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Helen D. Maruska, 84, of Mesa, Arizona entered into heaven on Friday, September 21, 2012 at the Hospice of the Valley, Mesa, AZ. Memorial Mass will be 10:30 AM, Saturday, October 6, 2012 at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Tabor, SD, with Rev. Joe Forcelle officiating. Burial of the cremated remains will be in the Scotland Cemetery at approximately 12:45 PM Saturday afternoon. Visitations will begin at 6:00 PM, Friday, at the Opsahl-Kostel Memorial Chapel, Tabor, with a wake service at 7:00 PM. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church.
Helen was born May 10, 1928 to Rudolph and Ella (Pishek) Cahoy in Bon Homme County, South Dakota. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Tabor, SD. She attended Catholic Elementary School in Tabor. On November 21, 1950, Helen married Joseph J. Maruska. To this union, 4 children were born, Marlene, Dennis, Ron, and Cynthia. She and Joseph farmed until Joseph's death in 1968. Helen then moved to Yankton where she worked for Vandermeer Bakery, Kochi Hotel, and the Human Services Center.
In 1981, she moved to California and worked for Medical Center of Garden Grove. Upon retirement, she moved to Mesa, Arizona. She enjoyed traveling, crocheting, and polka music. She loved spending time with her children and grandchildren.
Helen's memory will always be cherished by her daughter, Marlene Maruska of Mesa, AZ; her son, Ron (Gail) Maruska of Yankton; son-in-law, Ireneo Ponteres of Fountain Valley, CA; grandchildren, Joseph (Anna) Maruska of Omaha, NE, Ann (Doug) Sahr of Mounds View, MN; step-grandson, Charlie (Lea) Ponteres of Fountain Valley, CA; one great-granddaughter, Clara Maruska; two step-great-granddaughters, Savannah and Samantha Ponteres; 2 sisters, Marie (Leonard) Hisek, and Marcy (Lumir) Ruman, both of Tyndall, SD; a brother, Steve (Janice) Cahoy of Tabor, SD; sisters-in-law, Marilyn Cahoy of Tabor, SD and Elsie Behensky of Yankton, SD; and many nieces and nephews.
She was proceeded in death by her parents, husband, son, Dennis Maruska, daughter, Cynthia Ponteres, three brothers; Ed and Ray Cahoy, and infant brother, Joseph, a nephew, and several sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law.
Marlene Mehlhaf, age 75, of Freeman, SD passed away early Tuesday, April 02, 2013 at the Oakview Terrace Nursing Home, Freeman, SD. Funeral services will be 10:30 AM, Friday, April 5, 2013 at the Zion Reformed Church, Menno, with Rev. Travis Grassmid officiating. Burial will be the Zion Reformed (Kassel) Cemetery, rural Menno, SD. Visitations will begin at 5:00 PM, Thursday, at the Aisenbrey-Opsahl-Kostel Memorial Chapel, Menno, with a prayer service at 7:00 PM. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church.
Marlene was born May 30, 1937 in rural Freeman, SD to William and Magdalena (Mettler) Mehlhaf. She was baptized and confirmed at Zion Reformed Church in rural Menno, SD and was a lifetime member there. She lived on the family farm until she entered the Freeman Salem Home in 2003 and then entered the nursing home in Freeman, SD. She loved cats and singing in the choir. She always wanted to go to church and was disappointed when she could not attend anymore.
She is survived by her brother, Wilmer (Gladys) Mehlhaf of Freeman, SD; sister, Vernetta (Donald) Schulz of Parkston, SD; brother-in-law, Alton Schelske of Parkston, SD; sister-in-law, Twyla Mehlhaf of Freeman, SD, two nieces and four nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Magdalena Mehlhaf, grandparents, Heinrich Jacob and Magdalena Mettler and John and Katharina (Mettler) Mehlhaf, sisters: Eldora Mehlhaf, Iona Haas, Melinda Mehlhaf, and Alvina Schelske, brothers, Leroy Mehlhaf and Alvin Mehlhaf, and brother-in-law, Keith Haas.
Calvin Jacob Mettler, age 88, died peacefully Sunday, April 7, 2013 at home on the farm 4 1/2 miles north of Menno, S.D. Family members will be present at Zion Reformed Church, Menno for visitation beginning at 5 p.m., Friday, April 12 with a prayer service at 7 p.m. The funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, April 13 with Rev. Travis Grassmid officiating. Burial will be in the Menno Cemetery with Military Graveside Rites by the Rames-Bender American Legion Post #152 and the SDARNG Honor Guard. He was cared for by family and the Freeman Hospice care team during his final months of struggle with esophageal cancer. The Aisenbrey-Opsahl-Kostel Memorial Chapel, Menno is in charge of service details.
