May 30, 1949 ~ April 22, 2012

Funeral services will be held at 1 pm, Saturday, April 28, 2012 at Swedona Covenant Church, rural Brandon, with Pastor David Stene officiating. Interment will follow at the Swedona Covenant Cemetery with full military honors. Visitation will begin at 3 pm, Friday, April 27, at Heartland Funeral Home in Brandon, until 7 pm. Family will be present from 5 until 7 pm.

Leroy Allan Carsrud was born May 30, 1949, in Sioux Falls, SD. He was adopted by his parents, Walter and Ellen (Nordstrom) Carsrud of Brandon and was raised on the farm outside of Brandon. He graduated from Brandon High School in 1967 and enlisted in the US Navy in 1968. He served in Viet Nam and continued on for 20 years. He was stationed in several countries including Okinawa, Japan, and Guam. Leroy was also commemorated with sailing over the equator during his service. On April 27, 1971, Leroy married Chiko Komine while stationed in Okinawa. They had two sons, Dana and Aaron, while traveling the world. Upon retiring in 1988, Leroy continued to work privately on airplanes as a mechanic in Guam. In 1992, he moved back to South Dakota and began working in Sioux Falls at Hutchinson Tech and then in 1996, he and Chiko, moved to Canton, SD. Leroy began working for Coilcraft in Hawarden, IA, manufacturing machines that made transistors for cell phones.

Leroy was a musician. He was known to play the congas and a trumpet in different bands. Leroy was also a diehard Nascar fan and collected anything and everything he found, especially Dale Earnhardt Jr. material.

Sadly, Leroy, 62, residing in Canton, SD, died Sunday, April 22, 2012, at Sanford Medical Center in Sioux Falls, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Leroy is survived by his wife, Chiko, two sons; Dana, Seattle, WA and Aaron (Glenda) of Minot, ND, one granddaughter; Kristen, one sister; Cheryl (Richard) Erickson Brandon, and many nieces and nephews.

Leroy was preceded in death by his parents.

November 5, 1940 ~ March 22, 2012

Ramona (Barber) Boehrns, 71, of Sioux Falls, died Thursday, March 22, 2012 at the Sanford-USD Medical Center, in Sioux Falls, after a lengthy struggle with her health.

Visitation and celebration of Ramona’s life will begin at 1pm, Monday, March 26, 2012, at Heartland Funeral Home of Brandon. Pastor Lee Green will officiate.

Ramona Kay Barber was born November 5, 1940, in Parker, SD, to Ross and Ione (Whittaker) Barber. Soon after, the family moved to Sioux Falls and she was raised and attended Hawthorn Elementary and Washington High School. One night at a movie at the Strand Theater, she met the man of her dreams, Fred Boehrns. They dated for four years before Ramona finally said “yes” to Fred and they were married June 1, 1957, at Pipestone, MN. The romance lasted almost another 55 years. They settled in Sioux Falls and had six children. Ramona became very adapt at cleaning her home. She did this so well, that she began working outside the home cleaning businesses and homes professionally. She cleaned and painted houses for resale, cleaned at META Bank, the Nicklespot, and her favorite, KELO TV, over many years.

Ramona had many hobbies. Her craftiness included making refrigerator magnets and knitting. She collected porcelain dolls and most of all, loved to play Bingo. Ramona also was a member of the VFW Post 628 in Sioux Falls.

Ramona is survived by her husband, Fred; six children, Rick (Cindy), Karla (Tom), Veronica (Bill), Brian (Aimee), Darolett (Don), and Troy (Hillary); fourteen grandchildren, April, Trinity, Angela, Jonathan, Travis, Chelsea, Billy, Misty, Crystal, Tiffany, Shantel, Cindy, Kady Jane, and Joesie; twenty-three great-grandchildren; three brothers, Ronald (Onalea) Barber, Sioux Falls, James (Yoshiko) Barber, Sioux Falls, and Calvin (Theresa) Barber, Aurora, CO; and two sisters, Georgia (James) Thornberry, Colorado Springs, CO, and Annadell Loewen, of Sioux Falls.

Ramona was preceded in death by her parents, Ross and Ione Barber and four brothers, Donnie, Kenneth, Willis, and Eugene Barber.

May 3, 1933 ~ March 21, 2012

Virginia G. Mohr, our wife, mother, sister, and special friend, 78, of Sioux Falls and formerly Hosmer, was called home to our Heavenly Father, Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at the Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, after a courageous battle with cancer.

A memorial visitation will be held from 2 – 4pm, Saturday, March 24, 2012 at Heartland Funeral Home in Brandon, SD. Memorial services will be held Monday, March 26, 2012, at 10am at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Hosmer, SD, with inurnment following at Bethany Cemetery, Hosmer. Pastor Pat Hahn will officiate.

