Brookings County, South Dakota Obituary and Death Notice Collection
GenealogyBuff.com - Brookings County, South Dakota Obituary Collection - 19
Posted By: GenealogyBuff.com Date: Wednesday, 19 June 2024, at 1:15 p.m.
Elaine Marie Spinar
July 1, 1925 - May 27, 2013
Elaine Marie Spinar, 87, of Sioux Falls and formerly of Brookings, stepped into eternal life on Monday, May 27, 2013 at the Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD. Funeral services have been set for 10:30am on Saturday, June 1, 2013 at First United Methodist Church in Brookings, SD. Visitation will be held from 9:00am until 10:30am Saturday, June 1, 2013 at First United Methodist Church in Brookings.
Elaine Marie Gullickson was born July 1, 1925 in the town of Fountain, WI, the fourth of five children and youngest daughter of Thomas and Ruby (Fobes) Gullickson. She grew up in the Milwaukee area but loved to spend summers visiting her aunts and uncles on their Wisconsin dairy farms. In her early teens, Elaine chose the nickname Bonnie and was known by family and childhood friends by that name throughout her life.
At the age of 19, Elaine contracted tuberculosis and was placed in a sanatorium with little expectation that she would survive. God had other plans. In 1952, at the age of 27, the doctors considered her cured and she was released from the sanatorium. Because of her excellent writing skills, she was encouraged to go to the University of Wisconsin, where she met and fell in love with Leo Spinar.
Elaine and Leo were married July 21, 1955 in West Allis, Wisconsin. They lived in Fort Collins, CO and Columbia, MO before moving to Brookings, SD in 1966 where they raised their three daughters and one son. In the early 1970’s, Elaine and Leo came to know their Savior, Jesus Christ. Elaine led bible study prayer groups from that time until they moved to Sioux Falls in October of 2012.
Elaine had the gift of hospitality. She loved to cook and would have wonderful dinner parties, a skill that she passed down to all of her children. She was also proud of her Norwegian heritage and toured Norway three times. On one of the trips, she was able to visit the family farm where her grandfather was born.
Elaine is survived by her husband, Leo; three daughters, Anne (Terry) Drew of Castlewood, SD, Sandra (Robert) Gipe of Port Angeles, WA and Karen Spinar of San Diego, CA; one son, Mark (Nancy) Spinar of Centreville, VA; nine grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; one sister, Leone Cox; one brother-in-law, Mel Spinar; three sisters-in-law, Millie Gullickson, Caroline Gullickson and Irene (Vern) Fischer and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Ruby; two brothers, Cecil and Bob; one sister, Geri Hatch and one sister-in-law, Anita Calhoon.
Elaine was dearly loved and will be sorely missed by all who knew her.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the SDSU Foundation, Leo and Elaine Spinar Award for Teaching Excellence in Chemistry and Biochemistry or to the First United Methodist Church Memorial Fund.
Richard E. Reuer
March 26, 1923 – Jan. 12, 2012
Reliance - Richard E. Reuer, 88, died at his home on Thursday, Jan. 12.
Richard Eugene Reuer was born March 26, 1923, on the farm on the Lower Brule Reservation to Gottlieb and Martha (Wagaman) Reuer. He attended grade school and the first two years of high school on the Lower Brule Reservation. In 1940, Richard graduated from the Reliance High School in Reliance.
In January 1945, Richard enlisted in the U. S. Navy, serving during World War II, spending a large part of his time steering the ship USS Hemmitage, which was one of the largest troop transporters for the Navy.
While in the Navy, Richard married Viola Kindopp on March 19, 1945. After his discharge, Richard returned home and in 1947 moved his family from Lower Brule to the ranch near Reliance where he raised Hereford cattle the rest of his life.
Richard served on the local school board and was chairman of the Lyman County School Board while they reorganized with the Chamberlain District.
Then, he served on the Chamberlain School Board for several years during the building of the new high school. He served for more than 30 years on the American Creek Conservation Board and a couple terms on the State Conservation Board. He served as a Lyman County commissioner for 18 years.
Richard served on the Lyman County Extension Board working with the local 4-H Clubs, and was also a local brand inspector for over 25 years. He would help at the Presho, Winner, and Chamberlain livestock auctions during sales.
