Jimmy Bromwich, 63, of Presho, SD passed away on Saturday, September 6, 2025 at Avera St. Mary’s Hospital in Pierre, SD.  Funeral service will be held on Friday, September 12, 2025 at 10:00AM at the Winner Methodist Church in Winner, SD.  Burial will follow in the Winner City Cemetery.  Visitation will be held on Thursday, September 11, 2025 from 6-7:00PM at the Winner Methodist Church with a prayer service beginning at 7:00PM.

Duane Thomas, 91, of Presho passed away on Saturday, August 30th at Avera Maryhouse in Pierre.  A celebration of life will be held on September 20, 2025 from 11:00am until 2:00pm at the Presho Fire Hall. 

Duane Henry Thomas was born on October 14, 1934, in Tipton, Kansas, to Mike and Helen (Wagner) Thomas. He attended Catholic school in Tipton and graduated in 1953.

While still in high school, Duane met the love of his life, Helen Mae Brant, at a local dance. They were married on January 26, 1955, and two years later welcomed twins, Steve and Sonia, into their lives.

In 1954, Duane made his first trip to South Dakota in pursuit of greater opportunities and the dream of establishing a farm of his own. He began by renting and leasing and eventually purchased his first property north of Kennebec. He bought a home in town and soon moved Helen and the twins from Kansas to join him.

A born entrepreneur, Duane was always on the lookout for a bargain—whether it was land, cattle, or equipment. When his farming operation outgrew his Ford tractor and small sprayer, he went to flight school and bought his first spray plane for $4,500. After just one week of spraying in Kansas, he had paid off the plane—with “a little extra money” in his pocket. From there, he established Thomas Spraying, with his son Steve joining him in the air. Duane continued aerial spraying for nearly 35 years, purchasing several planes along the way. He and Helen enjoyed flying as a family to destinations such as Mexico, Florida, Texas, and Acapulco.

In the early 1970s, he spotted a piece of land in Presho with unpaid taxes. He purchased the 15 acres for $1,500 and built the family home there. Later, he acquired a feedlot south of Vivian, constructing it from the ground up. That feedlot remains the central hub of his farming legacy.

Duane will be remembered for his sharp wit, sense of humor, love of a good deal, and his deep connection to the land. He loved having breakfast at Hutch’s, catching up with the locals, and taking drives to the farm and through the countryside to check on crops and scope out any old treasures he could bring home to fix up.

He especially cherished time spent with his only grandson, Isaac, proudly mentoring him and celebrating his accomplishments. Duane’s bond with Isaac was one of his greatest joys.

Even at 90, Duane could be found on many 100-degree days, inside his old Case tractor, windows open for “air conditioning,” moving bales or driving his old loader—one that no one else dared to enter. Right up until his final days, Duane could be found climbing into some piece of old equipment, much to the concern of his family.

Duane is survived by his devoted wife of 70 years, Helen Mae (Brant); son Steve (Renee) Thomas; daughter Sonia (Kent) Aasby; and grandchildren Isaac Thomas and Anna Flitner. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Leon Thomas.

Arriving in South Dakota with just $450 in his pocket, Duane built a life defined by perseverance, grit, and entrepreneurial spirit. Over the years, he witnessed and adapted to tremendous change, but his love for the land and commitment to hard work never wavered.

For Duane, the land was more than a way to make a living—it was his passion, his purpose, and his legacy. He leaves behind a lasting mark on the community, his family, and the fields he cared for so deeply.

The Thomas family extends their heartfelt gratitude to Sioux Falls Avera Hospital, the Pierre Mary House, and the dedicated hospice nurses who cared for Duane during his final month. Your compassion and care will never be forgotten.

Billy Joe McPeak, age 77, of Presho, South Dakota, passed away peacefully on August 27, 2025, surrounded by family.

Bill was born on February 18, 1948, in North Platte, Nebraska, to Roy and Mary (Montgomery) McPeak. Bill spent his early years in Nebraska and South Dakota before settling north of Kennebec, at the age of 10, with his older brother Donnie and wife Beverlee. He graduated from Kennebec High School in 1967, shortly before enlisting in the U.S. Navy during Vietnam. In 1970, Bill married Nancy Hills, and together they had four children: MaKayla (Jayme), Dylan and Zayne; Tyler (Beth), Miles, Brooks, and Karsten; Avany (Jay), Bailee, Cash, Utah, Elias, and Oaklee; Tanya (Tim), Jaida, Talan, and Terik. He was also blessed with one great-grandson, Luxx Lamar.

