (Beck), Winner, SD and Beverly (Janak) and husband Randy Sprenkle, Sioux Falls, SD.

Upon his return to Winner Joe drove a truck for Ray Kahler, and then he entered the grocery business where his first position was a grocery clerk for the IGA Store in Winner. After a year, Joe went to work as an assistant meat cutter at the Outlaw Trading Post and was promoted to manager of the meat department for 13 years.

When the Outlaw sold out, Joe went to work for the Ideal Chain Stores in Chadron, NE as a manager of the meat department for five stores. After holding this position for one year, Joe returned to Winner and worked at the Westside Grocery market for one year.

After working many years in the grocery store business, Joe and Bert made the decision to buy a restaurant in Winner. Joe and Bert owned and operated the B & J Salad Bowl Cafe from 1961 until 1970. They moved to Minot, ND where Joe managed the Knights of Columbus Supper Club for 4 years before moving to Commerce City, CO. in 1976. Joe was a member of the Meat Cutters Union while employed at Kings Sooper for 11 years; he retired in 1987. His free time allowed him the opportunity to manage “Joe’s Swap Shop”, fish, travel, process wild game in addition to enjoying time with his family and friends.

Joe is a lifetime member of the VFW and is also a member of the American Legion, Elks and Knights of Columbus, and Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. In addition to his love for fishing and hunting, Joe was also an avid baseball fan.

Joe made many new friends during his stay in the Winner Long Term Care Facility in 2015 until his death. He lived a very upbeat and social life as one of their residents and fulfilled his role as ‘ambassador’ and always speaking highly of his medical team, especially, Dr. Taylor, Dr. Berg, and Dr. Wagner.
Preceding him in death was his wife, Bert, son, Brent, and daughter-in-law Lil (Engel) Janak, his parents, Louis and Anna (Staska) Janak, in-laws Clarence and Marina (Suing) Erickson, siblings James, Alice, Leonard, Leo, Dorothy (Janak) Reynolds, Rosalie (Janak) Vedral, and great granddaughters, Maxx and Mallory Janak.

Joe is survived by one sibling, Theresa (Janak) Snow, Dallas, Texas; three children: DuWayne, Gregory, Dee Larson (Dale), Sioux Falls, and Bev Sprenkle (Randy), Sioux Falls, 7 grandchildren; Jeff Evans, Lee, Nick (Katie) Larson, Ashley (Will) Oliver, Jay (Sarah) Janak, Eric (Amanda) Sprenkle, Jen (Jordon) Terveen, and great grandchildren: Jack and Elizabeth Evans, Julia and Blake Larson, Maddie and Walker Oliver, Mason, Miley and Miriah Janak, Nate, Zach, and Noah Sprenkle, Nola and Gus Terveen, and Jesse.

Martin Jorgensen Jr., 95, Ideal, died Aug. 9 at the Winner Regional Long Term Care facility.There will be a celebration of life for Jorgensen on Sunday, Aug. 18 at 5 p.m. at St. Mary’s Hall in Winner.

The family would like to invite all to join them for a night of food, fellowship and an opportunity to share stories and honor Martin’s life.Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Winner. Burial will follow in the Winner Cemetery. A visitation will be held on Oct. 14 from 6-7p.m. at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church with a rosary at 7 p.m.

Funeral services for Maxine Meyer, 90, formerly of Mission, were held on Aug. 10 at Kotrba-Smith Funeral Home in Gregory. Burial followed in the IOOF Cemetery.

Helen Maxine (McCollam) Meyer passed away on Aug. 6, 2019, at 90 years of age. Born to Lela (Lewis) and James McCollam on May 18, 1929, at Dixon, SD, she wasthe middle of three children, older brother, Archie, and younger brother, Wayne.

Following her childhood years on the farm north of Dixon, where she had a pet chicken, the family moved to Gregory, SD. Maxine graduated in 1947 from Gregory High School, forever maintaining a fondnessfor the Gorillas and her alma mater.

Post high school, Maxine attended Black Hills Beauty College and was a professional hair dresser for a period oftime. After meeting at a dance in Carlock, SD, Maxine married William Delvin Meyer on June 10, 1952, making their home in Mission, SD, where they owned and operated Meyer U-Wash Laundromat.

