Pheasants Clinch Second Seed

Staff Reports

It’s tough when you’re opponent jumps on top right away, but it’s just part of the game.

The Winner/Colome Pheasants weren’t able to overcome an early 5-0 gap that would ultimately result in a 7-2 road loss to the Alexandria Angels in a recent game.


At the start, Alexandria got hot.

Alexandria hit a home run in the first inning that sent in two batters. In the second, the Angels scored three runs to give them a 5-0 lead early. But the Pheasants weren’t done yet.

In the fourth inning, JJ Farner helped to score the only two runs for the Pheasants which would give him his two RBI on the night. No other Pheasant players would finish with an RBI.

The Angels put the game away by hitting their second homerun of the even which helped score two runs.

Kelly O’Bryan and Connor Hopkins pitched for the Pheasants. The duo would combine to go eight innings, allow seven hits, seven runs and strike out eight batters.

A win is a win.

The Winner/Colome amateur baseball snuck out a 5-4 win over the Platte Killer Tomatoes last Thursday night at Leahy Bowl.

The Pheasants grabbed a 4-0 lead after five innings, but the Killer Tomatoes weren’t done yet.

Platte scored three runs in the eighth inning, and added one more run in the ninth to tie the game at four. The Pheasants needed someone to step up at the bottom of the ninth.

Dillon Lambley stepped up.

Lambley hadn’t had a single hit at four trips up to the plate, but the only hit that he would garner on the evening couldn’t have come at a better time.

Lambley hit a walk-off fielder’s choice that may have gotten himself out, but got the win for the Pheasants in crunch time.

Reed Harter also had himself a big night. Harter hit got three hits on four at-bats on the night. Harter finished with an RBI, a triple and a double.

Derek Graesser had a solid overall game as the Pheasants lone pitcher. Graesser pithed all nine innings for Winner/Colome and allowed only four runs. Graesser would also silence 11 Platte batters.

The Winner/Colome Pheasants continue to real in the wins.

After a 7-1 win over the Wagner Rockets in Wagner, the Pheasants are now 13-3 on the season.

The Pheasants scored seven runs in the first nine innings before Wagner put up a run in the ninth.

Derek Graesser lead the way for Winner/Colome by going 2-for-4 from the plate. Graesser would lead the Pheasants with two RBI. Reed Harter, Zach Harter, Austin Calhoon, and Connor Hopkins all finished the game with an RBI.

While the hitting was fantastic, the pitching for the Pheasants mighty have been on a whole other level.

JJ Farner pitched a no-hitter, and went all nine innings. Farner would pitch a total of 145 pitches while striking out 17 batters.

Winner/Colome 4-Mt. Vernon 2
Winner/Colome Pheasants defeated Mt. Vernon 4-2 on Thursday at Leahy Bowl.


The game was tied at 2 with the Pheasants battling in the bottom of the sixth inning when Dillon Lambley singled on a 1-1 count scoring two runs.
Winner/Colome got on the board in the first inning when Zach Harter grounded out scoring one run.


The Pheasants took the lead for good scoring three runs in the sixth inning.
Connor Hopkins pitched Winner/Colome to victory. He surrendered two runs on four hits over seven innings striking out five. Kelly O’Bryan threw two innings in relief.


Reed Harter had a triple and Austin Calhoon belted a double. Calhoon led the local team at the plate as he was 3-4.


The next action for the Pheasants will be in the Sunshine League tournament in Parkston on July 25 at 8 p.m. The Pheasants cinched the No. 2 spot.

Jack and Clara Bailey

A combined Celebration of Life service will be held for Jack and his wife, Clara Mae (Thietje) Bailey (5/7/28-7/3/19), on Aug. 19, 2019 at 10 a.m. at the Mason Funeral Home in Winner, SD. Following interment at Winner City Cemetery (with military honors for Jack), a luncheon will be served at the Winner American Legion. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in their memories to the charity of your choice.

Rodney Grim, 63

Funeral services for Rodney Grim, 63, Gregory , were held on July 13 at 10:30 a.m. at the Kotrba-Smith funeral home, Gregory. Burial followed at the Hillview Cemetery in Dallas.


Rodney R Grim was born on July 26, 1955 to Leonard “Ray” and Irene (Stahlecker) Grim in Winner SD. He was the fourth born child in a family of ten. He grew up on the family farm six miles south of Gregory.


Rod attended the Gordan School District to the 7th grade. He then attended Gregory Junior high and high school where he graduated in 1973.
Rod worked all kinds of agriculture related jobs throughout his life.

