The Watertown Public Opinion

Margaret Van Veen, 75, of Milbank passed away peacefully on August 8, 2022. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 13, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. at American Lutheran Church, Milbank. Visitation will be held on Friday, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Mundwiler Funeral Home, Milbank. Interment will be at Milbank City Cemetery.

Joy Peterson, age 76 of Northfield, passed away at her daughter's home, surrounded by her family and their enduring love, on August 4, 2022. Joy was a fun-loving mom and grandma to her three daughters and grandchildren, and a devoted partner to her husband, Phil. She delighted in babies and children, and she and her family cared for dozens of newborns as a foster family for Lutheran Social Service. As a registered nurse, she worked at hospitals, in long-term care and in triage at Park Nicollet Clinic. Always proud of her Norwegian heritage, Joy passed on family traditions of making lutefisk, lefse, and rommegrot at Christmas. She was an active volunteer, choir member, and Sunday school...

Thomas Schaeppi, 95, of Sioux Falls, SD, passed away on Tuesday, August 2, 2022, at Dow Rummel Village. Memorial Service will be 10:30 am Monday, August 8, at Crawford Osthus Funeral Chapel, 1311 4th St. NE., Watertown, SD with burial by his wife, Dorothy, at Mt. Hope Cemetery, Watertown, SD. For online guest book and guest register go to the website at www.crawfordosthus.com. Visitation with the family present to greet friends will be 1:00 - 3:00 pm Sunday, August 7, at Miller Funeral Home-Downtown, 507 S. Main Ave., Sioux Falls, SD. For online obituary and guest register go to the website at www.millerfh.com.

A Celebration of Life Ceremony will take place on Sunday, August 7, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Revillo Community Center. All friends and relatives are invited.

JoAnn Britzman, 89, passed away peacefully under hospice care surrounded by her loved ones on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. Joann Kathryn Britzman was born on February 1, 1933 in Vienna, SD to Eldon and Lila Holzwarth. Growing up with her two brothers, Harlyn and Loren Dean, Jo had many wonderful stories about living on the farm. She attended General Beadle College and Black Hills State and became a teacher. She met her husband Darwin Britzman in Watertown, SD. They were married on August 2, 1953. She taught school before having her three children, Shari, Steve and Mark. She was an amazing wife, mother and an extraordinary grandmother. Dar and Jo have seven grandchildren and three great...

Benjamin Wirt, age 49, died July 25, 2022. A Memorial Service for Ben and his sister Jolene will be Friday, August 12 at 6 PM with visitation one hour prior at Furness Funeral Home, Clark, SD.

Gordon Bruce Spaete was born January 20, 1944 in Rice Lake, Wisconsin to Paul and Helen (Betz) Spaete. He died July 21, 2022 in Watertown, South Dakota. He was the third oldest of five children. He graduated from high school in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin where he participated in football and track and field. He attended the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, served in the U.S. Army, and returned to the University of Wisconsin Stout where he graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering and a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology. He began employment with Lake Center Industries in Winona, MN, transferred to one of their manufacturing facilities in Los Angeles, CA for two years, and returned...

Services pending.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Milbank. Visitation will be held at the church on Tuesday beginning at 5:00 p.m. with a Vigil Service at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will continue at the church on Wednesday, one hour prior to the Mass. Burial will be at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Revillo.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, July 15, at 3:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Wilmot. Burial will be in Osceola # 1 Cemetery, Marvin. Visitation will be held at the church on Thursday, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. and will continue at the church on Friday, one hour prior to the service.

Nina Agatha (Kloster) Mehlberg-Troske, age 93, widow of Herbert Mehlberg and wife of Robert Troske died early Sunday morning, July 10, 2022 with family by her side. Funeral services will be held on Friday, July 15, 2022 at 11:00 AM at the Furness Funeral Home in Clark. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 9:00AM to 10:30AM.

Grant Whitwam, 65, of Sioux Falls, SD passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, July 9, 2022 at their family lake home near Lake Kampeska near Watertown, SD. Memorial Service will be 2:00 pm Monday, July 18, at Miller Funeral Home-Downtown, 507 S. Main Ave., Sioux Falls, SD with the family present one hour prior to greet friends. For online obituary and guest register go to the website at www.millerfh.com.com. A second memorial Service will be 2:00 pm Friday, July 22, at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel, 1111 4th Street NE. Watertown, SD with the family present one hour prior to greet friends. There will be burial at St. Mary Cemetery in Watertown, SD. For online obituary and guest register...

