Millie SietsmaFuneral services for Mildred L.

Sietsma, 92, formerly of Spring-field, are scheduled for 1:30 p.m.Friday, December 28, 2012 at theEmmanuel Reformed Church inSpringfield, with burial in theEmanuel Cemetery, rural Spring-field. Visitation will be at theCrosby-Jaeger Funeral Home inSpringfield Thursday from 12:30to 4 p.m.

Mildred L. Sietsma, daughterof Henry and Edna (Crosmer)Roll, was born May 20, 1920 atAvon. She died Tuesday, Decem-ber 25, 2012 at St. Michael’s Hos-pital in Tyndall. Millie attainedthe age of 92 years, seven monthsand six days.

Millie grew up on a farm northof Avon and attended DaisyCountry School through theeighth grade. Millie was one often children and she helped raiseher youngest brother and sisterafter their mother’s death. Sheworked for Professor and Mrs.Glen Ruby in Springfield until hermarriage. She married Harry Si-etsma on February 14, 1940 at theSietsma home. They lived on afarm south of Avon for threeyears and then moved tot he Si-etsma farm southwest of Spring-field. Two children were blessedto their union. In 1976, Harry andMIllie retired and moved intoSpringfield. Harry died on March23, 1993. Millie moved into theNorth Point Apartments in Tyn-dall in 2003 and entered the GoodSamaritan Society in Tyndall in2008, where she lived until herdeath.

Millie was baptized and joined

the MethodistChurch in Avon asa young girl. Afterher marriage, shetransferred hermembership tothe Emmanuel Re-formed Church inSpringfield whereshe taught cate-chism and SundaySchool. Millie also

was a member of WillingWorkers.

Millie loved her flowers, gar-dening, needle point and makingquilts for all of her familymembers.

Thankful for having shared herlife are her children: ArlisTjeerdsma and husband Harold ofSpringfield and Roger and wifeLois (Phillips) of Custer; threegrandchildren: Cindy (Tjeerdsma)Jochims and husband John, Gre-gory Tjeerdsma, and RodneyTjeerdsma and friend Cindy Knut-son; three great grandchildren:Kristofer Tjeerdsma, Daniel andKayla Jochims; two great-greatgrandchildren: Jace and BentlyTjeerdsma; brother James Rolland wife Doris of Napa Valley, CA;and many nieces and nephews.

Millie was preceded in deathby her husband; parents; par-ents-in-law; and her siblings andtheir spouses: Larry and wifeLee; Bill and wife Ollie; Blanchand husband Harrison McKelvie,Jack and wife Vilva, Leo and wifeRae, Hazel and husband LeonardYallaly, Carol and husband DonSchyler, and infant brotherCharles.

Yankton Press & Dakotan

December 27, 2012

Thursday, 12.27.12ON THE WEB: www.yankton.net

NEWS DEPARTMENT: news@yankton.net 3PRESS DAKOTANthe region

OB ITUAR I E S

Avoid the Holiday Buzz with New Year’s Fun Week

For more info, contact Jennifer Berg, Community Prevention Specialist at L&C

Behavioral Health 605.665.4606

Free Family Games - Boys and Girls Club (BGC) - Dec. 27, - 1-4 pm.

High School Hollidazzle Teen Dance - ShBooms/Bowling Alley - Dec. 27, 6-10:30 pm, $5 pre-sale tick-ets at BGC, $7 at the door, Proceeds go to BGC of Yankton. Must show valid High School ID for entry.

Middle School Dance - Sacred Heart Link Auditorium - Dec. 28, 7-10 pm. $5 admission. Proceeds go to Parents for a Safe Prom.

Coalition Theater Productions - Yankton City Hall - Activities and skits for all ages - Dec. 29th, 6-9 pm.

Family Movie Night - Carmike Cinemas - Dec. 30, free youth ticket with purchase of every adult ticket.

Free Swim and Gym - Summit Activities Center - Dec. 31, 1-4 pm.

Talent show and Faux Fire-works - Yankton City Hall - Dec. 31, 6-9 pm.

Free Ice Skating - Alcoa Arena - Dec. 31, 6-9 pm.

Door Prizes! Refresh-ments! A family friendly, alcohol, tobacco, & drug free celebration.

The family of Ralph Wieseler would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to all our friends and family who were there for us when we lost our Dad, Grandpa, and Great Grandpa.

To Steve Klug and the CCW ladies for the meal. To Mary Klug and the choir for the beautiful music. A special thanks to Jerry Wintz and Wintz Funeral Home for being professional and compassionate.

