Viorene McEldowney, 94, of Wessington Springs, passed away Monday, Dec. 31, 2018, at the Weskota Manor. 

Mass of Christian burial was held Saturday, Jan. 5, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Wessington Springs. Burial was in the St. Wilfrid Catholic Cemetery at Woonsocket. Visitation was held Friday, Jan. 4, at the church, with a scripture service and rosary.

Viorene was born June 24, 1924, in Jerauld County, to Nicholas and Anna (Welter) Wolf. She attended eight years at rural Steichen School in Blaine Township and graduated from Woonsocket High School in 1942. After high school, she went to Wessington Springs and worked at the ASCS office and Habicht & Habicht department store. It was at this time that she met Raymond Dean, of Miller. They married in April 1945 and had two daughters. Raymond was an elevator manager and bookkeeper, and they moved to Plankinton, then to Buffalo Lake, Minn., where he died in March 1953.

After his death, she and the girls moved back to Wessington Springs. She worked at Memorial Hospital in the offices of Drs. Dean and McManus. In 1955, she married Frank McEldowney, and they made their home at the farm west of town with his two children. To this union, seven more children were born.

They moved into Wessington Springs in 1973. Viorene worked for Coast-to-Coast Hardware store for 16 years, retiring in 1989. In December of 2012, she moved to Weskota Apartments. She had lived in Weskota Manor since May of 2018.

Viorene was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Altar Society and American Legion Auxiliary.

She is survived by her children, Diane (Bruce) Rutschke of Eagan, Minn., Nancy Erickson of Scappoose, Ore., Mary (Jim) Morrison of Sioux Falls, Cathy (Tim) Holzwarth of Wessington Springs, Janet (Roger) Carlson of Naperville, Ill., Teresa McEldowney of Aurora, Colo., Deb (Jim) Buck of Sommerset, Jim (Colleen) McEldowney of North Bend, Wash., Tom (Deb) McEldowney of Castlewood, Dennis (Sandy) McEldowney of Wessington Springs, and Pat (Irv) Lonneman of Watertown; 29 grandchildren; and 27 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husbands, Raymond and Frank; her parents; brother, Melvin; sister, Luella; brother-in-law, Bruce; son-in-law, Warren Erickson; and a grandson, Austin McEldowney.

Robert “Bob” Cunningham, 76, of Mitchell, died Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, at Avera Brady Health at Rehab in Mitchell.

Funeral services were held Saturday, Dec. 29, at Bittner Funeral Chapel in Mitchell. Burial with military graveside service was at the Graceland Cemetery in Mitchell. Visitation was held Friday, Dec. 28 at Bittner Funeral Chapel.

Robert George Cunningham was born Sept. 13, 1942, in Woonsocket to Robert and Loretta Cunningham. He grew up working with his parents and sisters in their painting and shingling business. Bob joined the United States Air Force in 1962.

On Oct. 24, 1969, he married Ruth Ann Heidinger. He worked for Miedema Sanitation, the Methodist Hospital and then Davison County until retiring in 2008.

Robert is survived by two sons, David Cunningham and Dale (Heather) Cunningham; one sister, Carole (Lowell) Funk; one grandson; three great-grandchildren; and numerous, nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth; parents; father and mother-in-law, William and Minnie Heidinger; and a sister, Cleone Fenske.

Robert T. Budde, 70, of rural Woonsocket passed away Dec. 31, 2018 of pancreatic cancer at his home.

Funeral Mass services will be held Friday, Jan. 4 at 10:30 a.m. in St. Wilfrid Catholic Church, Woonsocket. Burial will be in the church cemetery with military rites, with Fr. Jim Friedrich officiating. Visitations with scripture services were held Thursday, Jan. 3, at the Basham Funeral Service in Woonsocket and one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday.

Robert was born in Mitchell to Theodore and Leona (Rassel) Budde. He attended grade school at Neilson and Budde country schools until 1962. He graduated from Woonsocket High School in 1966. He enlisted in the Woonsocket National Guard in 1966 and served for 27 years.

Robert worked for Dakota Contracting Corp., for 42 years, until health issues forced him to retire.

He is survived by three sons, Dustin (Lisa) Budde of Sioux Falls, Chad and Tim Budde of rural Woonsocket.

Robert was preceded in death by his parents, Ted and Leona, and several uncles, aunts and cousins.