Category Archives: News

Donna Mae (Kindt) Steiger, 85, of Winner, SD passed away on Monday, March 23, 2015 at the Winner Regional Long Term Care Facility in Winner, SD.  Funeral service will be held on Friday, March 27th, 2015 at 9 a.mn. at the United Methodist Church in Winner, SD.  Burial will follow in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Sioux Falls, SD at 3 p.m..  A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service Friday morning.

Donna Mae Bittner Kindt Steiger was born on February 19, 1930 to Everett and Minnie (Butterfield) Bittner. She attended school in Tripp County and graduated from Winner High School in 1949.

Donna married the love of her life, Donald Wayne Kindt, on April 11, 1949. To this union 5 children were born: Bobbe Schramm, Donita Kindt, Douglas Donald (died in infancy), Guyla Hohn, and Monte Kindt. Don and Donna enjoyed many happy times and travels with friends. One of their favorite pastimes was dancing. Don and Donna moved to Sioux Falls to raise their family. Don passed away on September 14, 1967. Donna worked at various jobs including telephone operator, drug store clerk, and B&G Milky Way.

Donna met and married LaVern Steiger of Winner on November 1, 1981. On July 20, 2009 she entered Winner Regional Long Term Care and resided there until her death

Eugene Smith passed away Sunday, March 15, 2015 at the Community Memorial Hospital in Burke, South Dakota, at the age of 78 years.

Funeral services were held March 20 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Burke with Fr. Godfrey Muwanga officiating. Burial was in the Graceland Cemetery, Burke.

Eugene Martin Smith was born January 31, 1937 at Burke, South Dakota to Elmer and Mary (Cerny) Smith.  At home, he joined his sister, Lila.  In 1941 a brother, Alvin, was born.  He passed away during infancy, leaving them a family of four.

Gene was baptized and confirmed at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Burke.  On September 24, 1959, he was united in marriage to Avis Hutchison.  Five children would be born to this union.

Gene served two years in the US Army, some of that time in Korea.  He was honorably discharged in 1962 and his family returned to Burke to join his parents in operating the family farm.  After his father suffered a heart attack, Gene and Avis operated the farm together, along with their children, as they became old enough to help.  Gene retired from farming in 2005, entrusting its care to his sons, Ken and Brad.

Gene loved farming, especially along side his wife and children.  He taught, by example, respect for the land, the value of hard work, satisfaction in a job well done and a desire to help others.

He enjoyed teaching his children, nieces and nephews how to hunt and fish.  He served on many boards, including the Burke School Board and Union Township Board.  He was active at Sacred Heart Catholic Church as a Lector and member of the Knights of Columbus.  He took pleasure in playing cards with family and friends, and traveling, especially with his “adopted” brother and his wife, Jack and Leona Hampton of Omaha, Nebraska.

Betty Sinkler 80, of Winner, SD formerly of Wood, SD passed away on Sunday, March 22, 2015 at the Select Specialty Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD.  A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2015 at 2 p.m. at the Wood Community Hall in Wood, SD.  Burial will follow at a later date.  A prayer service will be held on Sunday, March 29, 2015 at 2 p.m. at the Golden Prairie Manor in Winner, SD.

Betty Darlene (Moore) Sinkler was born December 29, 1934, in Wood, South Dakota, to Allis and Agnes Moore.  She attended school in a “one-room schoolhouse” in the Wood area before her family moved to Homedale, Idaho.  When she was a sophomore in high school, the family moved back to Wood, where she graduated from Wood High School in 1952.

On June 11, 1952, she married her high school sweetheart, Warren Sinkler.  To this union five children were born, Cliff, Vickie, Cameron, Vanessa and Cory.  Betty was an active, busy woman while raising their children.  They owned and operated a café and Sinkler Market.  Betty also worked for the United States Postal Service as clerk in Wood and White River, finished her career in Pierre as a night clerk and retired in 1996.

After Betty and Warren retired, they moved to Rapid City in 1997 to care for Warren’s parents.  In 2005, she lost the love of her life when Warren passed away.  After several years, she chose to move to Winner to be closer to family.  In 2009, she moved into Golden Prairie Manor, where she resided until her passing.

