Doris Mae (Heuer) St. John
April 22, 1941 ~ March 18, 2021
Doris St. John 79, Harrold, SD, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 18, 2021, at 12:20 am with her family at her side.
Funeral Mass will be held on April 10, 2021, 10:00 am, at the St Catherine’s Catholic Church in West Bend, SD. Inurnment will be followed at a later date in the St John Cemetery, in West Bend SD.
Doris Mae Heuer was born April 22, 1941, to Odessa and Raymond Heuer in Oneida, SD. She was the only girl with 4 brothers. Her family has been traced back to some of the first pioneers to reside in SD. She lived her life on a family ranch and farm, rich with Amish teachings. She participated in FFA while raising cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens. She went to school at the Stephan Immaculate Conception, where she met Miles [Pete] St. John. They were married November 27, 1957, in Pierre, SD. In that union they had 7 children. After 15 years of marriage, they decided to go their separate ways however, they always kept in touch with each other and continued to participate together as a family. Doris was a stay-at-home mother who lovingly took care of her seven children when they were young. She has worked as a cook in a boarding school, truck stops, VFW, and others. She retired from the Belle Fourche Nursing Home as the Head Cook. However, her real love was history, art and music. She was a natural born musician who played the piano, organ, guitar, steel guitar, accordion, and harmonica. She loved keeping the family entertained with her accordion music, singing and playful dancing. She was a finely tuned musician and artist. She mastered the art in the carving of beautiful wood pieces such as dragons to horses. She loved to design and make beadwork, quillwork, crocheting, knitting, quilting, and breadmaking. All through her life she, was always making things for her family. She was the family historian for both the Heuer and St. John families. She has traced and documented the family tree by dating it back to the 1500’s. She enjoyed playing bingo as a past time.
Doris was an avid gardener, who canned, smoked, butchered, and dried all of the natural bounties. She picked berries and made jelly, jams, and wine. She was a naturalist who loved being in the outdoors, hunting, fishing, gathering, and picking wild flowers, herbs and berries.
Doris leaves behind loving cherished memories for her children, Bernice (Kent) Walz, of Harrisburg, SD, Arlene Black Bird, of Rural Swift Bird, SD, Dawn (Jim) Palmer, of Belle Fourche, SD, Crystal St John, of Harrold, SD, and Duane St John, of Sioux Falls, SD; one brother, Bruce Long Fox, Rapid City, SD, numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren; and one great-great-granddaughter.
Doris was proceeded in death by her parents, Raymond Heuer Sr and Odessa Rieger Mitchell; four brothers, Virgil, Gary, Jim and Gail; one daughter, Debra Jo St John; Miles Pete (Tek) St John Jr; Grandson Jerad Quilt; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces.
Urn Bearers will be all the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Honorary Urn Bearers will be Carol Harrison, Sharon Zeller, Carol Shomeburg, Cynthia (Sadie) Kirschemann, Gloria Goddard, Don & Jackie Goddard, Cecelia Marshall, Sheila Foster and the Avera Home Hospice Staff of Pierre SD. Please forgive us if we have forgotten anyone.
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