He enjoyed working on the family farm and working with all kinds of animals. He loved to go fishing and hunting and enjoyed sitting down and telling stories to all his family and friends. Rod was always willing to lend a helping hand to family, friends and neighbors.


Rod passed away in Gregory on July 9, 2019 at the age of 63.


Rod is survived by his siblings; Pat (Delbert) Klein, Rich (Sarah) Grim, Nola Grim (Harland), Danny Grim, Randy Grim, Jan Schrader, Tina Grim -Schmaltz, Darwin (Kerri) Grim, sister-in-law Nancy Grim and many nieces and nephews.


Rod is preceded in death by his parents Leonard “Ray” and Irene, his grandparents, his brother Larry, and infant siblings; Dennis, Cheryl.

Rita Stroschine, 97

Rita Stroschine, 97, of Winner, SD passed away on Saturday, July 20, 2019 at the Winner Regional Long-Term Care Facility in Winner, SD.


Funeral service will be held on Friday, July 26, 2019 at 1 p.m. at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Winner. Burial will follow in the Colome City Cemetery. A visitation will be held on Thursday, July 25, 2019 at the Trinity Lutheran Church from 6-7 pm with a prayer service beginning at 7 p.m.
Rita Erna (Amick) Stroschine was born on March 5, 1922 to Charles and Jennie Amick. She had 3 brothers; Lynne, Ivan and Carroll. Rita attended Kansas Flats country school through the 8th grade.


On June 4, 1938 Rita was united in marriage to Carl Stroschine. To this union 3 daughters were born; Gaye, Jeanne and Connie, as well as a son who died at birth.


Rita was baptized in the fall of 1938, and began confirmation at Zion Lutheran Church in Colome with Pastor Sabrosky in 1938.


Then Carl and Rita moved to Nebraska and Pastor Sabrosky moved to Sioux City, so he mailed her catechism studies and she was confirmed “through the mail”. Since pastor was serving in the Sioux City area, she was a confirmed member of the Sioux City Church.


Carl and Rita lived in Nebraska until 1946, when they moved back to Tripp County, they purchased some land and farmed with her parents. She remained on the farm until 1992 when she moved to Winner, eventually moving to the nursing home in January of 2018.


Rita was a member of Zion Lutheran and Trinity Lutheran Churches. Rita’s faith was exactly as the Apostle Paul recorded in Ephesians chapter 2 vs 8&9. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, not by any works, it is a free gift from God, so that no one can boast. Rita believed that God loved her so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to seal her eternal salvation through his death on Calvary’s cross and His resurrection on the third day. Rita’s faith was as simple as this, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit did everything, and she did nothing to earn her eternal Life in Heaven.


Rita entered into her eternal home early Saturday morning, July 20, 2019 at the age of 97, at the WRHCC Long-Term Care.


Rita is survived by daughters Jeanne (Roger) Pochop and Connie (Stan) Bicek, 10 grandchildren; Brian Hambek, Pam & Terry Anderson, Don & Naomi Hambek, Tony & Tina Bicek, Sandy & Doug Beck, Karey & Craig Thieman, Jamey & Lisa Stroschine, Myra & Dan Stoney, Mike & Tami Pochop and Sandra Gillispie. Also, surviving are 27 great-grandchildren and 10 great-great grandchildren.


Preceding her in death were her parents, husband Carl, three brothers, infant son, and daughter Gaye and son-in-law Lyle Hambek.


Rita leaves a legacy of strong faith and unconditional love of her family and will be dearly missed by us all.

Mary Pechota, 95

Mary Leona Dubray Pechota was welcomed into the loving arms of her heavenly father Tuesday, July 16 in Custer, SD. Visitation was held Monday, July 22, 5-6 p.m. at St. Isidore’s Catholic Church in Colome, SD with rosary to follow.


Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Tuesday, July 23, 10 a.m. at St. Isidore’s followed by burial in the Colome Cemetery.


Born Jan. 12, 1924 at their home in Greenwood Township, Mary Leona was the fifth of ten children to Peter and Lillian (nee Rice) Dubray. She attended North Greenwood School as a child, arriving each day by horseback, accompanied by her brothers Kenny and Delbert.


Leona loved to tell stories about her childhood at the home place. She told tales of Turvy, her horse that refused riders and once trotted into Senkel’s Dam, little Leona still riding bareback. She forever blamed that incident for her fear of water that wasn’t in a cup. She and her siblings tormented each other with bullsnakes in the chicken coop. Leona worked hard beside Peter and her siblings, doing chores, putting up hay, planting huge gardens, picking all kinds of berries and listening each Saturday night to the Major Bowes Amateur Hour.