Betty enjoyed bowling and the many friends that came along with it.  They attended many state and national tournaments together.  Her grandchildren and great grandchildren were very special to her and she always enjoyed their visits.

Michael “Mick” Strain, 78, of White River, SD passed away on March 12, 2015 at his home in White River, SD.

Funeral service was held on Saturday, March 28, 2015 at 1 p.m. at the White River Community, Center in White River.

Mick was born June 10, 1936 in Murdo,  and was the third son of Grace (Astleford) and Eugene Strain.

He attended South Dakota State University and the University of South Dakota, receiving a B.A. in business, and then earning the degree of Juris Doctor from the University School of Law. He was a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics Training School, Washington, D. C, and also a graduate of the School for Special Prosecutors at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.

Mick served as assistant Attorney General to Frank Farrar from 1966 to 1969.  During his tenure he prosecuted and won most of the drug related criminal cases arising in the Attorney General’s Office and was responsible for investigating and bringing charges resulting from narcotic and dangerous drug violations.

Mick took a sabbatical from law and politics in 1970 to assist Jerry Collins in acquiring, rebuilding and managing the Portland Meadows horseracing track in Portland, OR.

He returned to practicing law in 1977 and was elected Mellette County State Attorney in 1992

In May 2013, the South Dakota State’s Attorneys Association honored Mick with a Life Time Achievement award.

He was a member of the South Dakota Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Delta Theta Phi law fraternity. He was considered one of the best criminal attorneys in South Dakota and had an ardent sense of right and wrong, and sought to remedy injustice wherever he saw it. His passion for helping Native Americans in need brought him close with many traditional Native Americans. His down to earth manner in representing clients at trial won him many acquittals and the respect of the citizens of South Dakota.

Although he spent many hours on the road, and traveled over most of the United States, Mick never ventured far from the western prairie living he grew up in.  He was an avid horseman, raising several lines of quarter horses, cumulating in the Flyma Bars breeding line. He was also an occasional rancher, ardent follower and supporter of the White River basketball and football teams, and an estimable calf roper in his prime.

He was probably best remembered by friends and family for his seemingly endless repertoire of narratives and anecdotes, fraught with lore and local legend.  He conveyed these seemingly embellished stories with deadpan delivery and split-second timing, always ending in a humorous and usually ironic twist.

Ardath Mae Hinman, 89, of Carter, South Dakota passed away on Sunday, March 15, 2015 at the Winner Regional Healthcare Center in Winner, SD.

Funeral service were held  on Saturday, March 21, 2015 at 2 p.m. at the Carter Gospel Fellowship in Carter, SD.  Burial followed in the Winner City Cemetery.

Ardath Mae Hinman passed away Sunday, March 15, 2015 at the Winner Regional Hospital; one month before her 90th birthday. Ardath was born to Frank and Hattie (Blankenhagen) Hakl , April 15, 1925, at her parents’ homestead near Wood, SD.  Ardath attended grade school at the Rosebud Valley School and graduated from Wood High School in 1942 as the valedictorian of her class.  She attended the University of South Dakota for a year before teaching in various schools.  She finished her degree in 1949.  In each school she taught music along with other subjects.

She was united in marriage to Byron B. Hinman on July 2, 1950, the beginning of sixty-three years as a devoted and supportive wife; a great example to her family.  Three girls and a boy were born to this union.

Ardath will always be fondly remembered for her hospitality.  She loved to have family meals with everyone present.  She also loved to garden and had beautiful flowers in the yard.  Most important to her was her faith in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, a faith she loved to share with others.  She was a member of Carter Gospel Fellowship Church and Gideon’s Auxiliary.  She taught Good News Club for many years and helped with Vacation Bible School.  She was also active in the Southern Bell Cattlewomen organization.

She and Byron enjoyed traveling and attending Farm Bureau and Gideon Conventions.  For many years they seldom missed the State Fair.

She always kept an interest in her grandchildren and their activities. She prayed for her family daily.  The family always came to her for advice on political issues and how to vote.