He served as the post commander of the Johnson-Peterson Post No. 179 and the county commander of Lyman County. He was elected District 8 commander, state district commander of the American Legion and District 8 commander of the VFW.
Richard enjoyed hunting, fishing, and raising some of the best Hereford cattle in the area.
He is survived by his wife, Viola of Reliance; four sons, Darrel (Margaret) Reuer of Iroquois, Rod (Janet) Reuer of Chamberlain, Kevin Reuer of Reliance and Keith (Leslie) Reuer of Reliance; a daughter, Gloria (Kelly) Koerlin of Volga; a daughter-in-law Eiko Reuer; a brother, Alvin (Jeanie) Reuer of Chamberlain; 14 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Preceding him in death was a son, Kenneth.
Funeral services are at 10 a.m. Monday at the Zion Lutheran Church in Chamberlain.
Burial is in the Reliance Cemetery at Reliance.
Visitation is Sunday from 4 to 8 p.m. with family present from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Hickey Funeral Chapel in Chamberlain.
William L. Moe
March 3, 1943 - March 28, 2013
William L. Moe, 70, of Bruce, SD, passed away on Thursday, March 28, 2013 at the Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD. Funeral services will be held at 2:00pm, Monday, April 1, 2013 at Grace Free Lutheran Church in Bruce, SD. Visitation will be held from 5:00pm to 7:00pm Sunday, March 31, 2013 at Rude’s Funeral Home in Brookings, SD.
William L. Moe was born on March 3, 1943 in Volga, SD, the son of Leslie and Marian (Nielsen) Moe.
He grew up on a family farm near Bruce, SD. William attended school in Bruce and graduated from Bruce High School in 1961. Following graduation, William attended college at South Dakota State University.
Bill enlisted in the South Dakota Army National Guard in December of 1963 and was honorably discharged in December of 1969. He started farming with his father in 1964 and was united in marriage to Patricia Oines on September 19, 1964 at Grace Lutheran Church in Bruce, SD.
Bill was a member of Grace Lutheran Church where he served as past Secretary on the church board. He was past Commander of the Waite, Westrum and Skovlund American Legion Post #200, where Bill and Earl Tanke started the BINGO program that lasted for many years. Bill was also a member of several Cattle Breeders Associations. In his later years he enjoyed working with his show cattle. Bill enjoyed traveling with Patricia to Europe, Arizona, Mississippi, California and Reno, Nevada along with many other states. Bill enjoyed watching his granddaughters play basketball and listen to his grandson Jonathan talk about is John Deere toys.
Bill is survived by his wife, Patricia Moe of Bruce, SD; two sons, Michael (Lisa) Moe of Baltic, SD, Richard (Suzanne) Moe of Bruce, SD; four grandchildren, Chelsea Moe of Sioux Falls, SD, Shelby Moe of Baltic, SD, Makenzie Moe of Baltic, SD and Jonathan Moe of Bruce, SD; two sisters, Marlys (Vern) Dybdahl of Tyler, MN and Janene (Steve) Zakrzewski of Phoenix, AZ; mother-in-law, Dorothy Oines of Bruce, SD; two sisters-in-law, Linda (Jim) Mannerud of Brookings and Judy (Dan) Norman of Sioux Falls, SD; a brother-in-law, Ray (Julie) Oines of Brookings, SD and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
He is preceded in death by his parents and father-in-law, Ray Oines.
Jo Ann Maurer
May 6, 1935 – Dec. 29, 2011
Donna, Texas - Jo Ann Maurer, 76, died Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, at the Aurora Hospice in Weslaco, Texas.
Jo Ann was born May 6, 1935, at Garden City to Katherine (Waddell) McMacken and Norris "Bud" McMacken. She attended school in Bradley.
She married Lester Loterbauer in 1950. They lived in the Bristol area until 1975, when they were divorced.
Jo Ann married Bob Sisk in 1980. They owned and operated the White Tail Motel in Rapid City for 10 years.
They then moved to Pierre, until Bob's death in 2000.
She then moved to Donna, Texas, where she met Veryl "Rusty" Maurer. They were married in Arkport, N.Y., in 2004. At the time of her death, Jo Ann and Rusty were residing at the Casa Del Sol, RV Court in Donna.