Calvin was born March 24, 1925 to Jacob F. and Magdalena (Mettler) Mettler on the family farm 4 miles north of Menno. He was a lifelong member of Zion (formerly Kassel) Reformed Church, baptized by Rev. Buettel and confirmed by Rev. Bodenman in 1939. He attended Kassel District 16 School 4 miles north of Menno through 8th grade and graduated from Menno High School in 1944. He purchased his Uncle Fred H. Mettler's farm in 1947 while continuing to work with his father until being drafted into the U.S. Army in February, 1951 during the Korean Conflict, where he served as a radio repairman.
Calvin married Carol Mae Helen Schempp on June 30, 1951 by Rev. Robert Stuebbe, pastor of Grace Reformed Church, Bakersfield, California. After his honorable discharge from the Army in February 1953, the couple and infant son moved to his farm 4 1/2 miles north of Menno where he spent the rest of his life. They raised five sons and enjoyed sharing 61 years of marriage.
Calvin served in many community organizations: organizational boards of the Southeast Experiment Farm (vice president), State and County Extension Service, Hutchinson County Farm Bureau (president), Menno-Olivet Care Center and Menno Medical Clinic; board member of the Farmers Elevator. He enjoyed participating in the Menno Centennial Chorus, church choir, and the development of Pioneer Acres at the north edge of Menno. His heart for service was also evidenced by the two gallon pin he received for donating blood at numerous local blood drives.
Calvin was a delegate to the Republican State Convention numerous times and a State delegate to the 1968 National Convention in Florida, carrying his beliefs in small government, personal responsibility and high morals to the political arena. He was a member of the American Legion and also the SoDak Stamm Chapter of Germans from Russia Heritage Society, with whom he and Carol traveled on a tour to the Ukraine in 2005 to see the area their ancestors immigrated from.
Calvin enjoyed golf in his later years; he and Carol traveled to many different golf courses. Although they began taking winter breaks to Mesa, Arizona in the early 1990's, during the warmer months he remained active on the farm, doing things like helping with daily cattle feeding until late Fall, 2012 when his deteriorating health finally prevented it. Their grandson, Rodney, and Amanda Mettler recently purchased the farmstead from Calvin and Carol, fulfilling their wish to keep it in the family.
Preceding Calvin in death were his parents, Jacob (1984) and Magdalena (1981); siblings: Erna (Robert) Tueting, Helen Handel, Elsie (Willard) Herrboldt, Cecilia Huenemann, Gerold (Edra), his still-born twin sister and two young siblings, Richard and Hildegard; sister-in-law, Anita (Royce) Walker; brothers-in-law, Harold Dirks and George Tobin; nephew, Robert Herrboldt; niece, LuCinda (Dirks) Bontz and great niece, Brooke Herrboldt.
In addition to his wife, Carol, surviving family members thankful for having shared Calvin's life are his five sons and their wives; thirteen grandchildren; five step grandchildren; six great grandchildren and eight step great grandchildren, namely son, Steven and wife, Peggy, children Joel; Jason (Amanda) - Stephanie, Kayla, Joseph, Jacob, and Brenna; Danette (Jason) Besley - Kaitlyn, Ariella, Matayah; son, Kent and wife Lynne, children Thomas; Rodney (Amanda) - Egan; Jeremy (Jennifer) Abma - Zachary, Isabelle, Grace, and Kaitlyn; Christopher (Tammy) Abma - Janessa; Cherie (Jason) Abma Sussner; Bethanie Abma (Kelly McGuire); David (Michelle) Abma; son, Preston and wife Victoria, children Jeremy and Sarah; son, Paul and wife Lisa, children Tara and Katie; son, Miles and wife Christy, children Zachary, Maria, Matthew and Anna. Also surviving are two brothers, Raymond and Gordon (Patricia), brothers-in-law, Clifford (Donna) Handel and Leland (Dorothy) Schempp, sisters-in-law, Cleopha Dirks and LaVay Tobin, plus many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Menno Pioneer Heritage Association, PO Box 452, Menno, S.D. 57045. The current site of Pioneer Acres and the Menno Power Show was homesteaded by Calvin's maternal great grandfather.
Dorothy E. Metz died Saturday, January 19, 2013, at the Sanford Care Center in Vermillion, SD.
In keeping with the wishes of Dorothy, there will be no funeral services and burial will be in the Yankton Cemetery. Opsahl Kostel Funeral Home and Crematory, Yankton will be in charge of arrangements.
She was born in Yankton, SD December 31, 1924 to Arthur F. and Christina (Engel) Metz. She was educated in the Yankton Public Schools and received her B.A. degree from Yankton College in 1946.
Dorothy was a certified dental assistant in the office of Dr. R. A. Beilby for many years, during which time she was active in the South Dakota Dental Assistants Association. She served on many committees and was state president and national delegate. During the past several years, she was an insurance secretary with American Family.
