Brookings County, South Dakota Obituary and Death Notice Collection
GenealogyBuff.com - Brookings County, South Dakota Obituary Collection - 7
Posted By: GenealogyBuff.com Date: Wednesday, 19 June 2024, at 12:04 p.m.
Tony Leiferman
April 22, 1948 - October 15, 2011
Anthony G. "Tony" Leiferman, 63, of Aurora, died Saturday, October 15, 2011, at Trident Medical Center, in North Charleston, SC. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30am Thursday, October 20, 2011 at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, in Brookings. Visitation will be from 5pm to 7pm Wednesday, at Rude’s Funeral Home, in Brookings.
Tony Leiferman was born April 22, 1948 in Brookings, SD, the son of Ervin and Alice (Smith) Leiferman. He died Saturday, October 15, 2011 at the age of 63.
Tony was raised on a farm by Aurora, SD. He attended a one room country school through 8th grade. He graduated from Brookings High School in 1966. He attended college briefly before enlisting in the Air Force. He served in Vietnam and at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado and at Lockbourne Air Force Base in Ohio. After leaving the military, he farmed and ranched with his dad and brothers for many years. Tony lived most of his life at his ranch north of Elkton. He enjoyed hunting and was an excellent cattleman. During the past five summers he fenced off some of his property to plant and care for trees with the intent of building a cabin someday.
Tony never married, but he had an entire family of friends. Tony most enjoyed spending time with his buddies. He enjoyed traveling, particularly on his trips to Jamaica. He also enjoyed attending the Sturgis Bike Rally each year in his motorhome.
Tony is survived by his sister, Rosemary and her children, Tonja, Jeff and Tessa and a grandchild, Teadon; a sister Kathy and her son, Pete and his family Sandy, Levi and Lucas; a brother Pete and his wife Deb and children, David and Amy; a sister Teresa and her daughter, Charlotte and a brother John and his wife Sharon and son, Mathew.
Tony’s family and friends say he was a very warmhearted, considerate and kind person. He never forgot a birthday. He was loved very much and will be missed by everyone.
He was preceded in death by his parents Ervin and Tudy Leiferman.
Roger G. Torgerson
Feb 8, 1933 - Mar 22, 2010
Roger G. Torgerson, son of Alvin and Florence (Pennington) Torgerson, was born February 8, 1933 in Richland County, North Dakota. His childhood was spent on the family farm and at a young age, he began working at the grain elevator in Wyndmere, North Dakota.
He was united in marriage to Irene Brunick on October 19, 1951. Five children were born of the marriage. In 1961, they moved to Dempster, South Dakota where he managed the elevator. He continued to work in and manage elevators in several towns in Minnesota and South Dakota. Roger died at the Estelline Nursing and Care Center on Monday, March 22, 2010 at the age of 77 years, 1 month and 14 days.
He will be remembered for his love of horses, rock polishing and his many jokes.
Grateful for having shared his life are his wife, Agnes “Sis” (Nigg) Torgerson; his children, Darlene Kruse (Butch) of Watertown, SD, Rodney Torgerson (Leah) of Springfield, MO, Debora Braasch (Steve) of Fargo, ND, Douglas Torgerson (Kathy Monnier) and Todd Torgerson (Andrea Austin), all of Brookings; seven grandchildren, Tina Sattler (Wayne), Timothy Kruse (Michele), Allison Braasch, Ty Torgerson, Eric Braasch, Kyra Torgerson and Trinity Torgerson; two great-grandchildren, Ryan Sattler and Kelsey Sattler; one great-great-grandchild, Emma Sattler; several step-children and step-grandchildren; one sister, Opal Tarr (Wesley) and one brother, Milton “Mickey” Torgerson, all of Portland, OR.
He was preceded in death by his parents and four brothers, Harold, Arthur, Harvey and Kenneth.
Interment: Stearns Cemetery, Mooreton, North Dakota
Elna Elizabeth Cook
March 24, 1913 - November 25, 2011
Elna E. Cook, 98, of Brookings, SD, formerly from Bruce, died Friday, November 25, 2011 at Brookview Manor, Brookings.