Jo Ann was a great cook and homemaker. She enjoyed making jelly, pickles, candy and baked goods. She was a regular vendor at the craft shows in Pierre for many years.
Jo Ann is survived by her husband, Rusty Maurer of Donna; her sons, Larry (Kathy) Loterbauer of Madison, Minn., and Terry (Anita) Loterbauer of O'Fallon, Mo.; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; a sister, Karen (Bob) Ellis of Florence; three brothers, Bill (Lilly) McMacken of Brookings, Wes (Marsha) McMacken of Bradenton, Fla., and Charles (Peg) McMacken of Apple Valley, Minn.; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by a sister, Janice Mason.
Donations may be sent to Aurora House Foundation, 2646 W. 18th St., Weslaco, Texas, 78596.
Bernard Van Essen
January 14, 1941 - April 13, 2013
Bernard "Bernie" Van Essen, 72, of Aurora, passed away Saturday, April 13, 2013 at his home surrounded by his loving family. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am Thursday, April 18, 2013 at Rude’s Funeral Home in Brookings. Visitation will be from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Wednesday at Rude’s Funeral Home in Brookings.
Bernard Van Essen was born on January 14, 1941 in Edgerton, MN, the son of Peter and Marie (Oliver) Van Essen. He attended and graduated from Edgerton High School. He married Sandra Palazeke in Leota MN. The couple moved to Brookings, SD where he attended South Dakota State University. He was an integral member of the Jackrabbits Baseball team and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. Bernie was always proud that he was the only pitcher to have defeated the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers until recent years. He continued his education by obtaining a Master’s Degree in Guidance Counseling. He served as an educator, guidance counselor, teacher and coach for several years. He taught in Renville and Sleepy Eye, MN and Thermopolis, WY. He was blessed with two children he was very proud of, Michael and Stacy. He will be remembered by all the lives he touched through the many years he dedicated to education.
Bernie was an outdoorsman and enjoyed spending his time fishing, hunting, camping and gardening. He continued to play baseball for several years after college. Family was very important to him and he loved spending time traveling with his family.
Grateful for having shared his life is his wife, Sandy Van Essen, of Aurora, SD; two children, Michael (Michelle) Van Essen, of La Marque, TX and Stacy Van Essen, of Seattle, WA; two grandchildren, Brooks and Kristen Van Essen, of La Marque, TX; one brother, Arlyn Van Essen, of Minneapolis, MN; two sisters, Sylvia (Dale) Veldhuizen, of Fort Collins, CO and Myrna (Keith Smedsrud) Mulford, of Luverne, MN; three nieces and three nephews.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Pete and Marie Van Essen.
Rachel L. Blandenier
May 11, 1921 – Jan. 8, 2012
Madison - Rachael L. Blandenier, 90, formerly of Flandreau, died Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012, at Avera Dells Area Hospital in Dell Rapids.
Funeral services are at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Ss. Simon and Jude Catholic Church in Flandreau. Burial is in the parish cemetery. Visitation is Tuesday from 6-7 p.m. at Skroch Funeral Chapel in Flandreau with a 7 p.m. Rosary.
Rachael was born May 11, 1921, at Flandreau to Guy and Teresa (Cronin) Smith. She grew up and attended school in Egan and graduated from Egan High School in 1939. Rachael continued her education at Nettleton College in Sioux Falls. She worked various bookkeeping jobs. On July 21, 1952, she married Charles A. Blandenier at Flandreau. She raised her daughter, Charla and worked part-time for the City of Flandreau and Moody County. In 1979 they moved to Egan. They moved to Flandreau in 1990.
Charles died April 27, 1987.
In 2001, Rachael moved to Madison to live with her daughter. Rachael loved to knit, crochet, write letters and socialize with her family and friends. She was a member of Ss. Simon and Jude Catholic Church, Flandreau, Altar Society, Catholic Daughters and the North Get-Together Club.
Rachael is survived by her daughter, Charla (Jim) Callahan of Madison; two grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; several cousins, nieces and nephews and her special family of Joe and Pat Callahan, their 12 children and their families.
Susan Hardin Palmer
October 25, 1936 - April 24, 2013
Susan W. Hardin Palmer, 76, of Brookings, SD, passed away Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls. Memorial services will be at 11:00 am Saturday, April 27, 2013 at GracePoint Wesleyan Church in Brookings. Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Friday at Rude’s Funeral Home in Brookings.