She was a life-long member of the United Church of Christ (Congregational). She was a church school teacher and superintendent for many years, a choir member and soloist, the church clerk and served on many boards. She was a volunteer at Sister James Nursing Home, the Yankton Refugee Program and a tutor for the local literacy council.
Dorothy is survived by one brother, Ernest (Helen) Metz, Yankton, SD and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, six brothers: Don, Arthur, Lawrence, George, Vernard, and Joseph, four sisters: Virginia, Katherine, Agnes, and Christine, one nephew and two nieces.
The family requests that memorials be directed to the United Church of Christ (Congregational) at 210 West 5th Street, Yankton, SD 57078.
Wanda Darlene Miller, age 62, of Yankton, SD and formerly of Terrell, TX passed away on Sunday, January 13, 2013 at her residence. Memorial Service will be 7:00 PM Thursday, January 17, 2013 at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Chapel, Yankton with Chaplain Mary Hochstein assisting with the service. Burial of her cremated remains will take place at Ellis Chapel in Wills Point, TX, at a later date.
Wanda was born on December 28, 1950 to Eugene Ralph and Nellie Marie (Potter) Burch in Terrell, TX. She married David Rogers in 1968 in Mesquite Texas. In 1989 she married Terry Miller in Terrell, TX.
Wanda is survived by her two daughters, Shelli (Lou) Porras of Mitchell, SD and Kelli Aguirre of Yankton, SD; brother, Gary Burch of Terrell, TX; sister, Rhonda (Carey) Streetman of Terrell, TX; ten grandchildren: William Tagg Jr. of Sioux Falls, SD, Zachary Tagg of Mitchell, SD, Nicholas (Erica) Tagg of Anchorage, AK, Kelsey Tagg of Mitchell, SD, Antonio Aguirre Jr., Austin Aguirre, Ashli Aguirre, Allen Porras, Nathan Porras, all of Yankton, SD, and Dale Porras of Crofton, NE.
Wanda is preceded in death by her parents and her son-in-law, William Tagg Sr.
Howard "Hod" Nielsen, age 92 of Yankton passed away early Wednesday morning, April 3, 2013 at Avera Sister James Care Center, Yankton. Funeral Services will be 10:30 AM, Monday, April 8, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Yankton with Rev. Dave Wildermuth officiating. Burial will be in the Yankton Cemetery with military graveside rites by Ernest-Bowyer VFW Post #791 Honor Guard, Yankton and the SDARNG, Sioux Falls. Visitations will be from 4-7 PM, Sunday, April 7, 2013 at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home and Crematory, Yankton with the family present. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church.
Howard "Hod" Nielsen was born to Niels and Ida (Mortenson) Nielsen on March 4, 1921 in Yankton, South Dakota. He attended Yankton public schools, graduating from Yankton High School in 1938, serving as senior class president. He attended the University of South Dakota until entering the Army Air Corps after his junior year. He was active in sports and journalism in high school and college. At the University he played football and belonged to Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
He entered flight training in Vernon, Texas in October 1941, six weeks before Pearl Harbor. He served with the Eighth Air Force for over four years as one of the first photo reconnaissance pilots. He was stationed in England and saw combat in Europe, flying an unarmed P-38. Some of his missions included photographing coastlines of Normandy in preparation for the Allied Invasion. He was one of only seven pilots in his group of twenty-seven to survive. He was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, and a President Unit Citation. He achieved the rank of Captain. Because of the top secret information he possessed about the D-Day location, he was sent back to the states where he traveled to Washington, D.C. and several other cities to debrief his superiors on his missions.
On January 11, 1944 he married Anita O'Rielly in Yankton. They lived on bases in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Coffeyville, Kansas until the war ended, when they returned to Yankton. While in Coffeyville, their first child Janet, was born in 1945. Karen followed in 1947, and Howard Richard, Jr. in 1955.
Following the war, Hod and his brother Roy owned and operated Nielsen Sport and Camera Shop in Yankton. Hod left the business from 1951-1954 to work with KOTA Radio in Rapid City. He returned to the business in 1954 until it closed in 1960. He then worked in the insurance business for several years.
He began doing sports play by play for KYNT in 1958, continuing for over 30 years. He became sports editor of the Press and Dakotan in 1968 working there for many years, writing columns daily, then weekly. He retired from his column in 2007 at age 86. He was honored to be South Dakota Sportscaster of the Year in 1976 and South Dakota Sportswriter of the Year in 1993, 1994, and 1996. He was the only person in any state to be honored in both categories.
Hod received Distinguished Service Awards from the National High School Athletic Coaches' Association, the South Dakota High School Activities Association, the South Dakota High School Coaches' Association, and Mount Marty College. Other awards include the North Central Conference Ed Kolpack Award, the USD Dan Lennon Award, the SDHSCA Max Hawk Award, the Friend of Youth from the Yankton Optimist Club, the Friend of Football Award from the SD High School Football Coaches, the Friend of the Pointers Award from Southern State Teachers College Alumni, and the Yankton College Pro Causa Citation.