Elna Elizabeth Cook was born on March, 24, 1913, in Bruce, SD, the daughter of Andrew and Lydia (Carlson) Eklund.
Elna received her education in the Bruce School. She was united in marriage to Gerald Alderman on June 20, 1931. To this union, two sons were born Everette Gerald and John Andrew.
She was united in marriage to Clifford Reppe on June 27, 1939 in Salem, SD. To this union, two children were born, Betty Marie and Leland Dennis. After their marriage, she was employed at various places in the Bruce community throughout her lifetime. Clifford died on July 10, 1966 in Brookings, SD.
She was united in marriage to Ernest Cook in 1975. Elna moved Greenleaf Assisted Living in Brookings in 2007 until she moved to the Brookview Manor in May of 2009.
She was a member of the United Methodist Church in Bruce, the Bible Study Group and the Lutheran Ladies Quilting. She enjoyed collecting stamps, coins, bells and especially spending time with family and friends.
Elna is survived by her two sons, Everette (Mary) Alderman of Marion, IA and Leland (Adelpha) Reppe of Bruce, SD; 15 grandchildren, Mike, Doug, Rose, Peggy, Darwin, Dennis, Gregory, Colleen, Clifford and Paul Alderman, Janis and Michelle Rytych and Twila, Larry and John Reppe; many great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren; two sisters Esther Martinson of Brookings, SD and Lorraine Eklund of Minneapolis, MN; a daughter-in-law Eleanor Alderman of Volga, SD and a son-in-law Eldon Rytych of Courtland, KS.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Clifford; one son, John; one daughter, Betty; one grandchild, Warren; one great-grandchild, Kelsey; one sister, Eunice and one brother, Elof.
Funeral Services will be 2:00 pm Monday, November 28, 2011 at Grace Lutheran Church, Bruce, SD.
Visitation will be 4pm to 7pm Sunday, at the Rude’s Funeral Home, Brookings.
Lorraine M. Vanderwal
May 26, 1923 - November 23, 2011
Lorraine "Peg" Vanderwal, 88, of Brookings, SD, died Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at the United Retirement Center, Brookings, SD. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30am Monday, November 28, 2011 at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Brookings, SD. Visitation will be from 4:00pm to 7:00pm Sunday, November 27, 2011 with a 6:30pm Liturgical Wake Service at Rude’s Funeral Home, Brookings, SD.
Lorraine M. Schmidt was born on May 26, 1923 in Moody County, South Dakota the daughter of Henry and Ella (Suhl) Schmidt.
Peg received her education in rural schools in Moody County, SD. In 1936, she moved with her family to a farm south of Elkton, SD.
She was united in marriage to Leland Vanderwal on September 30th, 1943 at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Elkton. Following their marriage they farmed near Verdi, MN and Ward, SD until 1958, when they moved to Pipestone, MN. While living in Pipestone, Peg was employed at the Luksik Drug Store. In 1961, they purchased a farm north of Ward and farmed until retiring in 1981 and moved to Elkton. In 1996, they sold their home in Elkton and moved to Brookings, SD. Leland died on December 8, 1998 in Brookings.
While living in Elkton, Peg was a member of Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, St. Mary’s Altar Society and served on the Parish Council. She especially enjoyed crafts, gardening, playing cards and walking. She was also a member of St. Thomas More Catholic Church, St. Thomas More Catholic Church Guild, the Brookings Hospital Auxiliary and the Red Hatters.
Peg is survived by one daughter, Leanne Banken and her husband Kevin of Brookings, SD; along with several nephews and nieces.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, one brother, Melvin and two sisters, Mildred Steele and Helen Klosterman.
Glen August Felt
Glen August Felt, 95, of Brookings, SD, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother-in-law, and uncle, was called home to God on Wednesday, November 09, 2011. Funeral Services have been set for 10:30am Saturday, November 12, 2011 at First Lutheran Church, Brookings, SD. Visitation will be from 4:00pm to 6:00pm Friday, November 11, 2011 at Rude’s Funeral Home, Brookings, SD.
