Violet Knickrehm, 89, of Mitchell, died Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018, at Firesteel Healthcare Center in Mitchell.

Funeral services were held Friday, Oct. 19, at Zion Lutheran Church in Mitchell. Visitation was held prior to the service at the church. Burial was at Graceland Cemetery in Mitchell. The arrangements were by Bittner Funeral Chapel.

Violet Irene Knickrehm was born May 16, 1929, in Mitchell to Otto and Alma (Gerlach) Knickrehm. She grew up on the farm attending country school. She graduated from Mitchell High School in 1947 and then attended Nettleton Business College in Sioux Falls. She was employed by the Dan Dugan Company in Sioux Falls until moving to St. Louis in 1962. In St. Louis she was employed at the Lutheran Hour Ministries for 41 years. Violet had a passion for foreign missions and served as a missionary in East Germany, Poland, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jordan, Alaska, Riga, Latvia, Russia and Slovakia. She moved back to Mitchell in 2011. 

She is survived by siblings, Harold Knickrehm of Boise, Idaho, Norman (Sondra) Knickrehm of Mitchell, Wilma (Lee) Buffington of Artesian, Irene (Ray) Hamann of Ortonville, Minn., Kenneth Knickrehm of Wichita, Kan., and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by siblings, Ruth and Rueben Knickrehm, Edna Knickrehm, Eileen and James Woods, Marvin and Carol Knickrehm; sister-in-law, Kay Knickrehm, and brother-in-law, Richard Ferguson.

Lavern C. Larson, 90, formerly of Letcher, passed away on Oct. 10, 2018, at his home with family by his side.

Funeral services were held Tuesday, Oct. 16, at the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Mitchell. Burial was at Graceland Cemetery in Mitchell. Visitation was held Monday, Oct. 15, at the Resurrection Lutheran Church with a prayer service that followed. The funeral services were under the direction of the Bittner Funeral Chapel.

Lavern C. Larson was born Oct. 25, 1927 to Agnes (Mildenberger) and Clarence Larson. He attended and graduated from Letcher High School in 1946.

He married Corrine (Anderson) Larson on Nov. 12, 1949. He loved raising his Black Angus cattle and Quarter horses, Thoroughbreds and Arabians as well as farming many crops. He worked at the Letcher Lumberyard and the Anderson Lumberyard in Mitchell. He served on the Perry Township school board. He was a committee member of the agricultural stabilization, the Lutheran church, Moose Lodge, Elks Lodge and the Cubby’s morning coffee group. In 1994, he moved off the ranch to Mitchell.

He is survived by his wife, Corrine; children Diane Kendall, Vickie (Randy) Campbell, Kent Larson (Laureen Dunn) and Patricia Larson Shields (Marion Dykstra); six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; two sisters; three sisters-in-law; numerous nieces, nephews and family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, four brothers-in-law, a sister-in-law, aunts and uncles.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Resurrection Lutheran Church, PO Box 714, Mitchell, SD 57301, or to your favorite charity in his memory.

Lowell Waters, 82, of Wessington, passed away Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 at his home.

His funeral service was held on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at First Presbyterian Church in Wessington. The burial followed at the Wessington Cemetery. Visitation, with family present, was held on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at the Welter Funeral Home. A visitation was also held one hour prior to the funeral service at the church.

Lowell Dean Waters was born on June 9, 1936 in Bates Township in Hand County, South Dakota to William B. and Ethelyn L. (Martens) Waters.

Lowell married Betty Gaudig in Miller on Oct. 30, 1956 and together they farmed and raised their family in Hand County. He was a lifelong farmer and custom hay mover. He raised cattle, sheep and hogs. In his spare time, he enjoyed working at the Miller Race Track. 

Lowell is survived by his children, Mike Waters of Wessington, Terry (Missy) Waters of Huron, Peggy (Bryan) Kroeplin of Highmore, Sheila (Jarod) Treib of Woonsocket and Connie (Luke) Howder of Webster; 13 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, and his constant companion, Freckles, his Jack Russell terrier.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty; four brothers, Delmar, Glen, Dale and Alan; two sisters, May Nelson and Mary Waters; one great-grandson, Oliver Block; two nephews, Victor Waters and Chad Gaudig, and numerous brothers- and sisters-in-law.