May 1, 1962 ~ December 25, 2012

Michael Steven Kloes, 50, of Hills, MN, unexpectedly died at home, Tuesday, December 25, 2012.

Funeral services will begin at 10 am, Saturday, December 29, 2012 at Faith United Presbyterian Church, in Brandon, with Pastor Chuck Asche officiating. Interment will follow at the Pleasant View Cemetery in Valley Springs. Full Military Honors will follow. Visitation will begin Friday, December 28, 2012, at 4pm until 7pm at Heartland Funeral Home.

Michael Steven Kloes was born May 1, 1962, on a military base in Germany to Paul and Evelyn (Volberg) Kloes. Michael moved around a lot because of his families’ military background but in 1980, he graduated from Clovis High School in New Mexico. In 1981, Michael joined the US Navy. In 1985, after an accident that broke his back, Michael was honorably discharged. He moved to Sioux Falls to be with his children. On July 29, 2006, Michael married Sheri Roseboom. He worked for the VA in food service and also drove for Yellow Cab for eight years.

Michael was a tinkerer and enjoyed working on cars, making music boxes, wood working crafts, and constructing model cars. He also enjoyed VW Bugs and playing monopoly with his family. On most weekends, Michael and Sheri could be found at the races cheering on their favorite drivers. Michael also was an active member of Faith United Presbyterian Church and the El Riad Shrine in Sioux Falls for several years.

Michael will be deeply missed by his wife Sheri, two children; Jason (Jessi) Kloes, Yokuska, Japan and April (Aaron) Skinner of Sioux Falls, five grandchildren; Braxtan, Cardon, Dylan, Heather, and Alyson; his parents; Evelyn Kloes, Liberty, SC, and Paul Kloes, Pittsburg, PA; and two sisters; Kim Kloes, Palm Bay, FL, and Rosemary (Bo) Mackey, Liberty, SC.

February 12, 1936 ~ December 25, 2012

Billy Ray Hedges, 76, Brandon, died Tuesday, December 25, 2012 at Sanford Centennial Hospice Cottage in Sioux Falls after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

Memorial services will be Saturday, December 29, 2012, 2 pm at Celebration United Methodist Church in Brandon, with Full Military Honors. Visitation will begin at 1 pm. Pastor Rebecca Trefz will be officiating. Heartland Funeral Home has been entrusted with his services.

Billy Ray Hedges was born February 12, 1936 to Oliver and Flossie (Wilkerson) Hedges in Blackwell, OK. He was raised and educated in Tonkawa, OK and upon graduating from high school joined the US Air Force in 1955. In 1957 he married his high school sweetheart, Colleen Rae Pickthorn. In 1959 after honorable discharge from the Air Force he attended Oklahoma State University, obtaining an Electrical Engineering degree. He worked for the Department of Energy for over 30 years, in Watertown, SD and Tulsa, OK. He retired in 1992, and Bill and Colleen moved to Grand Lake of the Cherokees in Oklahoma, and in 2005 moved to Brandon, SD.

Bill was an avid golfer and loved the challenge. He and Colleen loved to travel and they wintered in Texas every year. He and Colleen celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary in July. Bill was member of Celebration United Methodist Church in Brandon.

Bill will be missed, especially by his wife, Colleen, and his children: Julie (Steven) Voss, Dawson, MN, and Steven Hedges, Lakeville, MN; 6 grandchildren, Rick (Stacy) Johnson, Kristen Johnson, Heather Voss, Eric Voss, Rayanne Hedges, and Katy Hedges; and 2 great-grandchildren, Austin Johnson and Aliah Johnson.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, 2 brothers, Claude and Bernard, and 2 sisters, Hazel Evans and Janice Brock.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorials be made to Bill Hedges Memorial Fund for pancreatic cancer research.

November 1, 1952 ~ December 22, 2012

Darrel R. Veith, 60, of Sioux Falls, died Saturday, December 22, 2012, at Sanford Medical Center in Sioux Falls. A private family service will be held at a later date.