To Tammy, John, Amy, Sheryl, Brenda, Claudette and the whole staff at Park View Nursing Home. We were truly blessed to have such wonderful people taking care of dad. You guys are second to none.

To Fr. Olsen and Deacon Shane Kleinshmit for the beautiful services and support to our family. And to anyone we may have forgotten, many thanks. We are blessed to live in such a caring community.

God Bless All of You!

Bob and Kathie Wieseler Ron and Paulette Wieseler Carol and John Olsen Lois and Joe Nigrin

Darrell and Barbara Wieseler Shirley and Roger Haahr Brad and Diane Wieseler Kenny and Jennifer Wieseler

W INTZ & R AY FUNERAL HOME and Cremation Service, Inc. 605-665-3644

W INTZ FUNERAL HOME INC.

Hartington, Coleridge, Crofton 402-254-6547 www.wintzrayfuneralhome.com

View Our Video Tributes

on-line at... www.wintzrayfuneralhome.com

Dolores FoxhovenDolores M. Foxhoven, age 87,

of Yankton, South Dakota, diedDecember 23, 2012, at Avera Sis-ter James Care Center inYankton.

A Mass of Christian Burialwill be 10:30 a.m. on Saturday,December 29, 2012 at SacredHeart Catholic Church in Yank-ton with Reverend Mark Lichterofficiating. Burial will be in St.Rose of Lima Cemetery inCrofton, Nebraska.

Visitation is from 6:00 to 8:00p.m. on Friday, December 28,2012 at the Wintz & Ray FuneralHome in Yankton with a rosaryand vigil service at 7:00 p.m. Vis-itation will resume one hourprior to the Mass at Church onSaturday.

Pallbearers are Ryan Fox-hoven, Tim Bulleigh, JakeBulleigh, Ken Schurman, DuaneSchurman, and Jeff Rydsom.

Honorary pall-bearers are JeffLaBrune, MatthewFoxhoven, andAnne Eskeldson.

Dolores wasborn September13, 1925 in Dupree,South Dakota, toPaul and Rose(Marx) Schurman.

She lived in South Dakota for afew years and her family latermoved to northeast Nebraskawhere she attended countryschool. She worked at Bogner’sin Crofton for a few years andlater at Knoll Freeman DefensePlant in Yankton. She marriedAllan Foxhoven on July 27, 1948in St. Helena, Nebraska. Theymoved to their farm northwest ofCrofton where Dolores helped onthe farm and raised their family.After they retired from farmingthey moved to Yankton wherethey lived on Douglas Avenue

and were surrounded with won-derful neighbors.

Dolores was a member of Sa-cred Heart Catholic Church andwas active in The Center inYankton. She loved gardening,music, ballroom dancing, andsquare dancing. She had a heartof gold, a funny sense of humor,and was an excellent seamstressand cook. The grandchildrenwould always look forward tohaving grandma’s homemadebuns and pickles. Dolores andAllan had an unconditional lovefor each other. They did every-thing together and could almostalways be seen holding hands.They truly were inseparable.

Survivors include her hus-band of 64 years, Allan Foxhovenof Yankton; three children: David(Cindy) Foxhoven of Doniphan,Nebraska; Gary (Connie) Fox-hoven of Bennington, Kansas;and Judy (Ron) LaBrune of Lex-ington, Nebraska; seven grand-

children; 25 great grandchildrenwith one on the way; three greatgreat grandchildren; four broth-ers: Larry Schurman of Yankton;Norman Schurman of Yankton;Willie (Cleopha) Schurman ofCrofton, Nebraska; and PaulSchurman of Randolph, Ne-braska. She is also survived bymany nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death byher parents; sister, Romaine andbrother Jim.

To post an online sympathymessage, visit wintzrayfuneral-home.com.

Yankton Press & Dakotan

December 27, 2012

F U N E R A L H O M E

and Cremation Service, Inc.

eAYj INTZ &

Online condolences at: www.wintzrayfuneralhome.com

Foxhoven

Leonard GleichLeonard Gleich, age 91, of

Yankton, left this earthly world inthe early morning hours of Mon-day, December 24, 2012 at theAvera Yankton Care Center, Yank-ton, SD.

Mass of Christian Burial will be2:00 p.m. Saturday, December 29,2012 at St. Benedict CatholicChurch, Yankton, SD, with Rev.Ken Lulf officiating. Burial will bein the Sacred Heart Cemetery,Yankton, SD.

