Category Archives: News

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.

Bavily Jr. is survived by his children: Rowdy Thin Elk, Rosebud, SD; Cammy (Jeff) Taylor, Joplin, Missouri; Cameron (Britnee) Bailey, Joplin, Missouri; Dante Foote, Joplin, Missouri; Serenity Foote, Joplin, Missouri. Grandchildren: Zane, Amaya, Braylynn, Kenai, Amilia, Michael, Delsa, & Remy. Siblings: Michelle Kramer, Rosebud, SD; Rachel Andrews, Winner, SD; Aaron Foote, Mission, SD; Stella Iron Heart, Mitchell, SD; Renee Foote, Pierre, SD; Nathan (Angie) Foote Sr., Sioux Falls, SD; Beau Foote Sr., Springfield, SD; Nicole Foote, Pierre, SD; Ivan (Samantha) Foote Sr., Ideal, SD; Jordan Foote, Madison, SD; Chelsea Foote, Ideal, SD.

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