Virginia G. Graff was born May 3, 1933, to Gottlieb and Hulda (Pfeifle) Graff in McPherson County. She was raised and educated in the rural Hosmer area. Virginia went on to Northern State Teachers College and returned home to teach country school. On June 21, 1954, she married her sweetheart, Lawrence Mohr, and they settled in Hosmer where they raised their family. Virginia worked many years for the Hosmer school system. She also will be remembered by many local Hosmer children for being their babysitter in her later years. Virginia and her husband were also known for the several businesses they owned and operated in Hosmer including Mohr Auction Service. More recently, Virginia was elected to a seat on the city council where she served for several years before she chose to resign due to her declining health.

Virginia was a member of the Hosmer American Legion Ladies Auxiliary, and more recently, the Faulkton VFW Ladies Auxiliary. She also enjoyed being a member of the St. John’s Lutheran Church WELCA.

Virginia will be missed deeply, especially by her husband, Lawrence of Sioux Falls, formerly Hosmer; her children, Denny (Heather) Mohr, Brookville, OH, Dixie (Peter) Janker, Springfield, VA, Lori (Douglas) Furness, Brandon, and Becky Mohr, Sunbury, PA; five grandchildren, Paul Leon, Leslie, Timothy, Nathan, and Stormie Lee; one great-grandchild, Alexys; one sister, Idelette (Larry) Mussman, Camanche, IA; one honorary daughter; Pamela Stolz, Sioux Falls, and her mother-in-law, Bertha Mohr, Hosmer.

Virginia was preceded in death by her son, Leon; her parents; one brother, Harry Graff; and one sister, Lillian Nitschke.

Virginia touched the lives of many with her beautiful smile and her generosity, and maintained her “thumbs up” sense of humor all the way to the end.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Avera Cancer Institute.

June 17, 1935 ~ March 6, 2012

Franklin S. Ward, 76, of Sioux Falls, SD, died at his home, after a courageous battle with cancer, with his family around him.

A private family service was held Saturday, March 10, 2012, with Pastor Jeff Hayes officiating.

Franklin Ward was born June 17, 1935, in Naples, Maine to William & Nellie Ward. He enlisted in 1954 USAR. Frank graduated from Casco High in 1955. In October 19, 1956, in Norway Maine, he married to Barbara Roy, whom he met on roller skates. He fell, disappeared for weeks, took lessons then went to ask her out for their happy every after. Frank was honorably discharged in 1962 as SPEC.E-5 Military Police.

He worked at the Shoe Shop and Tannery in Norway Maine. The family then moved to East Hartford, Ct. where he became a Lead Welder at Pratt Whitney Aircraft for 34 years. Frank was a member of the Army & Navy Club and every casino east to west. He loved to play golf with his Grandsons. He also loved bowling, playing cards, collecting coins, and dancing. Linda wouldn’t know how to dance if it wasn’t for the best dad in the world.

Franklin will be missed by his wife, Barbara (Roy) Ward; three children, Ricky (Gail) Ward, Sioux Falls, Linda (Ken) Letze, Chancellor, SD, and Jeffrey Ward, East Hartford, CT; nine grandchildren, Jason, Jennifer, and Justin Ward, Sarah, Jessica, and Miranda Letze, Matthew, Nickole and Tim Ward; his mother, Nellie May Ward, Norway, ME; and two brothers, Randall Ward, Riviera Beach, FL and Erwin Ward, Oxford, ME.

Franklin was preceded in death by his father, William S. Ward; and one sister, Carrie Judkins.

August 31, 1938 ~ March 1, 2012

Visitation will be Sunday, March 4, 2012 from 2:30 to 4:30pm and one hour prior to service, at Hilltop UMC in Sioux Falls. Funeral services will begin at 10:30 am Monday, March 5, at Hilltop UMC, with Pastor Brook McBride officiating. Burial will be at Center Creek Cemetery, rural Granada, MN. Friends and family are invited to join the family at Winnebago United Methodist Church following the committal.

Keith Lloyd Bahr was born August 31, 1938, to Lloyd and Freda (Logan) Bahr on the family farm in rural Granada. He attended school in Huntley through the eighth grade. He quite school to take over the family’s dairy operation and to work on the farm. This was the beginning of a long career that demonstrated his hard working ethics that involved custom farming of grain, swathing and baling and dairy cattle. He also had a tremendous love for animals that included cattle, horses and his dogs.

Keith married Sharon Speed on July 10, 1959 at the Winnebago United Methodist Church. The couple was blessed with four children.