Visitations will begin at 5:00p.m. Friday, December 28, 2012 atthe Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home

& Crematory, Yank-ton, with a rosaryat 7:00 p.m. fol-lowed by a Scrip-ture service at 7:30p.m. Visitationswill resume onehour prior to theservice at thechurch.

Pallbearers areJoe Gleich, David

Wells, Terry Haas, Tim Haas, BrianDobesh, Trevor Haas and DylanHaas.

Leonard was born October 15,1921 to Joseph and Albina

(Pokorney) Gleich. He was bap-tized in the Lakeport Church,rural Yankton, SD and attendedLakeport School, District 13. Hefarmed all his life ten miles westof Yankton, SD. He belonged tothe Farmers Union Coop, MooseLodge, and National Farmers Or-ganization (NFO). His life revolvedaround his farm work which heshared with his parents andbrother, Emil.

He is survived by 4 nieces:Mary (Russell) Steffen of RisingCity, NE, Monica (Warren) Haas ofYankton, SD, Judith Van Kley ofColumbus, NE, and Theresa Wells

of Yankton, SD; 4 nephews: Ed-ward Gleich, John (Jane) Gleich,James (Shannon) Gleich, andRobert Gleich, all of Yankton, SD.

He was preceded in death byhis parents, brother, Emil, and sis-ter-in-law, Rita.

Yankton Press & Dakotan

December 27, 2012

Gleich

Online condolences at: www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com

Sietsma

Nancy RobinsonNancy Leigh Robinson, 55, of

Vermillion, SD passed away Sundayevening, December 23, in her homewith her husband and children ather bedside.

Nancy Leigh Robinson was bornon August 24, 1957, the daughter ofDon and Virginia Jensen of Bur-bank, SD. She graduated from Ver-million, High School in 1975,attended the University of SouthDakota for one year, and thentransferred to Minnesota State Uni-versity in Mankato, MN where shegraduated with a degree in socialwork.

After working for the AmericanCancer Society in Minneapolis, MNfor a year, she married the love ofher life, Curt Robinson, of St.Thomas, ND at Dalesburg LutheranChurch on August 15, 1981. Thecouple moved to Watertown, SDwhere they lived until 1987 andNancy worked for JenkinsMethodist Home as a social worker.After Curt was hired by EdwardJones Investments to open an of-fice in Vermillion, the couplemoved in 1987 and Nancy workedin the Edward Jones office full timefor three years, and then on a parttime basis until 2009.

Grateful for the opportunity tohave shared her life are her hus-band of 31 years, Curt Robinson,and their four children; Jordan ofMinneapolis, MN, Sam, Valerie andDaniel all of Vermillion. She is alsosurvived by her mother, Virginia

Jensen, Burbank,SD, her brotherReid (Marilyn)Jensen, Burbank,sister Sheila (Greg)Ketel, Rapid City,SD and sister Tracy(Russ) Mancino,Elkhorn, NE, as wellas several nieces,nephews, aunts,uncles and cousins.

Nancy was blessed to havemany close friends and relativesthat were a very important part ofher life. She was an inspirationthroughout her cancer illness withher positive attitude and strongfaith. Her priorities of serving andloving others were a testimony toher faith and love of Jesus Christand the church. She was activewith women’s ministry, youthgroups, Sunday school, missionswork and service wherever shewas needed and was a wonderfulmother.

Nancy was preceded in deathby her father, Don Jensen.

A Celebration of Life will beheld at 10:30 a.m. Friday, December28th at Grace Baptist Church inVermillion, with Pastor Steve Fordofficiating. Burial will follow inBluffview Cemetery Vermillion.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7p.m. Thursday, December 27thwith a prayer service beginning at7:00 p.m. at the church.

Yankton Press & Dakotan

December 27, 2012

Robinson

Patricia Wells 4 January 1967-23 December

2012Patricia L. Wells passed away

on December 23rd at theDougherty Hospice House in SiouxFalls after a lengthy battle with ALSwhile her husband David and sisterNanette held her hands as she as-cended into Heaven.

Patti was born in Fargo, ND andgrew up in Yankton, SD. She gradu-ated from Yankton High School andreceived her Bachelor’s Degree(with honors) and Master’s Degreefrom the University of SouthDakota. Patti was a lifelong educa-tor and touched the lives of manyof her students from 4th gradethrough college.

