June 19, 1941 ~ September 3, 2019

Clarice Diane Pearson, 78, Renner, loving wife of Russell Pearson, died, Tuesday, September 3, 2019, at the Avera McKennan Hospital, in Sioux Falls.

Visitation will be at 1-3:30pm, Friday, September 6, 2019, at Heartland Funeral Home, Brandon, SD with a short Memorial Service beginning at 2:00pm.

Clarice Diane Hansen was born to Clarence and Louise (Braastad) Hansen on June 19, 1941, in Beresford, where she was raised and graduated high school. She later went on to attend O’Connell Airline School in Minneapolis. She then returned to Sioux Falls and worked at Shriver’s as a floor demo model. Eventually she worked in the Book and Stationary Store in sales. Later, Clarice worked at Litton’s managing the food service for the employees, but had to leave to care for her ailing mother. After the passing of her mother, she went to work managing TS Vending, making food for the vending machines.

Clarice met Russell at a football game as a blind date. They married on April 1, 1960 in Beresford and lived in Michigan for a couple of years before returning to Sioux Falls to start their family.  She loved garage sales, doodling, art, craft shows, and collecting. She was very proud of her extensive Egermann collection. She enjoyed spending time with Russell and they were always on the go somewhere.  Even though they loved eating out, she was a wonderful cook who liked to try new recipes. She especially loved spending time with the grandkids, and having overnight visits with them.

Clarice will be deeply missed by her husband, Russell Pearson, Renner; son, Terry (Patti) Pearson, Larchwood; two grandchildren, Nikki (Jason) Kurvink, Sioux Falls and Matthew Pearson, Larchwood; two grandchildren, Sydnee and Rylee; three siblings, Leon (Ruth) Hansen, Beresford, Elroy (Faye) Hansen, Albuquerque, NM, and Janet (Don) Ripperda, Larchwood; two sisters-in-law, Opal Harris and Viola Noah, both of California; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Clarice was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Doris; brothers-in-law, Wendell and Lowell; and sisters-in-law, Lavonne and Fern.

December 18, 1979 ~ August 24, 2019

Alyssa “Aly” Bryanne Skogen, 39, Sioux Falls, died Saturday, August 24, 2019, as a result of an accident.

Funeral Services will be 1:00 PM, Tuesday, September 3, 2019, at Church at the Gate (6820 W. 26t St., Sioux Falls) with visitation beginning at 11:00 AM.  Burial will follow at Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery, rural Hartford.

Family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be directed to the Alyssa B. Skogen Memorial fund.  The proceeds will be used to assist needy children attending the Leif Erickson Day Camp in Sioux Falls where Aly worked.

Alyssa Bryanne Olsen was born to Keith & Dolores E. (Bundy) Olsen on December 18, 1979, in Gillette Wyoming. At the age of 6, she accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior with her daddy by her side. From that time on, she had a desire to be a missionary, and that would reflect through her entire life. She attended Heritage Christian School, and Mitchell Christian School. During her middle school days, she began to live out her dream and became a summer missionary with Child Evangelism Fellowship. After graduating in 1998, she moved to Sioux Falls, SD, where she again let the missionary desire bloom through her life. 

She devoted herself to youth on many different levels, being a leader at First Southern Baptist, Celebrate Youth, Leif Erickson summer day camp, being a teacher, and her favorite, being a step mother.

Alyssa graduated from DSU with an English/Arts degree. 

She met Nathaniel Skogen in 2015, and was married in December of 2016. To her great joy, she became an instant stepmom, and grandmother! These kids were always the topic of conversation. 

Alyssa was loud, outspoken, bold, strong willed, and full of laughter. If she found a hobby, she would put every bit of energy into it. She had a lot of passions. She enjoyed rock climbing, camping, her Jeep, and the fair grounds.

She was a black belt in taekwondo, insisted on family game nights often, bonfires, and most importantly, date nights with her husband. 