Bill attended Mitchell Tech and spent many years working as a lineman for West Central Electric Cooperative. He took great pride in his work and was respected for his dedication and strong work ethic. Known for his toughness and determination, Bill was a true cowboy. Bill was especially proud of building and working on his place west of Presho after he retired. He loved raising cattle, being around animals and several other outdoor activities. His loyal dog Kim was never far from his side and remained a constant companion through the years. Bill cherished the time he spent with his special friend, Betty Jean. He always enjoyed a game of cards and cup of coffee with good friends. You could always tell when he was teasing you when he gave you a wink and smile. More than anything, Bill was a devoted father and grandfather. He never missed an opportunity to express how proud he was of his children and grandchildren. His love for his family ran deep and was at the center of his life. He spent countless hours in the bleachers at wrestling tournaments, ball games and other activities of his grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents Roy and Mary and siblings George, Donnie, Margie, Arlen, Ruth, and Robert. He is survived by his loving sisters, Lois and Lenora, and by the large family he so dearly loved.

A private family service will be held.

Gloria Elaine Perry was born February 22, 1931, on the family farm near Toronto, SD to Louie and Julia (Gravning) Stroschein. She was the youngest of nine children. She was the last in this generation to pass. She attended school in Toronto and graduated from Brookings High School. She attended South Dakota State University for one year. During that time, she met and married Harry Perry Jr. Harry and Gloria were married on March 17th, 1951 in Brookings. They moved to Rapid City, SD where they started their family and were blessed with four children. In 1963, Harry and Gloria bought a ranch south of Presho, SD along the White River.

Family was the most important thing in Gloria’s life, and she showed it through her unconditional love. Through the years, she stayed busy raising her family, working on the place, and doing the bookwork for the construction company. She was an active member of the United Methodist Church and Eastern Star and was the Clerk of Pratt Township for many years. She enjoyed spending time with her family, gardening, baking, fishing, sewing and traveling including a trip to Europe.

Gloria is survived by her four children: Steve (Denise) Perry, Linda Ambur, Doug (Linda) Perry, all of Presho, SD and Tom Perry of Reliance, SD; eight grandchildren: Ross (Sarah) Ambur, Waylin Ambur, Justine Perry (Michael Hagny), Abby Perry, Alexis (Isaac) Gerdes, Austin Perry, Wyatt (Shayna) Perry, Caroline (Ameer) Pinto; 12 great grandchildren; brothers-in-law Jack Clark, Lawrence Perry, and Owen Garnos and sister-in-law Sally Garnos; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; two infant children; eight siblings and their spouses: Lillian Gutknecht, Lyle Stroschein, Mildred Gutknecht, Harry Stroschein, Arlette Warner, Maynard Stroschein, Dolly Collie, and Mylo Stroschein; her sister-in-law Gail Clark; her son-in-law Loren Ambur; and Linda’s friend Dwight Lamb.

A life dedicated to teaching, coaching, and serving others began on March 25, 1935, when Cecil DeVere Johnson was born, in Gregory, South Dakota. As the sixth of nine children of Elmer and Martha “Baba” Johnson, he grew up on a farm outside Gregory. His parents, especially Baba, believed in the importance of education and hard work—Cecil took this philosophy to heart from the very beginning.

Cecil attended three rural grade schools from 1941 through 1948. He was an eager, inquisitive student, but on his first day of first grade, he came home with doubts about school because he was there all day and did not learn to read. Despite this setback, he went back to school and did learn to read. As his reading ability developed and his curiosity about the world outside the farm grew, he read all of the books available to him from his grade schools’ libraries. At home on the farm, Cecil read every chance he had, and his father had to roust “Bubbs” from his reading to do his chores. Thus, his lifelong love of reading, learning, and writing began, and Cecil soon found the classroom to be his second home, whether as a student or a teacher.

Cecil also made up his own language during his grade school years. He would talk to his younger siblings in this language and became frustrated when they could not understand and converse with him in it. His siblings say that his made-up language and his coding during his military service went hand in hand. At an early age, he learned about languages other than English through his reading because his parents did not speak their native languages of Swedish and German in their home.