As an educator, Patti receivedmuch recognition over the yearsbut it was her volunteer work thatshe was most proud of. As an Armyspouse, Patti headed the FamilyReadiness Group during two com-bat deployments in which she men-tored young wives of deployedSoldiers. She was honored as theFort Riley, KS Volunteer of the Yearin 2004. Patti was the recipient ofthe Dr. Mary Walker Award, MollyPitcher Award, NISOD Award for

Excellence inTeaching amongher many acco-lades andachievements.

Patti was luckyto have two fami-lies that loved hervery much and thatlove was recipro-cated. As anadopted child, she

also had strong ties to her biologi-cal family. Survivors include herhusband David Wells, son Zach Al-brecht, mother, Mary Albrecht ofYankton, Biological parents JackKushman and Pam Hutchison, sis-ters Nanette Hulscher, Nancy We-nande, Stacey Basher, and StephKushman, brothers John Kushmanand Nick Hutchison. She was pre-ceded in death by her father PaulAlbrecht and her grandparents.

Patti continues to give to othersin death as she did in life. She hasdonated her body to science.

A memorial service and celebra-tion of Patti’s life will be held onher birthday, January 4th with theplace and time to be determined.

Yankton Press & Dakotan

December 27, 2012

Wells

Sister MadeleineLeCompte

RAPID CITY — Sister MadeleineRita LeCompte, OSBS, 89, diedWednesday, December 19, 2012 atRapid City Regional Hospital Auxil-iary Hospice House.

Sister Madeleine was born Au-gust 3, 1924 to Anna Blackbird andFrank LeCompte at their home inMobridge, SD. She was baptizedshortly thereafter in St. Bede’sChurch in Ft. Yates, Wakpala, SD. SrMadeleine is an enrolled memberof the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.She attended St. Joseph’s IndianSchool for eight years in Chamber-lain, SD. Her high school yearsfound her at the Rosebud govern-ment school for two years. Desiringa more Christian education, Fr.Louis Gall, SJ, helped her to trans-fer to St. Francis Mission to betaught by the Jesuits and Francis-can Sisters where she graduated inMay, 1941. Right after graduation,she entered into a new ReligiousCommunity established on theYankton Sioux Reservation, theOblate Sisters of the BlessedSacrament.

At the time of her 50th jubilee,Sr. Madeleine wrote: “Various min-istries have been my lot. I beganwith the boys’ sewing room atMarty as a Postulant and Novice.Then word was in the wind that Fr.Sylvester wanted me in the office.The mission was existing throughthe contributions from the cam-paign. I got the “run down” on mynew position to take over the of-fice. That call was to last 23 years.In between I was Food Service Di-rector at Marty, administration inthe Oblate Community, a shortterm as teacher in grades 1-8 inGreenwood, SD, but then Fr.Sylvester recalled me! I learned sovery much under his direction.After his death in 1948, I had tobridge the gap with a new Superin-tendent and Superior of St. Paul’smission ... this was to last another

18 years!”August of 1976

found Sr. Madeleineon a first assign-ment away fromMarty- theCheyenne RiverReservation inEagle Butte, SD.She worked herefor eight years butthen returned to

Marty to serve another term asCommunity Leader. Sr. Madeleinebegan her service at the KateriConvent in Rapid City, SD, in 1988.She was then called back to Martyto serve as Pastoral Administratorof St. Paul’s for two years. Sincethat time, she returned to RapidCity and has resided there until theLord chose to call her home.

Sr. Madeleine was preceded indeath by her parents, her sisters:Bern Johnson, Mildred Hill, EvelynLeCompte; and one brother Frank.

She leaves to mourn onebrother, George (Betty) LeCompte,several nieces and nephews, herfaithful companion and caretakerto the end, Sr. Joan Vittengl, OSBS;and her other Oblate Sisters: InezJetty, Patricia Mylott, and MiriamShindelar.

Mass will be offered at 10:00a.m., Friday, December 21 at St.Isaac Jogues in Rapid City with Rev.David Matzko, SJ presiding.

Another Mass will be offered at11:00 a.m. CST, Thursday, Decem-ber 27, at St. Paul’s Church inMarty, with Fr. David Tickerhoof,T.O.R. presiding.

Burial will follow in Marty.In lieu of flowers, memorials

have been established to the RapidCity Regional Hospital AuxiliaryHospice House and St. Paul’sChurch in Marty.

Osheim & Schmidt FuneralHome is in charge of arrangements.Her online guestbook is availableto sign atwww.osheimschmidt.com.