Alyssa will be deeply missed by her husband, Nate Skogen; three stepsons, Paul, Gavin and Kadin; three grandchildren, Leo, Joclyn and Presley; parents, Keith and Dolores Olsen; three siblings, Paul (Tessa) Olsen, Jolynn (Jerran) Neve, Luke (Jennifer) Olsen; seventeen nieces and nephews, Isaiah, Ashton, Kallie, Alexis, Jairus, Jericho, Lily, Trevor, Kyle, Hailey, Andrea, Cassandra, MicKala, Brittany, Dustin, Landan and Rachel; parents-in-law, Daniel and Susan Skogen; siblings-in-law, Aaron (Erica) Skogen and Rebecca (Randy) Erickson; and grandpa-in-law, Harley Skogen.

Alyssa was preceded in death by her niece, Danielle.

October 25, 1954 ~ August 24, 2019

Leslie J. Bollig, 64, Valley Springs, died Saturday, August 24, 2019, at the Dougherty Hospice Home in Sioux Falls.

There will be a visitation, memorial service, & luncheon reception @ Country Manor Chapel in Sartell MN @ 10:00 and full military honors burial @ 3:00 @ Ft Ripley 🇺🇸🇺🇸 in Little Falls, MN on Monday Sept. 9, 2019. Please, No flowers.

On Saturday, October 26, we will celebrate Les Bollig’s life in Valley Springs, SD. This will be the day after what would be his 65th B-day. Details are still pending on location and time. Please check back for updates

In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in Les’s honor.

Leslie will be deeply missed by his wife of forty years, Kristine; two daughters, Lesley Bollig, Sioux Falls, and Sylvia (Mike) Gaul, Sioux Falls; his mother, Ruth Bollig, Sartell, MN; seven siblings, David (Diane) Bollig, Jed (Debbie) Bollig, Kevin (Bert) Bollig, Larry (Sharon) Bollig, Johnny Bollig, Mary Bjerke, and Bette (Ron) Karnik; two brother-in-laws, Jeff (MaryAnn) Anderson and Steve (Laurie) Anderson; and numerous nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and great nephews.

Leslie was preceded in death by his father, Wilfred; and one niece, Amber.

June 8, 1971 ~ August 17, 2019

Travis Lane Howard, 48, Brandon, died Saturday, August 17, 2019, in Glasgow, MT from a sudden illness.

Funeral Services will be at 10:30am, Tuesday, August 27, 2019, at Celebration United Methodist Church in Brandon, with visitation at 9:30am. A private family burial will take place on Wednesday, August 28, 2019 in Milbank, SD.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in Travis’ honor.

Travis Lane Howard was born June 8, 1971, in Milbank, to Stephen and Ruth (Reiners) Howard. He attended school in Milbank until his family moved to Brandon where Travis finished high school. He drove truck for many years for Brandon Materials, MCT, and most recently for Diamond C. Transport, in the oil fields of North Dakota.

Travis enjoyed bowling, hunting, and fishing but he was a terrible poker player. He liked growing up on the farm and taking care of the animals. Travis and Cindi Down raised three children and he loved them dearly.  Randall and he would just hang out and have long talks while sitting on the edge of his bed. They enjoyed camping together with Boy Scouts. Rebekah enjoyed working with him on his pickup, all while he laughed that she was getting her long fake nails oily from the engine. His mechanical skills kept everyone’s cars working.  Travis was a charter member of Celebration United Methodist Church and was a member of Pheasants Forever.

Travis will be deeply missed by his three children, Jessica (Tanner Slate) Brown, Tea, Randall Howard, Brandon, and Rebekah Howard, Sioux Falls; one grandchild, Henry Slate, Tea; mother, Ruth Howard, Brandon; three siblings, Teresa Groth, Sioux Falls, Douglas Howard, Ross, ND, and Amy (Stephen) Byers, Sioux Falls; and the mother of his children, Cindi Down, St. Louis.

Travis was preceded in death by his father, Stephen; daughter, Monica; two siblings, Richard and Kathy Jo; and brother-in-law, Robert Groth III.

July 8, 1940 ~ August 18, 2019

Patrick R. Reynolds, 79, Brandon, died Sunday, August 18, 2019, at the Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls.

Private family services will be held.