From 1949 until his graduation in 1953, Cecil was a Gregory High School Gorilla. No school bus services ran from the farm to school, so he boarded in town in a private home (which cost about $10 month and he had to bring his own sheets!). He ate at the school cafeteria that provided three meals a day from Monday morning until Friday noon. High school provided more access to books and learning, and he could not get enough. As a freshman, he began earning extra cash by taking on the reading assignments for upper classmen and writing their book reports. Although he enjoyed and was adept in this work, he was persuaded to stop “helping” the upper classmen by his father and the principal during a trip to the principal’s office.

At the beginning of his high school years, Cecil and his siblings were considered “country kids,” so they were not expected to be scholarly or outstanding in any way, but these perceptions changed quickly once they saw Cecil’s intelligence and academic ability in the classroom and his strength and leadership on the football field. As a lineman, he lettered in football all four years in high school. He made great, and lasting, friendships during this time. Cecil met one friend, Jay Dooley, on the first day of his freshman year, and he played football side by side with Jay in both high school and college and cherished this friendship all of his life. With academics coming easily to Cecil, he also helped many of his football friends with their studies, tutoring them so they continued to be eligible to play football and eventually graduate.

After high school, Cecil began work as a laborer for a company contracted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to lay concrete for the construction of Fort Randall Dam on the Missouri River. Although never one to shirk hard work, he decided he needed to find a way to get a college education because he did not want to spend the rest of his life working as a manual laborer, especially during the hot South Dakota summers. To earn financial assistance for tuition and educational expenses through the GI Bill, Cecil joined the U.S. Army as an infantry soldier in 1954 during the interwar years between the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He was a communications expert and a Morse Code operator and was one of the only soldiers who knew how to fire and clean every weapon that his company used. While in the Army, he was stationed in Fort Bliss, Texas, and Germany, and upon leaving the military, he attended Black Hills Teachers College, now Black Hills State University.

College life in the Black Hills was a joyful experience for Cecil, and, again, he balanced his academic studies with football. His sister Glenice was living in Spearfish and introduced Cecil to Black Hills Teachers College. Between 1956 and 1963, three or four Johnsons, including Cecil from 1956 to 1960, attended Black Hills Teachers College at the same time. When Jay Dooley found out where Cecil was, he contacted Cecil to have him save a place in his apartment.

Besides his course work, Cecil was into two things at Black Hills—football and the college newspaper. He played and lettered in football all four years earning a V-neck, pull-on letter sweater for the first letter, a cardigan letter sweater for the second letter, a blazer for the third letter, and the option to purchase a blanket with the fourth letter. His experience with the college newspaper inspired him as an educator to teach high school journalism classes that published stories all of Lyman County enjoyed for many years. In 1960, Cecil completed his student teaching in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, and during this time, he was also instrumental in introducing the sport of wrestling to Belle Fourche High School.

Cecil graduated from Black Hills Teachers College in 1960 with a bachelor’s degree in education with a major in English and minor in physical education. He would go on to earn a master’s degree from Bemidji State University doing course work across three summers. His mother was proud that Cecil and seven of his siblings received their teaching degrees from Black Hills Teachers College and another of his siblings earned a degree in Veterinary Medicine.

Cecil met his wife Norma “Turp” Hupp in 1956 while attending college, and the couple married in 1959 and moved to Presho (Turp’s hometown), where in the fall of 1961, Cecil began a teaching and coaching career that would span decades at Presho High School and, later, Lyman High School.

As a Presho Wolf and a Lyman Raider, Cecil taught English literature, grammar, Greek mythology, journalism, and writing to hundreds of high school students, and, later in his career, he also taught English classes at Capital University in Pierre. He loved his students, and they loved him and his pithy remarks, like: “Ain’t ain’t a word.” Cecil was committed to helping his students take pride in themselves and develop the tools they needed to understand the world and to effectively communicate with the world around them. He was recognized for his outstanding service to his students through yearbook dedications, for example, the Class of 1963; the Teacher Who Makes a Difference Award; and the Presidential Scholars Program Teachers Recognition Award.

Cecil’s time spent with students extended well beyond the classroom lectures. He invested many hours as a class advisor, a tutor, and most of all a coach. He was head football coach in his early career and head track coach for decades. After he retired from school teaching, he continued to volunteer as an assistant coach and worked with the track team until his last year, at 90 years old. A legend in the South Dakota track world, Cecil’s familiar stance, leaning forward with his arms resting on a hurdle while watching athletes compete, will be remembered by many, especially during the Cecil Johnson Invitational at the track and field by the same name.