Darrel Veith was born November 1, 1952 to Clyde and Leda (Barnes) Veith in Amboy, IL. Keith was raised and educated in the Amboy area and Graduated from Amboy High School in 1972. He then attended and graduated from the Sauk Valley Community College with a degree in Business.

Darrel met and married Cyndie about this time. To this union two children were born; Andrew and Brandie. The family resided in the Chicago area for several years where Darrel worked as a Finance Manager for a car dealer. Eventually, the family moved to the Sioux Falls for educational opportunities for Anthony and for Darrel, the pheasant hunting possibilities were a huge bonus! Pursuing his calling as a natural salesman, Darrel went to work for Gateway in computer sales. When Gateway closed, Darrel found other options including working at HyVee.

Darrel was an avid book reader and loved gardening, pheasant hunting and cooking or grilling out. He also loved his pets. He and Cyndie raised and showed dogs for several years.

Darrel will be missed deeply by his two children, Andrew of Milford, MA and Brandie of Sioux Falls; his brother, Vernie (Patty) of Loves Park, IL and two sisters, Sandy (Wayne) Carlos, Brownsville, TX and Vickie (Bill) Schauer of Amboy, IL; and his still best friends, Cyndie Vieth and Michael Swanson of Sioux Falls.

He was preceded in death his parents.

October 18, 1966 ~ December 10, 2012

Visitation will be from 4 until 7 PM on Friday, December 14, 2012 at Heartland Funeral Home. Funeral services will begin at 10 AM on Saturday, December 15, 2012 at Heritage Lutheran Church, Brandon, with Pastor Sandy Soye officiating. Interment will follow at Hills of Rest Cemetery of Sioux Falls, with Full Military Rights.

Elton Carl Thompson was born October 18, 1966, to Vernon and Jeanette (Sylliaasen) Thompson in Sioux Falls. He was raised and educated in Brandon and graduated from Brandon Valley High School in 1985. He worked with his older brother at Brandon Materials for a while before enlisting in the US Navy. Petty Officer 2ed Class Thompson proudly served as a Machinist Mate on the aircraft carrier, USS Kennedy and was stationed in the Persian Gulf during Desert Storm. In 1992, after six years in the Navy, Elton returned to Sioux Falls and began working for Pam Oil. He enrolled in HVAC training at South-East Technical School. Upon graduation, Elton took a position at Tessier’s doing Residential/Commercial HVAC repair.

Elton was a quiet person who was totally comfortable at home with his computer and games he loved to play. His favorites consisted of Dungeons and Dragons and Everquest. He will be deeply missed by his online friends and competitors. Elton also loved his pets; Brutis, Red Sonja and his lizard.

Sadly Elton, age 46, of Brandon, died Monday, December 10, 2012 at his home.

Elton is survived by his two brothers, Kevin (Melanie), Marathon, FL and Mark (Laura), Brandon; two sisters, Michelle (Jeff) Adams, Round Rock, TX and Penny (JC) Whetzel, Camarillo, CA; and two sister-in-laws, Darla Thompson, Fenton, MO and Connie Thompson, St. Charles, MO and many nieces and nephews.
Elton was preceded in death by his parents, Vernon and Jeanette (Sylliaasen) Thompson and two brothers, Don and Curt Thompson.

September 13, 1913 ~ November 29, 2012

Martha Christina (Schaeffer) Oswald, 99, of Menno, died Thursday, November 29, 2012, at the Freeman Regional Health Service Center.

Memorial services will be held Monday, December 3, 2012, 7pm at the Kingdom Hall of 2215 Douglas Ave., Yankton. Manny Greer will officiate. A private family burial will take place earlier at the Menno Cemetery.

Martha is survived by her two daughters, Shirley Harty of Menno and Joan (George) Cook of St. Louis, MO.

Martha was preceded in death her husband, Eugene; her parents, Fred and Eva (Kost) Schaeffer; seven of her brothers; and one son-in-law, Rex Harty.