Yankton Press & Dakotan

December 27, 2012

LeCompte

LeRoy LeFebvereLeRoy Darius LeFebvere, son of

Joe LeFebvere and Hillary McCannof Yankton, was stillborn Monday,

Dec. 24, 2012, at Avera SacredHeart Hospital, Yankton.

Funeral services are pendingwith Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home& Crematory, Yankton.

He also considers the Dec. 26gathering as a tribute to ances-tors in internment sites that theSantee Sioux consider concentra-tion camps.

Those stories still arousesearing emotions and lingeringresentment, he said. “There is alot of feeling there,” he said.

Trudell spoke of the fourstages of life and the changingroles from birth to the elderly.However, other influences inmodern life are overtaking tradi-tional Dakota ways, which hecalled “a vanishing way of life.”

“Somewhere along the line,we are losing that part of it,” hesaid. “We have children who areabandoned or given up for adop-tion. We have the drug problem

that makes things worse. Wehave abuse. We have parentskilling their children. That isnever meant to be, and we mustnever accept that.”

“We need to educate our-selves and make our heartsDakota again,” he said.

Despite such challenges, theSantee Sioux have overcomemuch in their history, Trudellsaid. He called on tribal mem-bers not to continue carryingtheir anger and to draw strengthfrom their ancestors honoredWednesday.

“This is a very hard day if youknow the history of our people,but it’s also a good day,” he said.

Santee Sioux tribal memberRedwing Thomas said the Dec.26 anniversary holds specialmeaning for him.

“It’s more important thanChristmas for me,” he said. “Therest of America had a warmhouse with a Christmas tree (in

1862), worrying about the kindsof gifts they were going to get.My (ancestor) was probably coldand hungry, and knowing that hewas going to die the next day.”

Thomas said he had a difficulttime letting go of his strong feel-ings about the hangings.

“People say, ‘Get over it, it’sthe past, it’s already happened,’”he said. “But I can’t. Their bloodruns through my body.”

Like many other speakers, hechoked back emotions as he readeach of the 38 names, accompa-nied by a drum beat.

“When the drum sounds, alleternity stops and looks,” hesaid.

Santee Sioux tribal memberThelma Thomas said she holdsspecial feelings as the Dec. 26 an-niversary nears. “When our na-tion comes together toremember our ancestors, it’s re-ally good,” she said.

A number of activities were

planned in Minnesota and SouthDakota for the 150th anniversary,but the Santee Sioux in Nebraskaknew they wanted their own spe-cial observance, Thomas said.

The Santee Sioux Nation haslived in exile since the 1862 hang-ings, with tribal members arriv-ing on the Nebraska reservationJune 11, 1866, she said.

Thomas showed special aweand gratefulness when she spokeof possessing a picture of hergreat-grandmother.

“(My great-grandmother) was3 years old in the concentrationcamp. If she didn’t survive, thewhole female side of our familywouldn’t have survived,”Thomas said.

The 38 showed honor, respectand courage by shaking handswith their executioners at thegallows, Thomas said. Their de-scendants have fought for tribalsovereignty, she said

“It’s home, and our history as

we know it. It’s a true history, buta hard history,” she said. “We willrebuild our nation with our chil-dren and grandchildren.”

Wednesday’s program in-cluded recognition for JamesStar Comes Out, who made thehorse regalia with the year“1862” on the mask. He was of-fered $25,000 for it but wouldn’tsell it.

The program also recognizedRosebud Sioux tribal memberMike One Star, who participatedin Wednesday’s trail ride as ashow of support for the SanteeSioux.

The afternoon featured a largedisplay of Santee history re-searched by tribal historianDuane Whipple. The tribe alsomaintains a historical website atwww.santeesiouxdakotah.com.

Rick Thomas, with the tribalhistorical preservation office,said he found a “lump in histhroat” at his findings during

research of the hangings andwar.

By knowing the painful past,the Santee Sioux can maintaintheir pride as a people while alsobeginning the healing, he said

“People say they don’t want tolook back, that it’s too emo-tional,” he said. “But there’s noway to have pride if you don’tknow what you’re proud of, andthere’s no way to grieve if youdon’t know what you aregrieving.”

Even amidst the healing andmoving forward, the Santee Siouxcannot forget their past, Thomassaid.

“When you look at 1862, whathappened to our people, the DNAis still there,” he said. “It’s been150 years for Santee. We wereborn Dakota, and we’re going todie Dakota.”

You can follow Randy Dock-endorf on Twitter attwitter.com/RDockendorf

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