Vesta Vivian Clyde, 99, of Mitchell, formerly of Artesian and Howard, passed away on Friday, Oct. 14, 2016, at the Firesteel Healthcare Center in Mitchell.
Graveside services will be Friday, Oct. 21, at 10 a.m. at the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Artesian.
Vesta Vivian Clark was born Sept. 16, 1917, at Artesian to LeRoy and Adah (Proffitt) Clark. She moved with her family to the Fedora area at the age of two. After moving several times, she had attended grade school at Lewis County school, Fedora grade school, O’Neal Country School, and then attended high school in Fedora, but had to quit in the 11th grade. For room and board, she took care of Mary Clyde, Ernie Clyde’s mother, who was very crippled with arthritis. Vesta worked for various families while going to high school, as her family had moved to Wessington Springs.
Vesta was married to Ernest “Ernie” H. Clyde on July 28, 1934, at the Methodist Parsonage in Wessington Springs, and to this union, two children were born, Elaine and Malford. They lived on a farm southwest of Fedora until 1967, when they moved into Howard. Vesta was the township assessor and helped when it was changed to county assessor. In 1958, she began working for the Farmers Union Oil Company (Now Cenex) in Howard, as a bookkeeper and treasurer and later, manager of the Co-op Federal Credit Union until 1971. She then was secretary of Miner County Highway Department until she retired in 1984.
Vesta loved raising chickens, turkeys and geese when on the farm. She was a member of Beach United Methodist Church and U.M.W., and loved working with the members of the Civic League group. Vesta was a past board member of the Sunrise Terrace, Miner County Food Pantry and 60’s dining, where she would drive the meals around to people in town.
She is survived by a son-in-law, Mil Pfeiffer; daughter-in-law, Diana Clyde; four grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Vesta was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ernie (July 19, 1969); children, Emma “Elaine” Pfeiffer (July 13, 2014) and Malford Clyde (April 25, 2013); sisters, Lois Velma Darland and Vernis Opal Wilson; and a brother, Leland.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.willoughbyfh.com.