When Cecil and Turp moved to Presho, he settled into a community he treasured to raise their children, Orange and Coreen, and eventually help raise their grandsons, Cade and Bridger, who visited often and for much of the summer. Avid hunter, fisherman, and gardener, Cecil loved to be outdoors and be connected with nature. Any time he was hunting or fishing, he was in his best place, and he spent many happy hours fishing with friends and family, working with his hunting dogs, and hunting pheasants, especially at the family farm in Gregory. His favorite day of the year was opening day of deer hunting because he spent it with his son and grandsons. One of his hunting friends for many years was the game warden in Lyman County in the 1970s and 1980s, Floyd Gaarder. Floyd often enlisted Cecil’s help as back-up for patrols and poaching surveillance, and together they completed many projects aimed at preserving the wild and natural resources in the Lyman County area. During it all, Cecil always had a stock of candy bars or peanuts in his vehicle cubby or coat pocket.

Cecil was never more content than when he was having breakfast at Hutch’s; playing cards with friends, especially games of pitch; or working with his hands in his garden. Cecil spent many hours planning and planting his garden and then tending to his plants to keep weeds, pests, and wildlife at bay so that he could share his produce with family and friends. His favorite was sweet corn, which he eagerly awaited until harvest time. He would visit his garden several times a day to make sure the moisture was right and all was well.

In the quiet times at home, Cecil would settle in with Luna, his cat, on his lap and a glass of Old Crow bourbon in hand to read a good book, watch Chicago Cubs baseball, catch a Lyman Raiders game showing on YouTube, or check out the Weather Channel. A life well lived, Cecil DeVere Johnson passed away on Father’s Day, June 15, 2025.

Cecil is survived by his son, Orange (Kim) Johnson; daughter, Coreen Johnson (Tom Tomczyk); grandsons, Cade (Haley) Johnson and Bridger Johnson; great grandsons, Carson, Briggs, and Hyatt; Bill (Jean) Sorensen; brothers, Berle (Marcella) Johnson and Robert (Beth) Johnson; sister, Barbara (Chuck) Matson; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Elmer and Martha “Baba” Johnson; his wife, Norma; brothers, Derald, Virgil, and Dean Johnson; and sisters, Lorraine King and Glenice Brown.

Memorials on behalf of Cecil Johnson for the Lyman County Athletic Foundation can be sent to

P.O. Box 224, Presho, SD 57568. A private family memorial will be held at a later date.

Thanks for everything, Cec, ya done good!

Funeral services for Pat Madsen, 83, of Presho, SD will be 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lower Brule, SD with burial in St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery at Kennebec, SD.  Visitation will be Monday beginning at 4:00 p.m. with a rosary/wake service at 6:00 p.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lower Brule, SD.  There will be a luncheon after the graveside services in Kennebec at St. Michael's Catholic Church.

Anyone wishing to follow, the procession will leave from funeral home on Monday at 3:00 p.m.

Mary Patricia (Pat) Madsen (Jones), 82, of Presho, SD, passed away on April 21st, 2025. Pat was born to William A. Jones and Helen Rose Durkin in Pierre, SD, on February 26th, 1942. She lived at Fort George with her Grandma Lima Fallis and Grandpa Patrick Durkin until the 8th grade, when she moved to Kadoka to live with her parents.

Pat married the love of her life, Chris W. Madsen, on September 23rd, 1960, at Our Lady of Victory Church in Kadoka. To this union, seven children were born – Christine, Patrick, Carmen, Kelly, Willie, Kimm, and Michael. In 1965, they moved to Long Valley, and in 1969, they relocated to Fort George. In 1975, they settled at their lifelong home on the ranch north of Presho.

Pat worked at Lower Brule Elementary for a couple of years before beginning her long career with the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Head Start program in 1973. She dedicated 47 years to the program, retiring in 2020. During her time at Head Start, she also served on the board for the National Head Start Association in Washington, D.C. She attended many national meetings and visited other reservation Head Start programs. Over the years, she became known as “Granny Pat” to many generations, remembered for the love and kindness she shared with all. Her well-known saying was, “If a child knew they were loved, they would make it.”

In addition to raising her two grandchildren, Stormie and Dylan, she also cared for her nephews, Roddy and Randy, who lived with her. Many other children spent a great deal of their formative years in her household. Each one of them continues to hold a special place in her heart.

Pat loved to dance with her husband, read, write poems and stories, plant flowers, garden, and spend time with her grandchildren. She was also a renowned cook who loved to bake and prepare meals for others—especially her famous taco salad and crazy cake with homemade fudge frosting.