John Duncan's Celebration of Life gathering will be held on Sunday, July 24th at the Double Barrel Steakhouse; 106 Main St. Henry, SD 57243 from 1:00-4:00PM. John Duncan's family and friends will gather for food and live music by Weston Frank. John Vincent Duncan was born on March 17th, 1958, in Yankton, SD to Lowell and Joanne (Johnson) Duncan. John, age 64, died suddenly at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD on July 8, 2022, surrounded by his loved ones. He grew up on a farm near the Yankton area then moved to Alcester, SD at a young age. He was raised on the family farm north of Alcester, attended school there, and graduated high school in 1976. After high school John farmed and...

Jan Buri Obituary Jan Newton Buri, 67 of Brandon, SD died on Wednesday June, 22, 2022 at the Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD. Jan's family would like to invite everyone for a Funeral Mass and luncheon starting 10:30 AM on Thursday June 30, 2022 at Risen Savior Catholic Church, 301 N. Splitrock Blvd., Brandon, SD 57005. Burial will be at St. Michael Cemetery, Sioux Falls, SD. Visitation with the family present to greet friends will be held on 5:00 - 7:00 pm Wednesday June 29, 2022 at Miller Funeral Home-Downtown, 507 S, Main Ave., Sioux Falls, SD 57104. In honor of Jan, the family is requesting fun or bold colored clothing for attire of any friends or family attending the...

Lowell Dockter, 96, passed away on June 19, 2022. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. at Emanuel Lutheran Church, Milbank. Visitation will be held on Tuesday from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Mundwiler Funeral Home. Burial with military honors will be held at the Milbank City Cemetery. The service will be livestreamed and viewable at www.mundwilerfuneralhome.net.

Patricia "Pat" Pederson, 77, passed away on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, at the St Luke's Lutheran Care Center in Blue Earth, MN. Patricia Marie Pederson, daughter of Eddie and Violet (Briggs) Pederson, was born on February 7, 1945, in Mankato, MN. She grew up in the Watertown, SD, area and graduated from Watertown High School. She received and Associates Degree from Nettleton Community College in Sioux Falls, SD. Pat began working at Jackrabbit Bus Line in Sioux Falls. She began a career with Mobil Oil as a leasing agent in Sioux Falls, Omaha, Missouri, Texas, and Washington DC, for over 28 years. Upon retiring back to Sioux Falls, she worked with various real estate agencies and at the...

Nancy (Popham) Mews, age 66, of Milbank, SD, passed away on June 9, 2022, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. Private services for Nancy will be held at a later date. Nancy is survived by her husband, Victor "Ted" Mews of Milbank, SD; son, Michael Lee (Jennifer) Bogh of Huron, SD; step-daughter, Amber (Craig) Fox of Brookings, SD; six grandchildren; one brother; one sister-in-law; along with several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 6, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. at Countryside Covenant Church, rural LaBolt. Visitation will be held at the church on Friday, August 5, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. and one hour prior to the service on Saturday.. Burial with military honors will be in the LaBolt Cemetery.

David T. Oyan, 78, of Sioux Falls and formerly of Watertown, SD, passed away on May 29, 2022, at Dougherty Hospice House. The Celebration of Life services will be held on Thursday, June 2, 2022, at The Family Worship Center, 1120 4th Street NE, Watertown, SD at 11:00 a.m. with lunch following. Visitation, with family present, will be one hour prior to the service. Lovingly remembered by his wife, Carolyn; daughter, Marissa; and granddaughter, Ava; son, Erik (Julie); grandson, Max; step-grandson, Jordan; brother, Don (Randi). David's full obituary can be found at www.heritagesfsd.com

Cynthia Evenson, 65, died Friday, May 20, 2022, at her home in Fargo. A private family memorial service will be Friday, May 27, at 1:00 pm at Walla Lutheran Church, rural New Effington. It will be livestreamed on the Eggers Funeral Home Facebook page. A Celebration of Life reception will be from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at the Community Center in Claire City. All friends and family are invited.

Britton, SD: Richard William "Rich" Langenfeld, age 59, of Britton, SD, passed away following a short battle with cancer on May 9, 2022. A celebration of life will be held this summer, and interment will be a private ceremony at St. Mary's Cemetery in Watertown, SD. Rich was born on November 5, 1962 to Gerald W. and Sandra K. (Ward) Langenfeld in Chamberlain, South Dakota. He grew up in Watertown and spent most of his adult life in Britton. As a boy, Rich won a contest advertised in the Watertown Public Opinion newspaper to pursue a correspondence art course by drawing "Tippy" the Turtle. While Rich did not end up taking the course, his early creative skills had been discovered! Rich was...