Patrick will be deeply missed by his wife of 55 years, Marlene; two children, James Reynolds, Brandon, and Anthony (Becky) Reynolds, Montrose; six grandchildren, Shantel, Elizabeth, Ryan, Daris, Miranda, and Michael; and seven great-grandchildren, Destiny, Alikai, Syrianna, Zariah, William, Evelyn, and Ophelia.

Patrick was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Elizabeth (Janisch) Reynolds; one son, Michael James; and two siblings, Roger and Judy.

June 29, 1958 ~ August 16, 2019

Mike R. Bjelland, 61, Brandon, died Friday, August 16, 2019, at his home following a long and courageous battle with cancer.

Visitation will be 4-6pm, Wednesday, August 21, 2019, at Heartland Funeral Home.  A Celebration of Life will begin at 6pm.  A reception will follow at the Brandon VFW.

A memorial to Mike has been established in lieu of flowers.

Mike was born in Minneapolis, MN, on June 29, 1958, to Ralph & Violet (Johnson) Bjelland. He was baptized at Lands Church in Hoffman, MN. Mike graduated from Fridley High School in Fridley, MN, in May of 1976. He then attended Alexandria Area Technical Institute in June of 1977. Mike worked for several different companies including Fleet Farm and Douglas MFG before coming to work for Cenex Harvest States (CHS). He worked at several locations for CHS until coming to Ellis, SD to open and manage a truck dispatch terminal.

Mike met and married Debra Nelson and the couple had a beautiful daughter they named Lacey. Eventually, Mike married Deb Carpenter. Mike and Deb considered themselves extremely blessed with their three children, Lacey, Sherman, and Michael. Mike loved his kids and being together for family occasions and special events was very important. Christmas was especially important for Mike as Santa delivered all of the presents to the kids and three grandchildren, Hunter, Hayden, and Carter. The excitement was was theirs but the joy was his.

Mike loved to hunt and spending time with his friends. He would do anything to help anyone in need. He also liked to cook and made some yummy meals. Mike also had a passion for his car which he was very fond of.

Mike will be deeply missed by his wife, Deb; three children, Lacey (Eric) Springer, Alexandria, MN, Sherman (Yesenia Guzman) Junker, Sioux Falls, and Michael (Kathryn) Bjelland, Sioux Falls; three grandchildren, Hunter, Hayden, and Carter; mother, Violet Bjelland, Alexandria, MN; sister, Cynthia (Mark) Starner, Hoffman, MN; and mother-in-law, Carol Carpenter, Hopkins, MN; and many other family and friends, including his fur babies, Tache and Windsor.

Mike was preceded in death by his father, Ralph; father-in-law, James Carpenter; Aunt Anna Marie Vinneau, and Uncle Eugene Jones.

December 31, 1939 ~ August 7, 2019

Charles V. Schutt, 79, Brandon, died Wednesday, August 7, 2019, at his home, after a struggle with cancer and Parkinson’s.

Private services are being planned with Heartland Funeral Home.

 Charles is survived by his wife, Candie Schutt.

November 19, 1930 ~ August 4, 2019

Harley L. Waagmeester, Sr. 88, rural Brandon, died Sunday, August 4, 2019, at home following a short battle with cancer.

Visitation will be 1:30pm, Friday, August 9, 2019, at Grandview Covenant Church, (1114 – 140^th St.) Larchwood, IA.  Memorial Services will be 2:30pm with Full Military Honors to follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Sioux Falls Humane Society or the American Heart Association in Harley’s honor.

Harley Lee Waagmeester was born November 19, 1930, in rural Lester, IA, to William and Thelma (Danish) Waagmeester.  The family moved to Sioux Falls where he grew up and attended Washington High School before heading to the Navy to serve in the Korean conflict.  Upon his completion of duty in October 1955, Harley headed back to Sioux Falls.  On November 30, 1956, Harley married Ruth Marie McGloghlon in Sioux Falls.  He had already begun his business in demolition as General Excavation, where he remained until his retirement in 1996.

Harley was not one to sit still.  In 1970, he attained his private pilots’ license which led to four different planes and a private runway on the farm.  He was a member of the “Horseless Carriage Club” with several different cars that he collected.  Most lately, Harley was involved in Hamm Radios.  Harley could not be remembered without his love for animals.  The number of Black Labs over the years included Astro, Clyde, Boo, and Rocky and will be remembered by anyone who visited Harley. 