The Dubray and Rice families were large, loyal and full of fun and laughter. They didn’t have much but they had love. During hard times, the family received help from neighbors, especially from special friends the Frantzs. Leona told countless stories about visiting with Julia Wright, Flora Driving Hawk, Robert Dubray, Earl and Adelle Boyd, Josephine Price, Louie Moran, Spec and Connie Dillon and many others.

Always proud of her heritage, Leona was quick to remind people that her mother went to Carlisle Indian School with Jim Thorpe. When the kids experienced prejudice due to their native heritage, Peter would hear nothing of it, telling Leona if that was the worst she ever experienced, she should count herself lucky.


As the kids aged, Leona and siblings attended high school at St. Francis Indian Mission, in those days, a boarding school. Peter would drop Leona off in September and she would return to the home place in the spring. The Mission, its teachers, nuns and priests, had an enduring influence on her faith, molding her into a devout Catholic; she wouldn’t have a bad word uttered about the Church in her presence. Later, she would serve as sacristan, Eucharistic minister and Catholic Daughters officer at her home parish and, for decades, took immense pride in cleaning and laundering the vestments and linens for St. Isidore’s.


Before graduation, Leona left St. Francis to earn money to help out the family. She worked at Omaha Cold Storage in Winner. At age seventeen, she boarded the train with friend June Houston to Hanford, Washington, where Leona worked for two years (1942-44) on the atomic bomb at the full-scale plutonium production plant. Leona made lifelong friends and sent much of her paycheck back to South Dakota to her family, who used the money to purchase a house, which still stands on the home place today.


During World War II, Leona joined the US Armed Forces as a proud member of the Women’s Army Corps. She trained at Fort Hood and was discharged at Fort Sam Houston.


In 1946, she met Frank Pechota, Jr. at a Bohemian Hall Dance. They were married that same year. She told great stories about the unlikely pair, an Indian gal with a bunch of Bohemians. She got along famously with the whole Pechota clan. She and Junior welcomed baby Terry to the family then made a move to California in 1948, where son Gary was born.

When it became apparent, as she said, that neither Frank nor she were destined to become movie stars, they moved back to Tripp County and lived on the Pechota farm. When baby Tonna joined the family, they moved to Colome, where they raised their children and lived for most of their lives.

Later, Leona moved to Rapid City, SD, for several years and Minneapolis for a few, before coming back to Colome to live out her golden years. She was proud to be from Colome and had many friends, church family and dear friends at the Rose Manor Assisted Living.


Leona worked many jobs in her ninety-five years, among them, she was a waitress at Manzer’s Café and the Colome Municipal Bar, and did washing and ironing for the teachers of Colome School. She worked well into her 80s, volunteering at the Colome American Legion Thursday steak night.


Leona went on to earn her GED and, at age 54, she earned her Licensed Practical Nurse certification, her proudest personal achievement. Wonderful memories were made with the night shift at Winner Baptist Hospital, and Leona made friendships that lasted her until the end of her days. Leona meticulously wrote her final wishes down twenty years ago and, as was her fashion, was very clear about how she wanted to be laid to rest, surrounded by the women she worked alongside in patient care. She worked in various healthcare facilities until her retirement but cherished her days at the Winner hospital. Leona’s final wishes were that she be buried in her uniform; she wrote simply, by way of explanation: “I loved being a nurse.”


The consummate matriarch, Leona ruled the roost in and outside her home. She had a temper but her anger never lasted long. She believed in education, discipline, faith and family. Leona was devoted to the notion that one must care for their children and relatives. She loved all her family fiercely and helped raise Terry’s boys. She was known as a spitfire and the family is grateful for the loving care she received at Rose Manor in Colome and Custer Regional Senior Care in Custer, SD during her last years, even when being a spitfire became a bit of a handful.


Leona was preceded in death by husband Frank, Jr., daughter Tonna and son Gary, siblings Lily, Harry, Emma, Alvina, Myrtle, Winona and Delbert. She was preceded in death by her beloved cocker spaniel Peaches.


She is survived by her son Terry, and daughter-in-law Julie, sister Vi Rocek and brother Kenny Dubray. Leona was dearly loved by her grandchildren, Todd Pechota, Chris Pechota, Dominic Pechota, Tovi Cox Bartels, Alec Pechota, Kati Pechota, Mariah Pokorny, Mackenzie Miller, Gabrielle Morganfield, the housecat gang, and many great-grandchildren and one great-great grandson.


