Lawrence “Larry” Vetter, 83, of Mitchell, died Thursday, June 29, 2023, at Firesteel Health Care Center in Mitchell. 

Funeral services are pending under the direction of the Bittner Funeral Chapel.

Larry Vetter was born Jan. 20, 1940, in Woonsocket. He was the first of seven children born to Joe and Helen (Larson) Vetter. The family moved to Salem in 1945, where Larry attended St. Mary’s Catholic school from first grade until graduation in 1958.

He attended Creighton University for two years. Larry then became a teacher and basketball coach for the schools in Stephan and later Lane. His basketball team at Lane won the school’s only district championship and was named AP Sports story of 1969.

Larry married Deanna Taft of Mitchell on Aug. 5, 1967; to this union, three children were born. They enjoyed many family trips home to South Dakota from Nebraska and Iowa. Larry worked as a salesman for the Jordan Millwork company from 1969-1981, and worked in Omaha, Neb., from 1975-1983; other sales jobs followed covering southwest Iowa and northwest Iowa. Larry enjoyed driving throughout the Midwest making sales calls as part of his jobs.

He moved to Pierre in 1989, where he would remain for 25 years. He married Brenda Mancarti in April 1998 and enjoyed helping raise her two grandsons and feeding their two cats. Larry attended many high school sports events in Pierre. He also enjoyed telling jokes and hearing jokes everywhere he went in life.

In 2014, Larry moved to Firesteel Health Care Center in Mitchell, where he would remain the last nine years of his life.

Larry is survived by his sons, Rob and Nate; four grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; siblings, Ramona Bihlmeyer of Slidel, La., Kathleen (Larry) Hintgen of Yankton, Mike Vetter of Sioux Falls, Terri (George) Kief of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Mary (Ken) Cotton of Wagner; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his son, Paul; his parents; sister, Rita Linn; brothers-in-law, John Linn and Earl Bihlmeyer; sister-in-law, Nancy Vetter; and nephew, Tony Hintgen.