Hod has been included in the following halls of fame: SD Intercollegiate Conference, North Central Conference, University of South Dakota Coyotes, Yankton High School Sports, Yankton High School Fine Arts, South Dakota Basketball Coaches, Mount Marty College, and South Dakota Aviation. He also received an honorary doctor of letters from Mount Marty College in 2007.
In 1993 Nielsen became Yankton's Citizen of the Year. He was a member of the Yankton School Board of Education for eight years (1968-1975), serving as president from 1973-1974. He was an early organizer of the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame and served on the Selection Board until 1999. He was the first president and one of the founders of Yankton's Quarterback Club. He was a member of Hillcrest Country Club in its early years. He served as a Heisman Trophy voter for many years.
Hod was included in Tom Brokaw's book The Greatest Generation, and in Greg Laska's Blue Stars. He belonged to the Elks Club. He was a lifelong member of Trinity Lutheran Church where he was baptized, confirmed, and married.
Mourning his loss are his children: Janet (Loren) Gratz of Tucson, AZ, Karen (Wes) Wingett of Norfolk, NE, Dick of Lincoln, NE; his grandsons: Robbin (Erica) List of Robinson, IL, Nathan Gratz of Tucson, AZ, Evan (Johanna) Gratz of Green Bay, WI; and his three great-granddaughters: Bailey List of Bainbridge Island, WA, Lucy and Annika List of Robinson, IL; his sister, Virginia of Oklahoma City, OK; and sister-in-law, Elaine Nielsen of Yankton, SD.
He was preceded in death by his wife of sixty-six years, Anita, three brothers: Niels Robert, Roy, and Willard.
Memorials may be directed to the family for Hod Nielsen Memorial Scholarship, 804 Skyview Circle, Norfolk, NE 68701.
Lawrence (Larry) Noecker, age 72 of Yankton passed away Monday, April 01, 2013 at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, Yankton, SD. Memorial Services will be 11:00 AM, Friday, April 5, 2013 at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Chapel, Yankton, SD with Rev. Tim Lange officiating. Burial will be in the St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery, Hartington, NE approximately at 1:30 PM. Visitations will be from 5-7 PM, Thursday, April 4, 2013 at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home and Crematory, Yankton with the family present. Visitations will resume Friday at 10:00 AM, at the funeral home with a rosary at 10:45 AM.
Larry was born December 29, 1940 in Bow Valley, NE to Anton J. and Eleanor E. (Kathol) Noecker. He was confirmed October 16, 1950, graduated from Holy Trinity in 1958, and attended one year at University of South Dakota in 1959. He married his first wife, Janet Cline in 1961; they had five children, Todd, Julie, David, Carmen and Brian, and resided in Hartington, NE. Larry worked as an electrician for Anderson Electric for many years. He later moved to Crofton, NE and then settled in Yankton, SD where he married Carol Boom in 1997. He continued to work as an electrician for Kolberg's. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed 15 years racing stock cars in Hartington, South Sioux City, Creighton and the surrounding areas often winning or coming in close second. He enjoyed helping his kids in their homes by passing on the knowledge of his trade. In later years, he adopted Cole and Sasha, his best buddies (his two puppies) who always put a smile on his face. Larry always greeted everyone with a welcoming smile and contagious laugh. His sense of humor and charm will be missed by many.
He is survived by his wife, Carol Boom of Yankton, SD; sons: Todd Noecker of Omaha, NE, David (Ann) Noecker of Lincoln, NE, and Brian (Tanja) Noecker of Lincoln, NE; stepsons: Michael Block, Jason Block, and Cory (Shannon) Block, all of Yankton, SD; daughters, Julie (Jason) Swanson of Laurel, NE and Carmen Steffen of Bow Valley, NE; stepdaughter, Tricia Bromley of Yankton, SD; grandchildren: Kaitlyn, Ryan, Sydney, Brent (Lacey), Shawn (Norma), Mitch, Maddie, Ella, Baby Noecker, Danielle, Zach, Mallorie, Kaiden, Tess, Norah, Lacey, Cody, Gaige, Baily, and Tawnie; great-grandchildren, Madison and Daveigha; brother, Marvin (Theresa) Noecker of Hartington, NE; sister, Delores Lammers of Randolph, NE; and best friend, Sasha.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Eleanor and father, Tony, grandparents, John and Anna Kathol and John and Anna Noecker, brother, Leon, brothers-in-law: Bob Lammers, Johnny Feilmeier, and Leroy Folkers, sisters, Leora Hedburg and Rosemary Feilmeier.
Memorials can be sent to the Contact Center, P. O. Box 137, Yankton, SD 57078.