October 17, 1948 ~ November 18, 2012

Lonny R. Bucher, 64, Sioux Falls, died Sunday, November 18, 2012, at the Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls after a courageous three and a half year battle with cancer.

Visitation will begin at 3pm, Wednesday, November 21, 2012, at Heartland Funeral Home in Brandon, with a Memorial service at 5pm. Lee Green will be officiating.

Lonny Ray Bucher Sr. was born October 17, 1948, the only son, to Rodney and Lucille (Hettrich) Bucher in Sioux Falls. As a young boy, Lonny worked in his dad’s shoe shop. In his teens, he began his true love for classic cars spending time with his dad in the garage. After graduation from Washington High school in 1967, he took a job at Teal’s Body Shop. On December 1, 1967, he married his high school sweetheart, Helen Parmley; daughter of Roy and Betty Parmley. Lonny went on to work at John Morrell for twenty years. Wanting to be able to put his real talents and love for “the car buff” in him, he opened his own shop. Lonny was a wealth of information on his love of the “classic cruisers.” He has left behind a legacy that will be remembered by all who knew him.

He also enjoyed camping and taking family vacations. He was an avid reader of Western and History books. He always enjoyed giving the grandkids little tid-bits of information and had stories to tell of which they were always willing and anxious to hear them out. He always had fun wearing his special hats with sayings like “Old Geezer” and “Caution! Grumpy Old Man.” While he was an opinionated guy and not afraid to say what he thought, he had a big loving heart for those in his life, including the family pets, that he held dear.

Grateful for having shared his life and loving heart are his wife, Helen and two sons, Brian (Keilanie), Sheldon, IA and Lonny Jr. (Andrea) of Hartford. He will be forever in their hearts and be greatly missed; nine grandchildren, Autumn, Carter, MacKenzie, Ashley, Jocelyn, Teran, Rachael, and Ariella; three sisters, and a host of other relatives.

Lonny was preceded in death by his parents.

December 2, 1938 ~ November 04, 2012

Visitation will be held from 10:00am to 3:00pm, Saturday, November 17, 2012, at Heartland Funeral Home in Brandon with a memorial service beginning at 11:00am. Phyllis Wendell will be officiating.

James Edward Hiller was born December 2, 1938, in Flandreau to Edward and Mildred (Pien) Hiller. He was raised and educated in the Flandreau school system through eighth grade. Jim then left home and traveled with a family migrating and working north to south throughout the US. He returned home to Flandreau at age 18, where he met his sweetheart, Karen Larimore. On February 22, 1959, at the ages of 20 and 17, after reportedly skipping school to get a marriage license and being caught by the school principle, the couple was married in Pipestone, MN. The couple moved about in the Brookings, Dell Rapids, and Flandreau area while Jim worked several jobs in the area. Three children were born during this time; Ed, Kathy, and Betty. In 1965, Jim took a position working at Gage Brothers in Sioux Falls and forty years later, he retired as the lead maintenance man.

Jim was a man of huge character. He loved hunting and fishing in the earlier years and spending time telling stories and sharing his humor with his friends and his family, especially his grandchildren in the later times. He really enjoyed helping anyone; mowing at his church, teaching or mentoring others on his skills, or repairing and working on machines. He was known to have stopped to help someone with a flat tire. When asked how much to pay him for his time, he told the person he would not take anything. They were to do something good for someone else. He was a great believer for “paying it forward.”

Sadly, Jim, 73, was called Home to Glory on Sunday, November 04, 2012, at the Avera Dorohty Hospice Home in Sioux Falls.
Jim is survived by his wife, Karen; one son, Ed, of Arlington, two daughters, Kathy (Bob) Swanson, of Sioux Falls, and Betty Shields, of Sioux Falls; his mother, Mildred Hiller of Sioux Falls; five grandchildren, Shavon Borman, Maria Shields, Brandi Shields, Ashley Hagen, and Ryan Swanson; two and ½ great-grandchildren, Xavier Borman and Addilynn Hagen and one sister, Judy (Pete) Peterson, Seattle, WA.
Jim was preceded in death by his father, two brothers, John and Jerry Hiller; three sisters, Beverly Hiller, Joyce Hiller, JoAnn Huseman and one son-in-law, RJ Shields.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to be made to the Avera Hospice Unit or SD Relay for Life in James’ honor.