Harley will be deeply missed by his four children, Harley Waagmeester, Jr, Phoenix, AZ, Debra (Russell) Kooistra, Hills, MN, Barbara (Ken) Murdock, Maple Valley, WA, and Gary Waagmeester, Brandon, SD; four grandchildren, Zachariah, Shelby, Chelsea, and Alexa; three great-grandchildren, Rhett, River, and one soon to be born; and three siblings, Marilyn Anderson, Sioux Falls, Marcia Johnson, Whittier, CA, and Muriel (long time friend Larry) Rhinehart, Chino, CA.

Harley was preceded in death by his wife, Ruthie; his parents, William and Thelma; and two brothers, Ivan “Woody” and Ronald.

April 16, 1942 ~ July 23, 2019

Dennis W. Schrader, 77, of Sioux Falls, died Tuesday, July 23, 2019, at home, with family present, after hard-fought, lengthy battles with COPD, lung cancer, and heart disease.

Memorial Services will begin at 6pm, Monday, August 5, 2019, at Heartland Funeral Home.  Visitation with family will be 4 to 6pm with Full Military Honors at 5:45pm, prior to the service.  Inurnment will take place at a later date, at the new State Veterans Cemetery.   

In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in Dennis’ s memory.

Dennis Wayne Schrader was born April 16, 1942, in Madison, SD to Wayne and Eileen Weber. Upon their untimely deaths in a train/auto accident, Dennis, at age 5, and his baby sister were adopted by their aunt and uncle, Helen (Weber) and Emert Schrader. The new family expanded to include a new brother and sister. He attended schools in Madison and graduated high school in 1962. That same year, he enlisted in the Air Force, serving his country in Vietnam earning an honorable discharge in 1964.

After his discharge, Dennis married Sharon Tryon. They had three beautiful daughters, Amy, Jill and Jennifer. In February of 1980, he married Patricia Leih. They were blessed with 39 happy years of marriage. He was employed by Golden Sun Feed for 11 years, then became an over-the-road truck driver for 40 plus years; his last 25 or so years with B&G Transportation in Madison, SD.

Dennis enjoyed hunting and would take advantage of weekend road hunts whenever he could (frequently bringing home a pheasant or two.) Even though he was a long-haul driver, he still enjoyed travel vacations and would take yearly trips around the U.S., including several special trips with his siblings in later years.

Dennis retired in 2012, at the age of 70, to enjoy spending more time with his family, attending grandkid’s sporting events, relaxing at home, and making his yard the envy of the neighborhood until failing health made it too difficult.

Dennis is survived by his wife, Pat; daughters, Amy (Tim) Donelan, Sioux Falls, Jill (Terry) Mutziger, Arlington, SD, and Jennifer (David) Olson, Sioux Falls; mother, Helen Schrader; sisters, Janene (Ray) Thomas, Cedarburg, WI, and Sharla (David) Scholl, Sioux Falls; nine grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his birth parents, Wayne and Eileen Weber; father, Emert Schrader; and brother, Max Schrader.

December 6, 1946 ~ July 17, 2019

To all of our friends,

I am sad to report that Wayne suddenly passed away Wednesday, July 17, 2019, at the Sanford USD Medical Center, in Sioux Falls, from lung cancer and extreme COPD.

Wayne is the love of my life. You know what they say, “Third time’s a charm”, and he was my prince!

We so enjoyed traveling and I saw nearly all 48 continental states and I would never have been able to do that without him and his love of being on the road. He was my rock, my best friend and my greatest love. 

Things were not always peaches and cream, but we never lost our love for each other.

Wayne will be dearly missed by me, Sharon; his two daughters, Dawn Blaszczyk and Julie Blaszczyk; and my two sons, John Robinson and Jason Robinson; his sister, Mary; and his two brothers, Brian and Jay.

We will miss him terribly.

Sharon Blaszczyk

A Memorial Service is being planned at this time, so please check back to this site for updates on the Time and Location.