Susan Marie Walker was born on October 25, 1936 in Brookings, SD, the daughter of Kenneth and Anne (Dempster) Walker.
She attended school in Brookings and graduated from Brookings High School in 1954. She attended South Dakota State University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing in 1958. She was the Public Health Nurse in Meade County and served as camp nurse at Ghost Canyon Ranch in Hermosa. She was united in marriage to William Joseph Whistler Hardin on October 14, 1961. To this union, they were blessed with four children; Michele, William, Joseph, and Margaret. The couple moved to Brookings, and she became an instructor of Nursing at SDSU. When William completed pharmacy school, they purchased their own pharmacy in Wisconsin. The family moved to Beatrice, NE after losing their pharmacy to a fire. She took the position of Assistant Director of Nursing Services at Mennonite Deaconess Home and Hospital. In March of 1972, William passed away unexpectedly from a pulmonary embolism.
In July of 1975, Susan accepted the position of Assistant Professor of Nursing at SDSU. She completed her Masters in Nursing in 1976 from the University of Nebraska. She was promoted to Associate Professor and Department Head of Nursing in 1977 where she worked in the program until retirement in 1992. She was instrumental in starting the Masters of Nursing Program at SDSU. She met Ivan Palmer on a University Committee and were married on May 19, 1984 in Brookings, SD bringing his children Jannelle, Craig and Bruce into the blended family. From 1992 to 2001, Susan served as the Director of the Nursing Program at Sisseton Wapheton Community College. It was a very rewarding finish to her long and caring career. In her retirement, she enjoyed many happy times entertaining family and friends at their Lake Poinsett Cabin.
She was an avid reader, reading anything she could get her hands on, was known as the "Book Grandma." She volunteered her time reading to 2nd grade classes in Brookings. She enjoyed traveling and spending her summers at Lake Poinsett. She attended her grandchildren’s activities. She was a huge Jackrabbit fan, following many of their athletics and provided First Aid to fans for 27 years. She attended the Brookings Wesleyan Church. She was a Member of Sigma Theta Tau, the American Nursing Association, the South Dakota Nursing Association, and an honorary member of the Sisseton Wapheton Sioux Tribe.
Grateful for having shared her life are her husband, Ivan Palmer, of Brookings, SD; her children, Michele Hardin, of Spearfish, SD, Bill (Christie) Hardin, of Brookings, SD, Joe (Dawn) Hardin, of Brookings, SD and Maggie (Carroll) Stewart, of Brookings, SD; two step-children, Jannelle (Jerome) Fulsaas, of Decorah, IA and Bruce (Karla) Palmer, Heartland, MN; step-daughter-in-law, Kay Palmer, of Cushing, OK, 18 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren and one aunt, Alice Dempster, of Brookings.
She is preceded in death by her parents, first husband, William, and her step-son, Craig Palmer.
Rebecca Ann Salonen
September 29, 1954 - April 17, 2013
Rebecca "Becky" Salonen, 58, of Sioux Falls and formerly of Aurora, passed away on Wednesday, April 17, 2013 surrounded by her family after a lengthy illness at the Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD. Memorial services will be held at 4:00pm, Sunday, April 21, 2013 at Rude’s Funeral Home in Brookings, SD. Visitation will be held from 2:00pm until the time of the service at Rude’s Funeral Home.
Rebecca Ann Salonen, daughter of Kenneth and Mary Redmond, was born September 29th, 1954, in Aurora, South Dakota. She married Donald Salonen on May 25, 1974.
Becky's passions in life included; family, gardening, care giving, antiquing, and cheering on the Minnesota Twins.
She is survived by husband Donald; two wonderful daughters Jennifer (Courtney) Aman, Kari (Michael) Whalen, and her grandchildren Ava Mae Whalen, Cole Redmond Aman, and Baby Girl Whalen due in June; one brother, Mike (June) Redmond; four sisters, Betty Steen, Teresa (Randy) McLagan, Lori (Butch) Oseby and Mary Frances Redmond.
She is preceded in death by her parents Kenneth and Mary Redmond, one sister, Susan Zimmerman, and mother in-law Mae Salonen.