To this union were five children, James William, Mary Jane, Dwight Allan, Laurie Ann and Heather Kay. Maxine was a dedicated and active member of Eastern Star since 1956, truly enjoying the time spent with her Sisters and Brothers. She also attended the United Methodist Church and eagerly took part in preparing meals and making unique decorations for church bazaars.

Becoming somewhat of a historian, Maxine researched her geneology to become a member of Daughters of the American Revolution, an honor that she also shared with her three daughters.

Maxine was proud of her Scottish heritage, sporting her McCollam tartan for many years at the Scottish Highland Festival in Estes Park, CO. Being fearful of flying but wanting to see Scotland, she sent her daughters on a mission to see the beautiful rolling hills of the Caledonian country in her stead.

Maxine enjoyed cooking and baking, gardening, sewing (and teaching her daughters to sew), embroidery, square dancing, Scottish festivals, attending auctions, collecting and refinishing antique furniture, and even learned to paintwith oils.

Maxine was creative and vibrant and a loving, devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, homemaker, and grandmother. Nothing brought her more enjoyment than tohave her entire family home.

She is survived by her son James (Nona) Meyer of Winner, SD; Mary Jane (Alex) Laguna of Longmont, CO; Dwight Meyer of Mission, SD; Laurie (Dave) Dickson of Council, NC; Heather Meyer of Raeford, NC; grandson Geoffrey Meyer of Winner, SD; granddaughters Kayla and Krista Meyer of Suffolk, VA; grandson Xander Valburg of Mission, SD; brother Wayne (Carol) McCollam of Bismarck, ND; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Archie (Darlyne) and Delvin, her husband of 59 years.

Myrtle Toman, 87, of Winner, SD passed away on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019 at the Winner Regional Long-TermCare Facility in Winner, SD.

A funeral service was held on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019 at2 p.m. at the Mason Funeral Home in Winner. Burial followed in the Winner City Cemetery.

Myrtle LaVonne Gurnsey was born on Oct. 22, 1931 to Fredrick and Bessie (Whitford) Gurnsey at the home of herAunt Anne’s on the White River in Lyman County.

Myrtle’s first home was Okaton, SD but at the age of 5, the family moved to White River, SD where she spent her younger years and attended school. On March 22, 1950, Myrtle was united in marriage to James Toman and moved to a small farm 7 miles north of Carter, SD.

To this union 2 girls were born, Audrey Jean and Wanda Kay.While being a farm wife, Myrtle was a member of the Treadle Tripper Extension Club and Witten Women’s Club.But Thursday afternoons were set aside for bowling.

She bowled for 40 years and enjoyed making many friends along the way. Due to Jim’s health, they sold the farm and moved to White River, SD where they managed the Gas N Git for nine years. Once again, pulling up roots, they moved to Winner, SD in 1990 where Myrtle worked at the Coast to Coast store and the Dakota Inn.

Jim passed away in 1995 and in 1999, Myrtle moved to Aberdeen, SD. There she was active with the Senior Center, learned to play Bridge, and went on many bus tours throughout SD, ND, IA and MN.

She was also a member of the Red Hats enjoying many of their activities. Missing family and friends, Myrtle moved back to Winner, SD.Myrtle’s love was the farm, dancing, playing cards or any game, bowling, trips with friends and most of all, her family.

She is survived by her daughters Audrey Nieman of Winner, SD, Wanda (Cliff) Sinkler of Winner, SD, and one sister Shirley Shade of Barstow, CA. 6 grandchildren; Angela Skogen of Aberdeen, SD, Jennifer (Nathan) Thomas of Parkville, MO, Bradley (Kristi) Nieman of Sioux Falls, SD, Crystal (Bruce) VanDerWerff of Dallas, SD, Clinton (Jen) Nieman of Aberdeen, SD, Austin (Laura) Sinkler of Lawrence, KS, 11 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great-grandchildren, and a host of other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Jim, one brother Donald Eklund, 2 sisters, Dorothy (Eklund) Richter and Melvina (Gurnsey) Ours.