Besides hard work, Keith will be remembered for his love of hunting anything; especially deer.

Sadly, in December, Keith suffered a major disabling stroke. On Thursday, March 01, 2012, Keith, 73, died at Southridge Care Center, in Sioux Falls, SD.

Keith is survived his wife, Sharon, of Valley Springs, SD; one daughter, Becky (Mike) Tonne, Granada, MN; two sons, Steve, of Marlow, OK and Jim (Nancy) of Brandon, SD; seven grandchildren, one brother Kenneth (Sandi) Bahr, Pequot Lakes, MN and one sister, Karen (James) Kortuem, Rapidan, MN.

Keith was preceded in death by his parents and one son, Timothy Bahr.

July 14, 1930 ~ February 24, 2012

James V. Sexton, 81, of Sioux Falls, died Friday, February 24, 2012, at home, surrounded by his loving family.

Private family services will be scheduled for a later date.

Jim was born in Aurelia, IA, on July 14, 1930 to Frank and Ruth (Rice) Sexton. Jim graduated from Aurelia High school in 1948. He enlisted in the Air force in 1951 and served at various Air Force bases as a medic during the Korean War.
He graduated from Presentation School of Nursing 1957 as a Registered Nurse, where he met his wife, Colleen Charlton of Worthing, S.D. Jim and Colleen were married on April 26, 1957 in Sioux Falls, S.D. Jim graduated from the Mayo Clinic as a Nurse Anesthetist in 1963.
The couple and their family resided in the Duluth, MN area for many years. Jim spent much of his time exploring the area and painting the beautiful scenery of the Great Lake area. His home is decorated with many of his great creations.

He is survived by his wife, Colleen; five sons, Mike (Julie), Emerson, NE, Dave (Patty), Salem, SD, Steve (Lynn), Estera, FL, Paul, Sioux Falls, and Mark (Paula), St. Cloud, MN; ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Marilyn and her husband Holger.

October 6, 1943 ~ February 18, 2012

Memorial services will begin at 1PM, Thursday, February 23, 2012, at Beaver Valley Lutheran Church with Pastor Jerry Merkouris officiating. Inurnment will follow at the Beaver Valley Church Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 3 until 7 PM, Wednesday, February 22, at Heartland Funeral Home of Brandon, with family present at 5:30 and a prayer service beginning at 6:30pm.

William Dennis Briggle was born October 6, 1943 to Kenneth and Meda (James) Briggle in Sioux Falls. They lived in Canton where Bill went to school until about 10th grade. He began working for the Lincoln County Highway Dept doing road maintenance and plowing snow. After a few years, Bill turned his interest towards the Canton Farmer Coop where he worked for a few years. He also directed his attention to a young lady named Gloria Boscaljon. On March 23, 1962, they married. Two sons were born to this union; Scott and Steve. Eventually, Bill went back to work for the Lincoln County Highway Dept. in 1977 where he worked for 14 years. In 1991, Bill moved to Brandon where he started working for the Brandon City Maintenance Dept again plowing snow and mowing grass among other duties. In 1992, Bill married Ingrid Swenson and the couple has resided in Brandon ever since.

Bill had many hobbies that included hunting and fishing around South Dakota, gardening, woodworking, and collecting anything John Deere. In fact he has a whole room dedicated to his “green” collection. Bill also loved his animals including dogs, goats, and horses. Bill loved to bowl also and belonged to a league in Canton for years and was a cubscout leader for a short while as well.

Bill, 68, died Saturday, February 18, 2012, at Sanford Medical Center in Sioux Falls.

Bill is survived by his wife, Ingrid, two sons; Scott (Holly) of Sioux Falls and Steve of Custer, two step-daughters; Theresa (Adam) Aberle, Huntsville, AL, Amy (Matthew) Jernsen, Brandon, 8 step-grandchildren; Austin, Alex, and Aarron Aberle, Devin and Lexi Swanson, and Madi, Carter, and Braeden Jensen, one sister; Pat (Steve) Fossum, Lennox and many nieces and nephews.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents.

June 6 1945 ~ February 15, 2012

Evelyn Marie was born on June 6, 1945 in Pipestone, MN to Charles and Arlene Kuehl of Verdi, MN. She grew up on the family dairy farm near Verdi with her four brothers and four sisters. She graduated from Verdi High School in 1963 and attended Mankato Commercial College where she met William Clark of Swea City, IA. They were united in marriage at Verdi Methodist Church on August 29, 1964 and then lived in Swea City, IA. That union was blessed with two children, Deborah and Douglas. The family moved to Tyler, MN in 1970 where they established and operated the Tyler Tribute newspaper for many years.