May 23, 1993 ~ November 2, 2012

Eddy Lane Elsberry, 19, Valley Springs, was taken from us suddenly, Friday Nov 2, 2012, after a traffic accident in Sioux Falls.

Eddy Lane Elsberry’s Memorial Fundraiser is planned for February 17th 2013 starting at 12:00 pm (noon) at the D & D Bar in Brandon.
There will be music and food, door prizes, raffles, auction items.

We are raising money so Eddy’s family can pay all the final expenses and to help them get past the most devastating part of their lives, losing their only son in a fatal car accident.

If you knew Eddy, please come… If you didnt know Eddy, please come anyway. Help make this event a success. Listen to the song written for Eddy, Eat, and Bid. If you have something to donate bring it along; if you cant be there, please contact Robyn S Freedom Flickinger at rsfreedom@hotmail.com or call 605 854 9170. We are looking for items for the auction/raffles. Thank You for your support.

Eddy Lane was born May 23, 1993, to parents Rosie Purcell and Keith Elsberry in Watertown, SD. He attended preschool in Lennox, kindergarten in Canton, 1st grade in Beaver Creek, MN, 2nd to 5th grade in Valley Springs Elementary in Valley Springs, and the rest of his school career was in Brandon.

Eddy Lane worked with his father, Keith Elsberry at Elsberry Construction learning the family business, from the time he was old enough to hold a hammer. He loved to work with his dad and when he could, he would jump in to help his friends. Eddy would be there for any friend with no hesitation, working on cars or helping friends move. Whatever they needed, he was always there with a mischievous smile and occasionally a half baked idea for some fun that his mom may or may not approve of.

Eddy Lane had a lot of passions in life; first and for most was his friends and family. He touched a lot of people in his short life. He grew up in the pits of the mud races cheering on his dad and his uncle, Don. They were the Ugly Bro’s race team.

Those grateful for sharing his life include his mom, Rosie Purcell of Valley Springs, and his dad, Keith Elsberry of Brandon; his sisters, Jenna (Curt) Lewandowski of Watertown and Anna (Daniel) Koch of Lennox; his best friends, Trevor (aka Buck) Buckholz of Valley Springs, SD, Brandon (aka WATTers) Watters of Valley Springs, Colton (aka Coltron) Olofson, and all of his other close friends; his grandmother, Vonnie Elsberry of Coon Rapids, MN; his aunts and uncles, Shirley (Stacy) Thaden of Marvin, Clarissa Purcell of Canastota, Betty (Steve) Seifert of Scotland, Dan Elsberry of Coon Rapids, MN, Don (Freedom) Flickinger of DeSmet; Michael (Jennifer) Reinhardt; cousins, Jessica Reinhardt, Christina Thaden, Tabitha Thaden, Fleesha (Parker) Willfong, Mollie Murry, Amanda Seifert, Ashley Seifert, Amber Seifert, Daniel Elsberry Jr; Eddy’s godson, Ashton Edward Lewandowski; and many other extended family members; and one other person special to Eddy, his guardian angel, Greg Johnson.

February 6, 1943 ~ October 25th 2012

David Joseph Paa was born February 6, 1943 in Sioux Falls, SD to Phyllis and Joseph Paa. He graduated from Washington High School. He married Barbara Smithback October 22, 1965 in Sioux Falls, SD, where they resided until 2009, when he and his wife moved to Fort Worth, TX. He worked at John Morrells for 28 years. In 1995, he was forced to go on disability due to his heart.