Leona will be missed by all who knew her. The world will miss her famous 4-inch meringue, her signature banana bread care packages and, forever, we will miss her hard-won wisdom, her wonderful laugh, her wit, her compassion for “the pitiful”, her love of the Church and her undying faith. May we all live such a colorful, full and faithful life as Mary Leona Pechota.
In lieu of flowers, Leona has requested a memorial for masses to be said for the repose of her soul.

Allen Tucker, 88

Allen Tucker, 88, of Wood, SD passed away on Friday, July 19, 2019 at the Winner Regional Long-Term Care Facility in Winner, SD.


Funeral service will be held on Thursday, July 25, 2019 at 11 a.m. at the Wood Community Hall in Wood, SD. Burial will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery in Wood, SD. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 24, 2019 from 6-7 p.m. at the Mason Funeral Home in Winner, SD with a prayer service beginning at 7 p.m.


Allen “Buddy” Keith Tucker was born on April 24, 1931 along with his twin brother Alvin “Sonny” Wayne to Lonnie and Edna (Stevens) Tucker at their home on Horse Creek.


He attended grade school in White River and graduated high school in 1949 from White River.


Allen was united in marriage to Ila Galbraith on Oct. 27, 1951 in a double ceremony with Mike and Dola (Tucker) Dreyer.


Allen entered the Marine Corp in 1952. While serving in Korea Allen drove a M-51 tank. He was discharged in May 1954. At that time Allen and Ila moved back to Wood, SD where they resided for the next 63 years and raised their four sons.


Allen served on the church board, township board, first water board in Mellette County and served on the Cherry Todd Board for 21 years. He was also instrumental in the planning and fund raising of the Wood Community Hall. Allen was very proud to serve his community. He was a Legion member for 67 years, 32-degree Master Mason for 52 years, Naja Shriner for 50 years, Mason for 63 and an Eastern Star member for 61 years.


Allen loved to watch his children and grandchildren play sports. He was an avid fan of the Minnesota Vikings and the Minnesota Twins. He loved to farm and would spend endless hours on a tractor. He loved the smell of fresh turned soil in the spring, the smell of alfalfa, harvesting and Red Angus Cattle.


He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Ila, sons Wade and his wife Suzie of Wood, SD, Brad and his wife Connie of Rapid City, SD, Loren and his wife Gail of Gillette, WY and Shawn and his wife Natalie of Gillette, WY, 11 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild, and a host of other relatives and friends.


He was preceded in death by his parents Lonnie and Edna, father and mother-in-law Stanton and Lona Galbraith, brothers; Calvin, Alvin, Norton, Nolan and sisters Winnie Green and Dola Dreyer.
The family will be directing memorials to the Wood Community Hall.

Robert McKee, 80

Memorial services for Robert “Bob” McKee, age 80, of Gregory, SD will be held on Monday, July 29 at 11 a.m. at the United Methodist Church, Gregory, SD. There is a visitation one prior to the service.

Bob passed away at the Avera Gregory Hospital on July 18, 2019.

Mr. McKee was born Nov. 8, 1938 in Gregory, SD to Clarence and Martisha (Goodwin) McKee. He attended elementary school in the Gregory area. His family moved to Pierre, SD in 1951 where he attended Pierre High School. He attended the University of South Dakota at Vermillion and served in the U.S. Army being stationed in Arkansas, Georgia, and Germany.

He worked in the banking business in Kennebec, SD and Wolsey, SD from May 1960 until July 1963. He became a governmental auditor for the state of South Dakota in July 1963 and was assigned to the Gregory area in 1964. He retired as a governmental auditor on January 1, 1996.


He was employed as manager of the Gregory Senior Village from Sept. 1, 1996 through August 31, 2003. During his lifetime he enjoyed baseball, football, Hunting, fishing, golf, model airplanes, do it yourself projects, politics, reading, traveling, listening to good music, gardening, computers, and especially his grandchildren.


He married Susan Rae Roberts in Kennebec, SD on Feb. 11, 1961. Susan passed away Feb. 11, 1969. He married Margaret Ann Lopour on April 4, 1970 in Gregory, SD. He was a member of the Gregory United Methodist Church and served on the Gregory City Council.


In addition to his wife he is survived by two daughters, Sandra of Pierre, SD and Amy and her husband Jamie Sachtjen of Colome, SD. He is also survived by three grand children Trevor, Nolan, and Emily and two sisters Sally and her husband Milo Lines of Sac City Iowa and Christine and her husband, Sherwin Nyberg, of Groton, SD and numerous other relatives including nieces, nephews, and cousins.


He was preceded in death by his parents, his son Mike, and his brother Lee.