Kinkade Funeral Chapel

Colleen Edna Schmelzel Hoepker died on Friday, March 11, 2022, at the age of 91. She was born in New Athens, IL, on July 10, 1930, to Max W. and Mildred (Hager) Schmelzel. Her family included three sisters, Maxine Schmelzel Hoepker Baker, Elizabeth Schmelzel Baker and Mary Schmelzel Wise. Her parents and sisters have preceded her in death. She married Armand Hoepker on April 5, 1952, sharing 50 years of happiness prior to his death in 2002. They were the parents of two daughters, Melinda Reeves (Joseph), Spearfish, SD, and Patricia Potter (Arlo), Whitewood, SD. They were proud grandparents to Shelby (Russ, Jr) Rehm Spearfish, SD; Kyle Reeves, Medford, OR; Cameron Potter, Whitewood, SD;...

Neil Walter Hodges, P.E., 70, of Pierre, SD passed away March 3, 2022 in Mesa, AZ. A memorial service will be held 10:30 a.m. March 17, 2022 at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis, SD. Full details are available at kinkadefunerals.com. Neil was born on May 9, 1951 in Estelline, SD to Joyce (Barstow) and Howard Hodges. He spent his youth on the Hodges family farm in the Lake Preston, SD area. He graduated from SDSM&T and worked as a civil engineer with much of his career at the VA hospital in Fort Meade. He enjoyed golfing, fishing and wintering in Mesa. He was active in church and the Lions Club. He is survived by his wife Eileen of 51 years; brother Scott (Nancy) Hodges of Sioux...

Funeral mass will be on February 26 at 10:00 AM at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Lead, South Dakota. Send condolences to www.kinkadefunerals.com.

A beautiful woman with a voice like an angel who carried this family for nearly sixty years has passed. Rosemary Ann Maher, daughter of Otto and Christine (Thom) Bruner was born April 19, 1939, at Wagner, South Dakota, and died February 23, 2022 at her Spearfish home surrounded by her loving family. She married William D. Maher at St. Peter and Paul's Catholic Church in Pierre on June 22, 1963. To this union seven children were born. Twin daughters, Michelle and Patricia; sons, Michael(Jeanne) and Patrick John (Lisa); daughters Mary Cook (Allen), Teresa Bartlett (Frank) and Colleen Thompson (Charles). Also blessed to share her life are grandchildren: Heather McQueen, Mia...

A beautiful woman with a voice like an angel who carried this family for nearly sixty years has passed. Rosemary Ann Maher, daughter of Otto and Christine (Thom) Bruner was born April 19, 1939, at Wagner, South Dakota, and died February 23, 2022 at her Spearfish home surrounded by her loving family. She married William D. Maher at St. Peter and Paul's Catholic Church in Pierre on June 22, 1963. To this union seven children were born. Twin daughters, Michelle and Patricia; sons, Michael(Jeanne) and Patrick John (Lisa); daughters Mary Cook (Allen), Teresa Bartlett (Frank) and Colleen Thompson (Charles). Also blessed to share her life are grandchildren: Heather McQueen, Mia...

Harold George Covell was born on February 7, 1950, to his parents William and Rosella (Marsh) in Watertown, SD. They welcomed him as the second child in their family. At an early age, his parents relocated to Lead, SD, where Harold's love of hunting, fishing, and trapping began; he enjoyed doing all of these things with his brothers and sisters. Someone once described Harold as a short, shy, powerful guy. His one-time thick arms, shoulders, and hands were testaments to the tons of rock he drilled and blasted during the many years he worked underground in the Homestake gold mine. He was a second-generation union worker, following in his dad, William's footsteps. After starting...

Clair Conrad "Mick" Ellingson passed away August 1, 2021, at his daughters' home in Sturgis, SD. Mick was born July 7, 1923, in Ellendale, MN, to Erick and Kathrein (Thorson) Ellingson. Upon graduating high school, Mick followed many of his siblings into the Army. Mick served in the China/Burma Theater in WWII earning the rank of Corporal as well as being commissioned Major in the Chinese Army. Mick married the love of his life, Jeanne Marguerite Axelson on November 25, 1951. Mick and Jeanne shared 67 wonderful years together until Jeanne's passing in 2019. Mick was station manager for North Central Airlines in Bemidji and International Falls, MN, ultimately...

Carol was born on May 18, 1952, in Chicopee Falls, MA, to Darel and Arlys (Koester) Smith. She attended school and graduated from Northville High School in 1970. She married Dale Nash in 1972. Together, they had three children, Lynette, Bryan, and Mark. On January 26, 1996, she married Donald McKenzie in Piedmont, SD. Carol spent 40 years with the Piedmont Fire and Ambulance departments, serving as the Assistant Chief. She was also Vice President of the Ambulance Board, and EMT instructor at Western Dakota Tech and South Dakota State EMT instructor, and was a SD EMT test team member, member of the Critical Debriefing Team. Carol always made time for her many hobbies and...

Bradley Donald "Doc" Johnson was born December 19, 1955, in Watertown, SD, to Donald and Mary (Rowe) Johnson. Brad passed away from a brave and courageous battle of espohageal cancer on July 13, 2019, at the VA medical Center at Ft. Meade, SD. Brad graduated from Watertown High School in 1974. He competed in wrestling and rodeo while in school. He spent his summers working on his sister and brother-in-law's ranch near Whitewood, SD. He had fond memories of this time and learned a lot. He enjoyed a variety of things in both work and play. Over his lifetime, he worked as a ranch hand, an underground miner for Homestake, machinist, counselor, soldier, EMT, construction worker,...

Elton Lee Prouty, 71, of Newell, SD, passed away on Saturday, June 22, 2019.

Hank was born February 26, 1946, to Darrel and Cora (Jensen) Kurtz in Groton, SD. He attended elementary and junior high school at Joan of Arc school, a half mile from the family farm and graduated from Groton High School in 1965. He joined the United States Air Force after high school and served as a flight crewman for medical evacuations during the Vietnam War. While stationed at McCord AFB in Tacoma, WA, he met the love of his life, Joyce, and they spent 49 years in marriage until his death. They moved back to Groton, SD, where he worked on the family farm until 1974, when he enrolled in the Denver Automotive and Diesel School studying diesel mechanics. After...