Rebecca Elsberry, 56, passed away on Wednesday, May 13, 2015, in her home.
Funeral services were held Monday, May 18 at St. Leo Catholic Church, Tyndall. A wake service was held Sunday evening, May 17 at the church with visitation at Goglin Funeral Home, Tyndall. Interment was in St. Leo Catholic Cemetery, Tyndall, with military rites.
Rebecca Ann Cooper Elsberry was born on July 12, 1958 at St. Mary’s Hospital to Myron Ralph and Mary Frances Anderson Cooper. She was raised on her grandfather’s ranch southwest of Fort Pierre. Becky attended Wentde Country School through the eighth grade. She graduated from Stanley County High School in 1976.
Rebecca joined the United States Army and received letters of commendation from both Basic Training and Advanced Individualized Training. She served a total of 14 years with the United States Army and the South Dakota National Guard. Becky was a proud, Paid Up For Life member of the Pike-Wagner Post #2 of Tyndall.
In 1984, she graduated from the Pierre School of Practical Nursing with an LPN license after passing her nursing boards. In 1996, she completed the basic EMT course and worked for the Winner Ambulance Service and in 1998 she returned to the USD School of Nursing and earned her Registered Nursing license. She had worked for ambulance services in Winner, Hot Springs, Sanborn County, Campbell County and Tyndall. She was serving as the City’s Ambulance Director at the time of her death.
She worked as an LPN and/or RN at St. Mary’s Hospital, Winner Regional Healthcare Center, Redfield Community Hospital, Linton Hospital, North Dakota, and St. Michael’s Hospital, Tyndall.
She married Mike Elsberry in Fort Pierre on Feb. 18, 1993.
She is survived by her husband, Mike Elsberry of Tyndall; children, Kara (Albert) Elsberry of Winner and Eric Elsberry of Tyndall; six siblings, Ken (Dawn) Cooper of Pierre, Patty Dunwoody of Java, Billie (Walt) Larson of Pierre, Deb (Brian Bachmann) Winckler of Pierre, Chuck (Deb) Cooper of Pierre and Mike (Tara) Cooper of Tripp; and two grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her son, Michael, her parents and grandparents.