Glen was born on June 29th, 1916 in Garden City, South Dakota to August and Botilda (Hanson) Felt. He lived on a farm with his parents, one brother and 2 sisters for the first 20 years of his life and attended Garden City Public Schools through the 12th grade. In 1936 the family moved to a farm north of Brookings, South Dakota.
Glen married Estelle K. Rudebusch in 1942 and they have 4 children: James (Heather) Felt,
Nancy (Bill) Hendrickson, Patricia Berge and Janet (Tim) Fergen. Glen and Estelle purchased a farm north of Brookings in 1940 where they have lived from the time they were married until his death. Glen farmed for 30 years then worked at 3M for 11 years until his retirement in 1981. He was committed to serving his church and community. An active member of First Lutheran Church, Glen served on the Church Council, Missions/Tanzania Committee, Cemetery Committee, was involved in Prison Ministry and taught Sunday School. For many years he was on the boards of the South Dakota Soil Conservation Bureau and the South Dakota Farm Bureau, was a member of the Masonic Lodge and Eastern Star. A charter member of the Brookings Golden K Kiwanis Club, Glen served as the Club’s first president and subsequently served as Lt. Governor for Division 13 of the Minnesota-Dakotas District of Kiwanis International.
Glen’s great loves were family, friends, faith, farming and his Swedish heritage. He enjoyed woodworking, gardening and traveling. He is survived by his wife, 4 children and their spouses, 7 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren and was preceded in death by his parents, 1 brother, 2 sisters, 1 granddaughter and 1 grandson and many beloved friends and family.
Albert "Pete" Gries
December 30, 1924 - November 5, 2011
Albert "Pete" Gries, 86, of Aurora, died Saturday, November 5, 2011 at his home. Funeral services will be 2 pm Saturday, November 12, 2011 at Aurora United Methodist Church, Aurora. Visitation will be from 5pm to 7pm Friday at Rude’s Funeral Home, Brookings.
Albert Gries was born on December 30, 1924 in Davison County, SD the son of Hugo and Hilda (Thorborg) Gries.
Pete received his education in rural school in Brookings County, SD. From 1943 until 1946, he served in the United States Army. He was united in marriage to Nancy Wachtel on October 29, 1947 in Aurora, SD. From this marriage came three children; Sharon, Anthony "Jack" and Scott. After their marriage they lived in Wilmont, MN where he worked at a locker plant until 1949 when they moved to Aurora and he operated the Sexauer Elevator for ten years. In 1959, he was employed at Artz Locker in Brookings. From 1960 to 1980 he owned and Operated Pete’s Hometown Meat and Groceries in Aurora. Pete was then employed as a rural mail carrier until his retirement in 1987.
Pete was a member of Aurora United Methodist Church, the VFW, the American Legion and the BPO Elks. He also was a founding member of the Aurora Fire Department, which he served on for 25 years. He enjoyed gardening, fishing, camping and especially spending time with his family and friends.
Pete is survived by his wife of 64 years, Nancy, of Aurora, SD; one daughter, Sharon (Gerald) Berg, of Pierre, SD; two sons, Anthony "Jack" (Karen) Gries and Scott (Brenda) Gries, both of Aurora, SD; eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; one brother, Marvin (Jean) Gries; of Aurora, SD; two sisters, Evelyn (Ernest) Kirby, of Aurora, SD and Mary (Eddie) William, of Volga, SD; one sister-in-law, Lorraine Gries, of Elkton, SD; many nieces and nephews and many special friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; four brothers, Ray, Melvin, Irvin and Herb and two sisters, Irene and Dorothy.
Davis Jackson Lee
October 29, 2009 - October 30, 2011
Davis Jackson Lee, 2, of Brookings, SD died Sunday, October 30, 2011 at the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital, Minneapolis, MN after a 10 month battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Funeral Services have been set for 10:30am Friday, November 4, 2011 at First United Methodist Church, Brookings, South Dakota. Visitation will be from 4:00pm to 7:00pm Thursday, November 3, 2011 at Rude’s Funeral Home, Brookings, SD. Davis’ family thanks you for all of your thoughts and prayers. Their wish is that no child would endure the struggles that Davis experienced. One way to show your support for Davis and his family would be to register to become a bone marrow donor. For more information go to www.marrow.org to consider registering. Memorials may be directed to Sanford Children’s Hospital "The Castle" in Sioux Falls, SD or to the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis, MN.
