Amanda B. “Mandy” Schulz, 92, of Woonsocket, passed away on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, at the Prairie View Healthcare Center in Woonsocket.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m., Saturday, March 9, at the Community Center in Woonsocket. Burial will follow at the Eventide Cemetery. Visitation will be 4-6 p.m., Friday, with a prayer service at 6 p.m., also at the Community Center.

Mandy was born in Jackson Township near Woonsocket on Nov. 5, 1931, to Edward and Frederica Larson. She attended McDonalds country school and graduated from Woonsocket High School in 1950. She had 15 siblings, 10 brothers and five sisters. Mandy was the third youngest of 16.

She married Jack L. Schulz in Mitchell in 1951, and to that union, three children were born.

She worked as a waitress, cook and bartender for 55 years. She dedicated 32 of those years to Don’s Silver Dollar in Woonsocket. She was a bailiff for Sanborn County for 37 years. Mandy also owned a malt shop for five years and worked part-time for Northwestern Public Service. 

Mandy enjoyed making memories at her cabin on Twin Lakes with her family and friends. You could always find her cooking (especially her family’s favorite chicken dumpling soup), canning (with her secret recipe for “grandma’s pickles”), reading many books, playing cards with friends, doing puzzles, drinking her coffee, and helping take care of numerous family members and friends. She loved her weekly trips to Wessington Springs on Fridays with her son to get her hair done.

Mandy is survived by three children, Deb Klinkhammer of Lee’s Summit, Mo., Jack Schulz Jr. (Penny) of Woonsocket, and Dennis Hibbard (Deb) of Coco Beach, Fla.; 10 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; one sister, Alma Fielder (Carl) of Nebraska; two sisters-in-law, Beverly Larson and Eleanor Larson; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Sr.; her parents; 10 brothers; four sisters; and son-in-law, Wes Klinkhammer. 

Francis Knippling, 85, of Wessington Springs, passed away Friday, March 1, 2024, at Weskota Manor in Wessington Springs. 

A celebration of life was held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 6, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Wessington Springs. Burial followed at St. Placidus Catholic Cemetery, rural Wessington Springs. Visitation with prayer service was Tuesday, March 5, also at the church. Arrangements are with Basham Funeral Services in Wessington Springs.

He was born Oct. 7, 1938, the fifth of nine children to Lambert and Alice (Kintigh) Knippling in Huron. He grew up in Buffalo County on his family ranch.

He attended Grey Hill grade school, on the family ranch. Due to his mother’s insistence, he sought to become a priest; he attended a Catholic school in Indiana. It only took two weeks for him to decide he wasn’t cut out for that profession, as he couldn’t wear his cowboy hat and boots. He graduated from Miller High School in 1956.

He married Karen Waring, on Nov. 16, 1957, at Stephan. They raised their family of six kids on their ranch. Horses were a huge part of his life. He started the foundation of his quarter horse remuda with his stud, Vanzi Bar. They promoted their horses through horse racing, quarter horse shows and rodeos.

When Francis turned 50, this opened a whole new chapter in his life, Old Men’s Breakaway roping. This started a new era of rodeoing for him with his horse, Doc. He won the first SD Rodeo Association’s (SDRA) Over 65 Sr. Men’s Breakaway Championship. One of his favorite organizations was the Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Dakota. While attending the SDRA finals, he would give horse rides to the Make-A-Wish kids on Doc.

Francis and Karen celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary prior to her passing in 2011. He was very fortunate to find that special love a second time in his lifetime, when he met Donna Larson, whom he married on Nov. 26, 2014. Donna passed away on May 23, 2016.

Francis was a member of the South Dakota Quarter Horse Association, having served as a board member and later President. Continuing his passion for rodeo, he was a long-time member of SDRA, where he served as Vice-President and Board Director, as well as a rodeo judge. He was also a member of Northwest Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Knights of Columbus. He received the Gold Buckle award from the Foothills Rodeo Club, and the legendary honoree award from the South Dakota High School Rodeo Association. He was also honored by the Casey Tibbs Foundation Match of Champions.

Francis is survived by his children, Brenda (David) Reis of Chamberlain, Rocky (Donna) Knippling of Chamberlain, Karla (Doug) Hofhenke of Huron, Roxanne Holm of Ashley, N.D., Barry (Sherri) Knippling of Chamberlain, Shannon (Scott) Dirk of Vale; 25 grandchildren; 34 great-grandchildren; and siblings, John (Cheryl) Knippling of Wessington Springs, Joe (LeAnn) Knippling of Flandreau and Carol (Larry) Marsh of Newberg, Ore.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Karen Knippling; second wife, Donna Larson Knippling; parents, Lambert and Alice Knippling; siblings, Robert (Ethel) Knippling, Helen (Wayne) Peterson, Katherine (Ross) Van Balen, Margaret (Frank) Schnell and Howard Knippling; and one son-in-law, Barry Holm.

M. Joanne Flack, 89, of Mitchell, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, at Firesteel Health Care in Mitchell. 

Funeral services were held Sunday, Feb. 25, at Will Funeral Chapel. Visitation was the same day.

Joanne was born June 29, 1934, to Albert and Elsie (Hoyt) Stephens in Galesburg, Ill., where she grew up and graduated at the Galesburg High School in 1952. She was married to Donald Starks from 1952-1967. They had seven children; two sons died in infancy. She was married to John Groome from 1968 until his death in 1979. Joanne later moved to Gillette, Wyo., and married Richard Flack in 1983.

She enjoyed baking, crafts, and attending many craft shows and flea markets. In January 1986, they moved to rural Forestburg, and she worked at East River Nursery just south of Huron. They moved to Mitchell in 2001. Living across from Dakota Wesleyan’s Science Hall gave them opportunity to enjoy many concerts and plays there. They joined Mitchell Wesleyan Church and the James Valley Senior Center. She worked part time at the Fabric Warehouse on 4th and Main for several years.

After Richard passed away, Joanne moved to Meadow Lawn Apartments, where she started a Project Linus Quilting Group, making and tying quilts so that every child in the hospital could have their own new quilt. Joanne also made hundreds of mittens for the Abbot House and the hospital. Later, she enjoyed teaching classes with “Better Choices Better Health.” In declining health, she moved to Firesteel Health Care on Jan. 23.

Joanne is survived by four children, several grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as numerous friends.