David loved his family dearly and was an impact on so many lives he came in contact with. He always had a helping hand extended to everyone. Dave was active in Christian Motorcycle Association. He was involved in prison ministry and Union Gospel Mission in Sioux Falls, SD and Sioux City, IA through Lighthouse Church. He attended Life Church prior to moving to Texas. His highlight was serving Thanksgiving and Christmas meals on the Rosebud Reservation for many years, which built wonderful relationships, trust, and love. Dave gave his life to Christ and came home on fire for the Lord returning from Promise Keepers in Boulder Colorado. God has made many changes in our lives since then and continues. After moving to Texas, David became involved in Child Evangelism Fellowship, Good News Club, Celebrate Recovery and continued to grow in fellowship with his brothers in Christ at the Mount through various activities.

On October 25th 2012, David went to be with the Lord after a long battle with heart disease.

David is survived by his wife Barbara, their three children, Lynne Immeker married to James Immeker of Fort Worth, Texas, Lori Randolph married to Ron Randolph of Adrian, Minnesota, Jeffrey Paa of Fort Worth, Texas, and his foster daughter Shawn (Mike) Rutland of Lake Steven, Washington. They have been blessed with 9 grandchildren and four great grandchildren with three great grandchildren on the way between January and April, 2013. Also, he is survived by two brothers, Dan Paa of Sioux Falls, SD, Don Paa of Lincoln, Nebraska, and one sister, Darlene (Tom) Furlong of Elizabethtown, Kentucky.

David was preceded in death by his mother, Phyllis Lyle, his father, Joseph Paa, his grandparents, Irma Katzenberger, Herman Katzenberger, Mary Paa, and Joseph Paa, and his mother-in-law, Alice Smithback.

David’s funny moments and sayings:
– Glad you got to see me.
– Thank you for the warning.

Boo story, when so sick and seemingly unresponsive, He waited for me to get close to his face and then say Boo.

Jokes about Dave’s big ears within the family brought continuous laughter throughout the years. One year, Christmas, he received two toilet seat covers with carpet on them and a piece to hold them together so they looked like ear muffs.

February 5, 1939 ~ September 22, 2012
 

Robert Lee (Bob) Olson was born on February 5, 1939, to Oscar and Edith (Huston) Olson in Webster, SD. He was raised on the family farm near Holmquist, SD. Later he attended and graduated from Roslyn High School. Bob then enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in Germany for about 2 years. Upon his return Bob settled in the Aberdeen area where he worked for over 27 years at the John Morrell plant before it closed. He also raised his three children there. In 1998 Bob relocated to Brandon to pursue a floor refinishing business called Olson Flooring.

Robert was an active member of the Brandon Lutheran Church. He could be found volunteering for all kinds of projects around the church including ushering, making lefse, participating in Men’s Group and Bible studies, and resurfacing the wood floors in the front of the sanctuary. Bob was known to be a jokester and was always teasing someone or telling a funny story. His laugh was infectious and people just enjoyed being around him. He was also deeply committed to the Brandon V.F.W. Post 4726 serving as a member of the Honor Guard for fallen colleagues and in the Color Guard for parades, football games, and other events. In earlier years Bob loved to fish and went on several trips in search of the “big one.” Later years were filled with cherished time with his grandchildren of whom he was very proud. Bob was also a faithful member of his coffee buddies’ group. Sadly, Bob died on Saturday, September 22, 2012, at his home in Brandon, SD.

Bob is survived by his three children, Bryan (Stephanie) Olson, Sioux Falls; Deann Olson, Omaha, NE; and Alissa Olson, Omaha, NE; five grandchildren, Jacob, Annie, Brenna, Ellie, and Finley Olson; two brothers, Magnus Olson, Brookings; and Franklin (JoAnne) Olson, Pierpont; and two sisters, Alice (Don) Anderson, Sioux Falls; and Julia (Dale) Hagen of Indianola, IA.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Oscar and Edith Olson, and two brothers, William and Russell Olson.