Davis Jackson Lee was born October 29, 2009 in Sioux Falls, SD the son of Jeff and JoAnn (Brodersen) Lee.
In Davis’ short time at home, he loved to go for walks on the trail by his family’s home on the way to the park with his mommy and big brother, Jasper. He enjoyed having his mommy and daddy read books to him; he loved playing with his train set; he was thrilled to have Jasper chase him around the house playing hide and seek. He especially enjoyed having his daddy push Jasper and him around the pool table in their "Little Tikes Cars". He also looked forward to the trips to his grandparent’s farm to see "Sparky" the farm dog.
During his time at Sanford Children’s Hospital, he enjoyed pushing his IV pole around his room and the hallways while holding one of mommy’s fingers. He also found joy in stepping on the "Stars" on the floor of Sanford Children’s Hospital, saying "blue" for each blue star. While at Sanford Children’s Hospital, Davis received the "Brave Knight Quilt" for his Bravery and Courage in fighting his disease.
Davis’ journey then took him to the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital, Minneapolis, MN. During his stay there Davis found things to enjoy although he was mainly confined to the hospital room. He enjoyed looking out the window seeing the many sites of the outside world, from finding taxi cabs of all colors as they drove by to the Metro Buses thinking one of them was the one Jasper and Daddy rode on one day. He also found joy in seeing the airplanes fly by and when he would hear the hospital helicopter coming in for a landing. If he couldn’t get to the window, Davis would tilt his head to see if he could see it flying by. Davis could name all of the primary colors and loved to point out the moon, stars, trees, and cars anytime he saw them on TV.
He always treasured having his mommy read to him and her constant companionship during his difficult journey. Davis eagerly anticipated visits from family members and friends, especially when Daddy, Jasper and Andy would come.
Davis is survived by his parents, Jeff and JoAnn Lee of Brookings, SD; his two brothers, Andrew and Jasper both of Brookings, SD; his grandparents, Gordon and Joyce Brodersen of Elkton, SD and Nona H. Lee of Spearfish, SD along with his many aunts, uncles and faux family of doctors, nurses, and hospital staff.
Davis was preceded in death by his grandfather, Orland B. Lee and his great-grandparents.
Although Davis is gone to Heaven with God, he will live on in our hearts and memories forever. Our love for Davis will never end.
John D. Stegeman
July 29, 1935 - October 29, 2011
John D. Stegeman, 76, of Brookings, died Saturday, October 29, 2011 at the Golden Living Center, in Madison, SD. Memorial services will be held 10:30am Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at Rude’s Funeral Home, Brookings with visitation starting at 9am.
John David Stegeman was born July 29, 1935 to Walter and Alma (Kruger) Stegeman in Luverne, MN. He attended school in Trent, SD and graduated from Trent High School in 1955. He married Peggy Sneve on September 12, 1955 in Trent. The couple moved to Dell Rapids, SD while John worked at Lindsey Brothers in Sioux Falls, SD. John and Peggy then moved to George, IA where they owned and operated John’s Steakhouse for 24 years. He served as acting Mayor of George for four years. In 2008, John and Peggy moved to Brookings. In October 2010, John moved to Golden Living Center in Madison, SD where he resided until the time of his death.
John was an avid racing fan who enjoyed racing go-carts and watching and attending Sprint Car races as well as different races around the country. He also had passion fishing and liked gardening in his spare time. He loved his family, his grandchildren and life. John was a very social person, he loved visiting with all the customers while he ran the steakhouse.
John is survived by his wife, Peggy, of Brookings; one daughter, Linda (Neil) Gundvaldson, of Brookings; three grandchildren, Angela (John) Pomales, Jamison (Amanda) Gundvaldson and Chris (Ashley) Gundvaldson; 7 great-grandchildren and one brother, Donald (Marge) Stegeman, of New Braunfels, TX.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one son, Michael, and one daughter Lori Lynn.