Pat leaves behind her husband of 64 years, Chris W. Madsen, and five children: Christine (Jim) Olson of Ft. Pierre; Kelly (Teresa) Madsen of Ft. Pierre; Willie Madsen of Presho; Kimm (Ron) Schweitzer of Presho; and Michael Shane Madsen of Presho. She is also survived by her sister, Kathy (Dave) Ling of Rifle, CO. She leaves behind 13 grandchildren—Stormie Madsen, Jami Larson, Patrick Olson, Andrew Madsen, Dylan Madsen, Ryder Schweitzer, Mariah Hoelscher, Kateri McManus, Maleah Tuttle, Briar Rose Schweitzer, Clare Madsen, Jameson Madsen, and Reva Madsen—as well as 11 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents, William A. Jones and Helen (Teeter) Rose Durkin; her sister, Mickey Neuman; her newborn son, Patrick; her daughter, Carmen; her in-laws, Esther and John "Chris" Madsen; and brothers-in-law, Durward and Bruce.

Pat was kind, wise, nurturing, and loving to all she met.

Mark David Leichtnam, 67, passed away on Saturday, April 5th, at his home in Presho, SD. A celebration of life will be held this summer in honor of Mark.

Mark was born on September 16, 1957, in Pierre, SD, to Louis and Marjorie (Satree) Leichtnam. He was married in 1980, and to this union, three beautiful daughters were born: Magdalen (Maggie), Madonna, and Afton.

Mark grew up attending country school in Presho, later graduating from Presho High School. He lived in Presho most of his life; however, in 1989, He took a chance and moved to Deadwood, SD. It was there where he learned the art of dealing poker. He made Deadwood his home for 10 years. While in Deadwood, he made many friends, enjoyed golfing, and took random road trips with friends. He had many hobbies in life, including fishing, hunting, playing cards, and cooking.

He had a love for the game of baseball and was an avid Minnesota Twins fan. He attended countless games, watched them on TV, or listened to them on the radio. He was fortunate to experience the excitement of the World Series Games in 1987 and 1991 in person.

He took a cooking class later in life and found enjoyment in cooking. He cherished his kitchen gadgets from his bread machine when they were popular to his kitchen aid mixer. Not to mention a good set of pots and pans. He took pride in having a nice set of kitchen knives.

He is survived by his three daughters: Magdalen (Maggie) and Derrick Dell of Pierre, SD, MaDonna Leichtnam of Papillion, NE, and Afton Leichtnam and Jeffery (Jeff) Skeen of Rapid City, SD; six grandchildren: Mason, Amara, NahRiah, Ryder, Kiyle, Thayne; three sisters: Elaine, Phyllis, and Teresa and many nieces and nephews.

John Lloyd Anderson of Presho S.D. age 81 passed away at his home on Thursday, December 12, 2024.

He was surrounded by loving friends and family.  John fought a courageous battle with Cancer for nearly a year.  There were many doctor visits and hospital stays, but in the end he did it his way!

John was born on August 17, 1943 to John Alfred Anderson and Alta Ruth (Kenobbie) Anderson in Mitchell, S.D.  He grew up on the family farm east of Presho and attended country grade school close to his home.  He graduated from Presho High School in 1961, he then attended South Dakota State University for three years & then came home to help with the farming as his father was in declining health.  John was married to his high school sweetheart on November 10, 1962.  John and Donna just celebrated 62 years of marriage.   John and Donna had two children, Cheryl and Alan.

John wore many hats throughout his 81 years.  He had a great love of the land and of most animals.

He was a farmer, a rancher, a truck driver, a private pilot, a son, a brother, a father and a husband!

John loved music (mostly country). He had a beautiful singing voice, but only sang to the radio while going down the road.  He also loved to dance.  He and Donna never missed a dance, whether it be square dancing, waltzing or the polka, or jitterbugging to some good old rock & roll! His favorite country singers were Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson.  

In the 70’s and 80’s you would find John traveling to many rodeos with his kids and other peoples kids! So many memories of those days and what fun it was. He owned a boat and taught many of us how to water ski at Brakke Dam!  He also loved to play cards, especially Cribbage!

He was an avid fan of the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs!  He hardly ever missed a Nascar Race on TV. And even got to go to a race in Kansas City!  