Evelyn was a dedicated mother, grandmother and caregiver sharing her baking and needlecraft skills with her grandchildren. One of her most treasured events was the annual Christmas cookie marathon when the entire family, including grandchildren, decorated the sugar cookies that were baked with love from her favorite recipes. She shared the special treats with family, friends, co-workers and neighbors. She also enjoyed watching movies, listening to music and always looked forward to her “sister day” trips.

Evelyn worked as a bank teller, office manager, bookkeeper and home care aide. She worked most recently at Avera McKennan. She attended many special events that her grandchildren participated in and was always anxious to share her time and talents with them. They enjoyed spending time with grandma, too. She was tethered to a strong faith through a personal relationship with the Lord and a love and belief in angels, which she surrounded herself with as a constant reminder of God’s presence. She was an active member of Beaver Valley Lutheran Church in Brandon, SD

Evelyn, 66, died Wednesday, February 15, 2012, at the Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD, surrounded by many loved ones including her children and siblings.

She is survived by her two children, Deborah (Tim) Paauw of Brandon, SD, Douglas (Tana) Clark of Garretson, SD, grandchildren, Katherine, Hannah and Dylan Paauw and Kindra, Jayden and Carson Clark; also by siblings Donald (Phyllis) Kuehl, Dorothy (Walter) Henningsen, Marg Selken, Mae Goertz, Carol (Roger) Nelson and Robert (Lisa) Kuehl and many nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her grandparents, parents, and brothers Milo Kuehl and Richard Kuehl.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established.

October 15, 1940 ~ February 11, 2012

Memorial services will be held at 1pm, Thursday, February 16, 2012, at Heartland Funeral Home in Brandon, with Chaplin Lara Pesce officiating.

Elmer Robert (Bud) McGraw was born October 15, 1940 to Elmer and Cleone (Derby) McGraw in a logging camp in Clackamas County, Oregon. About the age of two, he moved to live with his grandmother in Wynot, NE. He lived with her and attended school until the age of ten when his family moved to several different areas in the upper Midwest in search of work. At about the age of 15 or 16, he quit school to move to California to begin working himself. In 1957, Bud joined the Airforce. In 1960, he was discharged and he began working in the oil fields of Williston, ND and Wyoming. He also worked on ranches and drove trucks both over-the-road and in construction jobs. Bud moved to Sioux Falls in 1973 after he met his sweetheart, Sheryl, and began to settle down to start his family. In 1977, they were married in Sioux Falls and they had three boys.

Those that truly knew Bud knew that he had a tremendous sense of humor and was a great story teller! He always had a new joke or a story about the most current event in the news. He was well read and managed to have an opinion on just about everything. He loved to just hang out with his friends and family and be social. He had a way of saying just the right thing to make a person feel great about them self and smile. Bud like to fish and he and the boys used to go fishing. They usually didn’t catch anything but they got to have a lot of fun and were able to just hang out with their dad and they grew quit close to each other. Bud also loved his music! He even was a good singer back in his younger days. He used to sing some of his favorites but occasionally “forgot” the words and had to make up his own words to the song. His favorite varieties were anything Elvis, Oldies, Country and even the Blues. His favorite line that he was always quoting was “On the Road Again!”

Bud, 71, died Saturday, February 11, 2012, at the Royal C. Johnson Memorial VA Hospital in Sioux Falls.

Bud will be greatly missed by his wife; Sheryl, three sons; Michael (Jessisca), Sean (Andrea), and Eran McGraw, all of Sioux Falls, six grandchildren; Jordan, Jared, Daymian, Ireland, Jackson, and Bella, and one great-grandchild; Ashlynn.

Bud was preceded in death by his parents.

February 24, 1920 ~ February 10, 2012

Doris M. (Roy) Olson, 91, Vermillion, SD, died Friday, February 10, 2012, at the Wakonda Heritage Manor, in Wakonda, SD.

A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 3PM. The location will be at the Town Square apartment complex, building #2, 507 W. Main Ave. in Vermillion, SD in the Community Room.

Doris is survived by three of her daughters; Rochelle Sparks of Vermillion, SD, Janice (Joel) Jacobs of North Las Vegas, NV, and Barbara Polsfuss of Isanti, MN, five grandchildren; Jason Wyatt, Kari, Henry and David Polsfuss, and Amy (Shahram) Malekkhosravi, four Great-grandchildren; Saige Wyatt, Ashlynn Polsfuss and Isabelle and Theda Malekkhosravi, and one brother; Marvin Roy of Bemidji, MN.

She was also preceded in death by her parents; David and Dephine (Beaulieu) Roy, her husband, L.R. Olson, two daughters; Sandra DeSmet and Karen DeSmet, and one sister; Vera Nelson.