Mary Kuper, 70, of Ree Heights and formerly of Wessington, passed away Thursday, July 27, 2017, at Highmore Health in Highmore.
The funeral Mass was Monday, July 31, at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Miller with Father Paul Josten officiating. Burial followed in St. Ann’s Cemetery at Miller. Visitation was Sunday, July 30, with a 6 p.m. prayer and rosary service at the church.
Mary Louise Salisbury was born March 1, 1947, to Robert and Mary (Paulger) Salisbury in Huron. She was raised on the family farm in Wolsey and graduated from Wolsey High School in 1965.
Mary then worked at Raven Industries in Huron, but quit to re-unite with the love of her life, Vernon Lee Kuper, in Milton, Fla., where he was stationed in the Navy. They were married on Feb. 10, 1968, and had two sons, Lonnie and Robb, before moving to Ree Heights in 1970. A daughter, Shellee, was born in 1973, and then the family moved to Springfield in 1976 so Vernon could attend college. Mary managed the Casey’s convenience store in Springfield.
Their youngest son, Quinnten, was born in 1979, and the family moved to Wood for Vernon’s first teaching job. The Kuper family resided there for the next 17 years where Mary was a teacher’s aide, which inspired her to pursue a special education degree from Sinte Gleska University in 1998. Vernon and Mary moved to Woonsocket so Mary could teach special education until 2003. They then relocated to Wessington, where Mary worked at the Wessington School after school program and the R&B grocery store.
Vernon and Mary retired to Ree Heights in 2007, until the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease caused Mary to move to Prairie View Care Center at Woonsocket in 2014. She was moved to Highmore Health in 2016 to be closer to Vernon.
Mary is survived by her husband, Vernon Kuper of Ree Heights; sons, Lonnie Kuper of Woonsocket, Robb Kuper of Petersburg, Neb., and Quinnten Kuper of Pierre; daughter, Shellee (Victor) Finley of Spearfish; 11 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and brothers, Robert Salisbury, Jr., of Wolsey, and Kevan (Kary) Salisbury of Watertown.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Mary “Mickie” Salisbury; and brothers, Charles “Chuck” Salisbury and Danny Joe Salisbury.
Reck Funeral Home of Miller has the arrangements.