John valued his friends and was always there to lend a helping hand.  His greatest joy was helping someone out and not letting anyone know.  He was generous to a fault, his famous saying was: Put that on my tab, or I will get that!  I witnessed many battles over a meal ticket and John usually won.!

He loved snow, but not at home as that represented a lot of work! He loved snow in the mountains so he could go snow mobiling!  Some of his favorite places to go sledding were Colorado and the Rockies or the Big Horns in Wyoming.  He also took many trips to Sundance Wyoming, where he met a whole new set of friends. If you were ever his friend, you most likely are still his friend.  He collected friends like some people collect treasures.  His friends were his treasures and they were all here for him during this difficult time.

When I said he liked most animals, It’s because he really loved his black angus cattle, all dogs & horses!

He adored his dog Bubba! But he really didn’t like cats, except Callie the Calico that lives in his shop!

He gave her permission to stay in his shop because she kept the birds away!  

John and Donna lost their son Alan in 1991, but through the years they have acquired several more sons & daughters not as a replacement for their own son but bonus sons & daughters!  In particular is Ethan! He was there when we needed him and we were there when he needed us.  Thank you for being in his life Ethan!    

John is survived by his wife Donna, his daughter Cheryl and his sister Mary.  His Sister In-laws, Carol Andersen & Steve, & Judy Collura. His brother in laws Ray Schoulte & Terri and Rick Schoulte & Mary, plus many nieces, nephews and cousins.  He was preceded in death by his parents JA (Al), & Alta Anderson, his sister Pat , his son Alan & his Brother in-law Bill Schoulte ,and his Father In-law & mother in-law Lyle and Kay Schoulte.  

I would like to leave you with a quote from John’s Senior Year Book: “He was neither a book worm nor a social hound, but just a swell guy to have around.”  This was a very appropriate quote for him.

As per John’s request, he was cremated.  His Memorial service, Celebration of his Life and burial of his ashes will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, April 26, 2024 at the Grace Methodist Church in Presho, SD, when the grass is green & the birds are singing.  So rest in peace my Love, your struggles and pain are over and you did it your way! We will make sure to close the gate, so the cows & horses don’t get out, and we will remember to shut out the lights, we will continue to cheer on your beloved KC Chiefs & Denver Broncos, We will take care of Bubba and oh yes, I have the remote!   

Diane Lynn (Krois) Hieb began her eternal rest on February 16th, 2025 after her 13 month battle with cancer. 

Diane was a bright light and the life of the party to all who had the privilege of knowing her. Diane’s journey on this earth was marked by love, compassion, faith in God and her joy for bringing people together. One would be hard pressed to find someone in the area, especially in the towns where she was Postmaster, who doesn't know her and remembers her fondly.

A love for adventuring with others was a defining part of Diane’s life. She thrived on socialization and traveling with her friends and family. This was apparent through her solo adventures, mother-daughter trips, excursions with her girlfriends, and through her 35 years of monthly Card Club group get togethers. When she wasn’t off on her adventures, you would find her enjoying her other passions: boating, kayaking, biking, chasing sunsets, or fishing at Big Bend Dam with her husband. Whether it was steps away from her home on the Missouri River, in the Badlands or Mickelson Trail, she loved being outdoors.

Where she shined the brightest was being “The Fun Grandma.” She will be forever remembered by her grandchildren for her countless nature adventures, science experiments, creative crafts, movie nights, dangerous homemade slides and her cotton candy machine.

Her passing has left a void in the hearts of her family, friends, and many more whose lives she touched, but Diane’s spirit, zest, and love for fun will be carried on by her family and friends from every walk of life.

We ask that you remember Diane not for the way her life ended but for the way it was lived. As you keep her in your memories, remember to be spontaneous and to live life to the fullest, as she did and would want for all of you.

Gratefully sharing in Diane’s life were her husband, Dave, son Blain (Sarah), and daughter Aspen (Dan); her grandchildren Brody, Landen, and Syler; sister, Linda Kercher; brother-in-law Gary Swanson (Anna Marie); niece Darcy Swanson (Carolyn) and nephews Curt Swanson, Rodney Kercher (Jenny), Scott Kercher (Tara), and her two grand dogs Luna and Lloyd.

Diane is reunited with her parents, Geneva and Joe Krois; sisters, Susan Swanson and Debbie Krois; brother-in-law, Kenny Kercher and her grand dog Marley. 

A Celebration of Life service will be held this summer, as that is Diane’s favorite time of year.