Luella “Lolly” May Thomas, 90, of Forestburg, died Saturday, March 30, 2019, at Avera Brady Health and Rehab.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, at the Mitchell Wesleyan Church under the direction of the Bittner Funeral Chapel. Visitation will be held on Friday, April 12, 5-7 p.m. at Bittner Funeral Chapel. Burial will be in the Bonney Cemetery in Floyd Township, Sanborn County.

Luella May Connor was born April 30, 1928, in Albion, Mich., to Earl E. and Ruth (Rhodes) Connor. She attended elementary school there and graduated from Albion High School in 1945. After two years in nearby Spring Arbor College (now University), she graduated in 1951 from Greenville College (now University) with a degree in elementary education. Shortly after graduation, she returned to Michigan to marry Warren Thomas whom she had met during her senior year.

The couple moved to Mitchell, where she was employed in the office of the public school on East Fifth Street. Her husband began his second teaching year at Longfellow Elementary when he was drafted into the army during the Korean War. During his year in the artillery in Korea, she lived with her sister-in-law, Ramona Thomas, in Seattle, Wash., teaching in E. C. Hughes Elementary in West Seattle. Upon Warren’s return in 1953, they both taught in West Seattle before returning to his parents’ farm in Sanborn County in 1954. They lived in Floyd Township for 65 years prior to her death.

In 1955, Kevin Reed was born, followed by Lyndon Brent in 1959. After their sons were of school age, Lolly returned to teaching, first in Forestburg Elementary, and then, for 23 years, she was a lower elementary teacher in Artesian. She retired in 1993. Home, community and Mitchell Wesleyan Church activities occupied her volunteering time in later years. Lolly was church organist for some 20 years and gave piano lessons for neighborhood children.

Luella is survived by her husband, Warren; sons, Kevin (Selena) and Lyndon (Kathy); four sisters, Dorothy (Robert) Smith of Decatur, Ill., Eleanor (Bill) Moore of Springfield, Mo., Marti (John) Oakley of Concord, Mich., and Katy (Stan) Chwatun of Jackson, Mich.; as well as grandchildren, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Robert Henry Stange, 70, of rural Woonsocket, passed away Wednesday, April 3, 2019, at his residence.

His memorial service was held Tuesday, April 9, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Wessington Springs with Rev. John Paulson officiating. Inurnment will be at a later date in St. Wilfrid’s Catholic Cemetery at Woonsocket. A memorial visitation was held Monday, April 8, with a prayer service and a time of sharing at the church.

Robert “Bobby” Henry Stange was born Jan. 5, 1949, at Memorial Hospital in Wessington Springs to Harry and Wilma Stange. He attended a country school called Woodmansee until eighth grade, then graduated from Lane High School in 1967. As a young boy, he helped out on the family farm and had some fun with his brother, Billy, by riding calves to have their own little rodeo. In high school, he enjoyed playing basketball.

After high school, he attended South Dakota Sate University for a year, and then enlisted in the National Guards. He eventually started farming with Billy.

Robert was united in marriage to Kay Sandness on April 23, 1976. That same year, they purchased the “Stange Homestead,” which was home for the next 43 years. Throughout the years on the “Stange Homestead,” Bobby and Kay farmed their land and had a variety of livestock, including sheep, pigs and cows.

Grateful for having shared his life are his wife, Kay; his four children, Justin (Alyssa) Stange of Sioux Falls, Brandon (Kara) Stange of Mitchell, Tara (Daniel) Baukus of Sioux Falls, and Erin (Bradley) Beck of Sioux Falls; 13 grandchildren; sisters, Joyce Bowar of Lincoln, Neb., Phyllis Swenson of Woonsocket, Lois Edwards of Letcher, and Judy (Dick) McQueen of White Lake; a brother, Billy (Nancy) Stange of Mitchell; sisters-in-law, Jan Stange of Woonsocket, and Ann Stange of Woonsocket; brothers-in-law Gary Sandness of Woonsocket, Tim Sandness of Mitchell, and Mike Sandness of Plankinton; numerous nieces and nephews.

Robert was preceded in death by his parents; a toddler son, Jason Stange; a sister, Carol Morgan; brothers, Donald Stange and John Stange; brothers-in-law, Bill Bowar, Edward Swenson, Merle Edwards, Larry Sandness and Bill Morgan; and in-laws, Elmer and Joyce Sandness.

Patricia (Pat) Cheryl Kopfmann, 72, of Alpena, passed away on Monday, March 25, 2019 at Avera Weskota Hospital in Wessington Springs.

Her funeral service was held Friday, March 29 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Wessington Springs. Visitations were held Thursday, March 28 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Wessington Springs with a prayer service and prior to the funeral service on Friday. Burial was at Restlawn Memory Gardens Cemetery in Huron.

Pat was born Feb. 27, 1947 in Huron to Leo and Inez (Weber) Schmidtgall. She was baptized and confirmed at Virgil Methodist Church. She graduated from Alpena High School in 1965. Aside from a brief move to California with her parents after high school graduation, the Alpena area was home to Pat her entire life. 

Pat and her high school sweetheart, Ivan Kopfmann, were married on Aug. 13, 1966, in Alpena and were blessed with 52 years of marriage.

Pat is survived by her husband, Ivan Kopfmann of Alpena; sons, Todd (Mary) Kopfmann of Alpena, Stacey (Pam) Kopfmann of Wessington Springs; daughter, Kim (Dave) Deines of Marshall, Minn; mother, Inez Grace of Wessington Springs; eight grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and many loved cousins and in-laws.

Pat was preceded in death by her father, Leo Schmidtgall; stepfather, Irl Grace; many aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws.