Jamie Lee Mennis

May 29, 2023 ~ October 29, 1970

Jamie L. Mennis, age 52, of Sioux Falls, SD, passed away on May 29, 2023, unexpectantly at his Sioux Falls home.

Visitation with family present will be 5-7pm, Monday, June 5, 2023, at Heartland Funeral Home, with a time of sharing at 7pm.  Click here to watch the visitation and service

Memorials may be directed to Emily’s Hope for addiction recovery, in lieu of flowers.

Jamie Lee Mennis was born on October 29, 1970 to Mary Ann (Carda) and Clayton Lee Mennis in Chicago, IL. Jamie lived most of his childhood years in Garretson, South Dakota with his mom, Mary Ann (Carda), sister, Jodi (Janka), and brother, Jeremy Gorham. He attended Garretson High School and made many good friends throughout his childhood years, some who have sadly passed on as well, but many that he still called friends to this day.

Jamie attended Trapper Creek Job Corps in 1989 in Darby, MT, where he met more amazing friends and got his high school educational diploma, as well as his vo-tech completion for welding and carpentry.

Jamie met Anita (Larson) in 1989 at Trapper Creek Job Corps and they married on July 17, 1999, in Sheridan, Wyoming. They made their home in Hartford, SD, where they had two children, Cody Lee Mennis, and Caden Clay Mennis. Jamie and Anita divorced in 2016, but still remained in each other lives and loved each other very much. They loved their children and their life together and the memories they created.  

Jamie met Karen Pesicka in 2017, and lived in Sioux Falls with her and their two dogs and cat.  Jamie made a home with Karen and her family and made many memories with her before his passing. He became part of her family, along with her children and grandchildren.

Jamie was the life of the party. He was not afraid to strike up a conversation with a stranger, make someone laugh, or crack a joke. He knew how to light up a room whenever he walked into one. He was a man of many talents. You could drive through Sioux Falls, and there is not a building, a slab of concrete, trash bin, or train car that he did not work on. He was proud of his work, as he should be. He always put 100% into his work.

Jamie loved to fish and hunt in his spare time, with his boys, his stepdad, and uncle. He admired two men in his life, his stepdad, Dennis Hallauer, and his uncle, Gene Carda. He loved these two men for everything. They taught him so much, and their passing brought Jamie such heartache. He is now going to be meeting up with them and planning that big fishing trip.

Jamie is survived by his mother, Mary Ann Hallauer, his father, Clayton (Shelia) Mennis; his children, Cody Lee Mennis, and Caden Clay Mennis; the mother of his children, Anita Lynne (Van Gelder) Mennis;  sister, Jodi Janka (Nhu Tran);  brothers, Jeremy Gorham, Jason (Kristen) Hallauer, Cory Mennis, and Justen Mennis; father-in-law, Douglas Larson; brother-in-law, Wayne (Tonya) Larson; sisters-in-law, Tammy (Greg) Kanash and Laura Kane; stepsister, Arial Norton (but if you ask Jodi, she will say she is Jamie’s favorite and only sister); his grandchildren; Liam DeKnikker, and Cash Mennis; nieces and nephews, Jordan (Marti) Bethke, Jashala Bui, Jaren Bui, Jalen (Taylor) Bui, Zoltan Janka Jr, Kylie Hallauer, Logan Hallauer, Varrick Hallauer and Ada Hallauer; great nieces, Riley, Aspen, Karter, and Berkli Bethke; girlfriend, Karen Pesicka; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews not mentioned.

Jamie was preceded in death by his stepdad, Dennis Hallauer; uncles, Gene Carda, Donald Carda, and Richard Mennis; aunts, Margret Carda and Carol Carda; grandparents, Emil and Mamie (Sykora) Carda, Marjory Mennis, Edward Mennis and James Hayward; brother-in-law, Zoltan Janka Sr.; and mother-in-law, Lila Larson.

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