65 Winner, SD December 31, 2020 Melanie Ann Coffey was born on January 22, 1955, to Orville and Mary Olson in Madison. Melanie graduated from Madison High School in 1974. She later met her future husband in 1978 while both were working at McKennan Hospital...
Obituaries
Ronnie LeRoy Bents
69 Salem, SD January 1, 2021 Ron was born in Sibley, Iowa in 1951 to Andy Hugo and Vivian (Dagel) Bents-Post. He attended Sibley High School and was married to ViAnn Hofmeyer in 1970 at the First Reformed Church in Melvin, Iowa. They made their home in Baker Township...
Reverend George Edmund Nielson
92 Crooks, SD January 1, 2021 George Nielson was born in Sioux Falls on January 22, 1928, and grew up working hard on his family’s depression-era farm near Crooks. His parents were Otto John Nielson (from Copenhagen, Denmark) and Tina (nee Johnson) from Crooks. George...
William “Bill” P. Huntimer
89 Dell Rapids, SD December 31, 2020 William Patrick Huntimer was born on September 13, 1931 in Colton, the son of Joseph and Regina (Elscamp) Huntimer. He grew up in the Colton and Dell Rapids areas. He attended school at Chester grade school, St. Mary Catholic...
Ronald Allen Thompson
88 Sioux Falls, (formerly Lyons, SD) December 20, 2020 Ron was born on November 24, 1932, at Sioux Valley Hospital to Roy O. and Johanna (Bunde) Thompson. Ron grew up farming with his dad on two farms near Lyons and attended the Lyons School. He entered the Army in...
Arden “Ardy” Smith
86 Crooks, SD (formerly of Arlington) December 28, 2020 Ardy Clarence Smith was born July 10, 1934, in rural Erwin to Clarence (C.P.) and Lillie (Berger) Smith. He married Marge Smith on August 25, 1962, and they proudly raised three daughters, Jolene, Gaylene...
Audrey Matthies
86 Hartford, SD December 25, 2020 Audrey Anne Matthies was born October 22, 1934, in Canton to Elmer and Gunhild (Severson) Twedt. She moved to the Hartford area as a young girl and later the family moved to Sioux Falls where she attended Sioux Falls schools. In...
Roberta “Bobbi” Carlson
70 Crooks, SD December 22, 2020 Bobbi Anderson, daughter of Gene and Marjorie (Nelson) Anderson, was born August 3, 1950, in Bryant. She grew up there and graduated from Bryant High School with the class of 1968. Following high school, she attended...
Daniel J. Ketcham
59 Lennox, SD December 18, 2020 Daniel Joseph Ketcham was born on May 25, 1961, to Earl and Dorothy (Kueter) Ketcham in Dell Rapids. In 1980, Dan married his high school sweetheart, Karen Sechser, at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Humboldt. They made their home in...
Alexander Koscielski
92 Sioux Falls, SD December 24, 2020 Alexander Koscielski, son of Joseph and Victoria Koscielski, was born February 18, 1928, near San Antonio, Texas. He graduated from high school in Lovena, Texas. Following high school, he enlisted in the United...
Marvin (Marv) L. Johnson
79 Sious Falls, SD December 25, 2020 Marvin Leon Johnson was born with his twin sister, Marlys, July 2, 1941, on their family farm near Flandreau to Homer and Dollie (Hurley) Johnson. Marvin was raised on the farm and attended country schools and Flandreau...
Cal Krueger
71 Sioux Falls, SD December 20, 2020 Calvin Wayne Krueger, son of August and Betty (Bentz) Krueger, was born June 30, 1949, in Gregory. He grew up and received his education in Fairfax. He then attended the University of South Dakota and received his Bachelor of...
Shirley Ann Ahrendt
72 Sioux Falls, SD (formerly from Hartford, SD) December 14, 2020 Shirley was born on January 1, 1948, to Arnold and Cleo (Main) Theel on a farm outside of Montrose. She spoke fondly of growing up in Hartford with hardworking parents, her younger brothers,...
LeRoy Mark Huntimer
56 Sioux Falls, SD (formerly Hartford, SD) December 9, 2020 LeRoy was born in Freeman on March 21, 1964, to Frederick and Delores (Cornell) Huntimer. He grew up in the Hartford area, living on Wall Lake for many of those years. He attended West Central school,...
Severin “John” Drobny
81 Rural Humboldt December 20, 2020 Severin (John) Drobny was born December 30, 1938, at Milbank to Albert and Julia Drobny of Rosen, Minn. He attended grade school in Rosen. John graduated from Bellingham, Minn., high school in 1956. He served in the U.S. Army...
Roberta Miller
66 Crooks, SD December 14, 2020 Roberta Jean (Bobbie) Miller (Rayhill) was born in Martin on March 13, 1954. Roberta attended school in Martin. The highest job she held before marriage was Deputy Auditor for Bennett County. Roberta was united in marriage with Donald...
Gloria Irene Christopherson Christiansen
68 Rural Colton, SD December 16, 2020 Gloria was born on March 26, 1952, in New York state to Edward and Gloria (Ainsworth) Hill. She grew up in Galway, N.Y., and graduated from Galway Central High School in 1970. After graduation, she met Charles Christopherson...
Shirley Aileen Larson
86 Crooks, SD December 10, 2020 Shirley was born on November 26, 1934 in Sioux Falls to Isaac and Gladys (Benson) Larson. She was baptized and confirmed at Benton Lutheran Church near Crooks and remained a member there all her life. She attended grade...
Walter “Walt” George
99 Chester, SD December 12, 2020 Walter William George was born November 26, 1921 on the family farm North of Chester to William and Clara (Mergen) George. Walter attended Chester school until he was needed on the farm. He entered the U.S. Army in August 1942...
JoAnn Darlene Park
89 Dell Rapids, SD December 12, 2020 JoAnn Darlene Park was born in Dell Rapids on February 25, 1931, the daughter of Freeman and Mildred (Flood) Bowles. She grew up in Lake Andes until moving to Dell Rapids at the age of seven. JoAnn graduated from Dell Rapids High...