Obituaries

Randall Herron

Letcher

Randall Herron, 71, of Letcher, died Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021, in Letcher. 

Funeral services were held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 1, at Bittner Funeral Chapel. Burial was at the American Legion Cemetery in Mitchell. Visitation was Tuesday, Nov. 30, at Bittner Funeral Chapel.

Randall Ray Herron was born Aug. 5, 1950, to Clifford and Evelyn (Stransky) Herron in Fedora. Randall enlisted in the United States Army and served in the Vietnam War.

Randall had a passion for horses. He enjoyed breaking horses and working on the racehorse track in El Paso, Texas. He also enjoyed spending time in his garage, attending car races, having BBQs, watching old westerns, and spending time with family.

Randall is survived by his wife, Joanne of Letcher; daughter, Magan Herron of Hendricks, Minn.; sons, John Brian (Vicki) Herron of Howard, Kevin (Rebecca) Herron of Mitchell, Chad Herron of Madison, and Robert (Arnita) Williamson of Hattiesburg, Miss.; mother, Evelyn Herron of Mitchell; six grandchildren; three great-grandsons; siblings, Janice (Joe) Brtna and Valora Herron, all of Mitchell; and an uncle, two aunts, a niece and nephew, and several cousins.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Marlana Herron; son, Brandon Herron; grandson, Anthony Herron; father, Clifford Herron; and his grandparents.

Morris Brosnan

Black Hawk

Morris John Brosnan, 71, of Black Hawk, died on Nov. 26, 2021.

Memorial services were held on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at Our Lady of The Black Hills Catholic Church, with burial following at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis.

Morris was born on Feb. 7, 1950, in Huron to Ray and Ileane Brosnan. He attended St. Joseph Catholic School in Woonsocket through eighth grade and then attended Woonsocket Public High School, graduating in 1968. After high school, Morris joined the South Dakota Air National Guard and worked as a jet engine mechanic for six years.

Morris married LaVonne Nelson on Dec. 20, 1969, at St. Wilfrid Catholic Church in Woonsocket. They were married 52 years. To this union, they had two sons, Chad and Jesse.

Morris worked for the International Harvest dealer in Huron for three years. In 1975, he ventured out on his own, purchasing his first parcel of land and starting Morris Brosnan Used Farm Equipment. Over the next twenty-five years, he built a reputation of selling high quality, new and used John Deere farm equipment. He continued to purchase land and follow his passion of farming. In 1995, he accepted a manager position at Greenline Equipment, a John Deere dealership, in Miller. After three years, he was offered the regional manager position of four John Deere dealerships in Idaho. Morris and LaVonne lived in Idaho Falls, Idaho, during this time. He received manager’s club honors for his district two out of the five years he was there.

In 2001, he returned to their farm in SD and spent his winters at their home in the Black Hills. He retired from farming in 2013. Morris continued to have a passion for tractors, restoring them and taking them to ride in various states. He coordinated with the radio station in Sturgis to form his own tractor ride in the Black Hills, which drew participants from several states. In 2017, Morris and LaVonne built a home in Lake Havasu City, Ariz. He loved the time he spent with his family. He loved going trail riding with LaVonne in their Polaris Razors. He was also involved with Mustang car events.

Morris is survived by his wife, LaVonne; two sons, Chad (Angela) of Rapid City and Jesse of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa; five grandchildren; two aunts, Mary Ann Jackson of Lane and Delores Bogenreif of Cedarburg, Wis.; and one sister-in-law, Penny Magstadt of Mitchell.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Ileane Brosnan, and several aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Phyllis Manke

Woonsocket

Phyllis “Phyl” Bernita Manke, 89, of Woonsocket, passed away Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, after spending six years at Prairie View Healthcare in Woonsocket. 

Funeral services were held Tuesday, Dec. 7, at the Forestburg Lutheran Church. Visitation was held an hour prior to the service. Burial was in the Silver Creek Cemetery, rural Forestburg.

Phyllis Bernita (Schwemle) Manke was born March 9, 1932, the oldest child of Carl and Blanche (Fouberg) Schwemle, at their home southwest of Forestburg. Phyl was a lifelong resident of Sanborn County.

Phyl was baptized, confirmed, and married at Forestburg Lutheran Church, where she was always an active member. She taught Sunday school, wrote and printed the newsletter, partook in women’s Bible study, quilting, and was the church secretary for several years, followed by 28 years as the church treasurer.

On June 10, 1956, Phyl married Clyde Manke, originally from Norwalk, Wis. They had three children and enjoyed taking family trips to visit family. In 1962, they bought the Schwemle Machine Shop, and Phyl worked as the bookkeeper. In 1966, the couple bought a used house and moved it to its current location near her childhood home and the Schwemle Machine Shop. 

Reading, vegetable and flower gardening, lawn care, yearly oyster parties, and spending time raising her kids were at the heart of many of the most memorable moments in Phyl’s life. She was also a talented seamstress.

Phyl is survived by her children, Janet Manke of Forestburg, Joyce (Richard) Harker of Columbus, Ind., and Kevin Manke of Mitchell; four grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and siblings, Don Schwemle of Forestburg and Dave Schwemle of Mitchell. 

She was preceded in death by her husband, Clyde Manke in 1991; her infant brother; and her sister, Clara Schmidt. 

  • Weather

    Failure notice from provider:
    Connection Error:http_request_failed
  • Upcoming Events

    October 2024
    Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
    September 29, 2024 September 30, 2024 October 1, 2024 October 2, 2024 October 3, 2024 October 4, 2024 October 5, 2024
    October 6, 2024 October 7, 2024 October 8, 2024 October 9, 2024 October 10, 2024 October 11, 2024 October 12, 2024
    October 13, 2024 October 14, 2024 October 15, 2024 October 16, 2024 October 17, 2024 October 18, 2024 October 19, 2024
    October 20, 2024 October 21, 2024 October 22, 2024 October 23, 2024 October 24, 2024 October 25, 2024 October 26, 2024
    October 27, 2024 October 28, 2024 October 29, 2024 October 30, 2024 October 31, 2024 November 1, 2024 November 2, 2024
  • Recent Posts

  • Contact Us

    Ph/Fax: 605.796.4221
    Email: swj4221@icloud.com

    PO BOX 218
    Woonsocket, SD 57385
  • Archives