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David Willis “Hexy” Hexamer  - Share this obit - Print this obit

David Willis “Hexy” Hexamer, son of Willis and Beatrice (Leimbach) Hexamer, was born on September 5, 1950, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He attended Christ the King Grade School and O’Gorman High School.

David spent more than 30 years working in construction, specializing in hanging drywall. His career began in 1974 in Phoenix, Arizona, with Saguaro Drywall and continued in Sioux Falls with Souter & Sons and Gerald Johnson. He later held various positions, including pinsetter and bar manager at the Sport Bowl Lounge—his favorite job. David also worked weekends at the Scoreboard in Sioux Falls. He was known as a hard worker and a loyal, trustworthy employee who formed many lifelong friendships through his work.

David was always on the go. He loved staying active by fishing, bowling, playing pool, and golfing. Bowling became a lifelong passion for David, and his skills earned him five perfect “300” games throughout his bowling years. David’s love of pool began at home with his brothers Pat and Jim. Over a 60-year span, the game brought him countless memories, trophies, plaques, awards, and most importantly many friendships. The one sport David regretted not starting earlier was golf—though those who knew him believe he would have mastered that game as well. Catching walleye off the shoreline was one of his favorite pastimes, even when he was out-fished by his wife!

At age 55, David (finally) married Jacquelyn Henderson, age 50, on 5/5/05, at 5:05—a detail that perfectly suited his lifelong fascination with numbers. They met in 1991 and celebrated 20 years of marriage in 2025. David was a wonderful, loving, loyal, and hardworking husband.

David peacefully passed away in his home surrounded by family on January 7, 2026 following a five-year battle with COPD. He is survived by his wife: Jacquelyn; three stepchildren: Wendy Deuel of Lake Havasu, AZ, Rebecca Deuel Schmidt and Christopher Deuel, both of Truman, MN; six step-grandchildren; seven step-great-grandchildren; his sister: June Albers and Chuck Wubben; sister-in-law: Mary Anne Hexamer; brother: Pat Hexamer and Kaylynn Montis; and many other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Jim Hexamer.

Visitation will be Monday, January 12, 2026 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM at Barnett-Lewis Funeral Home. A Funeral Service will be Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 10:30 AM at Barnett-Lewis Funeral Home.

Jerry Arens  - Share this obit - Print this obit

Jerry Arens, 86, passed away at his home on New Years Eve, 2025, surrounded by his family. He leaves behind 3 children, 9 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.

He married his High School sweetheart Jean Hickenbotham, in 1960 and started a family. Their firstborn was Nancy Anderson of White, SD (who was blessed with his vibrant red hair), followed by Rick (Kerrie) Arens of The Villages in Florida and then Mark (Carol) Arens of Hartford, SD. Later in life he met Nancy Smart, she and her two children became like family.        

Over the years he worked hard but also played hard. He enjoyed many fishing, camping, canoeing and hunting trips with his family and friends. On these trips he instilled in his children a love of the great outdoors and the excitement of new adventures. Some of the most memorable trips included camping in the Black Hills, fishing for Paddlefish on the Missouri River at Ft. Thompson, elk hunting in the Rockies, canoeing in northern Minnesota and some very exciting hunting adventures with his family and friends. Numerous family stories arise from the outdoor fun that these trips provided.

Jerry was first and foremost one of Sioux Falls finest having joined the Police Department in 1960, following in his father’s footsteps. He spent 30 years protecting and serving the City of Sioux Falls as he watched it grow. A fierce competitor, Jerry was awarded the National “Distinguished Pistol Shot” award. Throughout the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s he was a dominant figure in the Police Combat Shooting circuit winning many of the matches the he entered. Prior to his pistol shooting prowess he was also a multi-year State Archery Champion for a number of years. After retirement he moved out to western South Dakota and worked on a cattle ranch for 8 years. As a lover of the outdoors, he would tell you that these were his happiest years. The farming and ranch life suited him well.

Visitation with family present will be Thursday, January 8, 2026 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM at Barnett-Lewis Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to the Sioux Falls Fraternal Order of Police or Avera Home Hospice.

Kenneth “Kenny” Leroy Nelson  - Share this obit - Print this obit

Kenneth “Kenny” Leroy Nelson was born August 21, 1953, to Emily and Carl Nelson in Flandreau, SD. Kenny was a man with a sense of humor that made people laugh and sometimes left you speechless. He passed away peacefully on December 27, 2025, at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD.

Kenny was joined in marriage on July 13, 1974, to Deloris (Oberg) Nelson. Together they raised five children, starting their life together in a two-bedroom home. Kenny remodeled it several times to accommodate everyone. A very intelligent man, he could do anything he set his mind to. Employed in many different fields throughout his lifetime, from landscaping and blacktop to autobody, he ended his career as a custom welder.

In his free time, he had a wide range of hobbies. He worked on his brother-in-law’s pit crew in his youth, but later enjoyed restoring old cars, hunting, fishing, and camping. He left many fond memories for those who joined him on these adventures.

Kenny loved his children and grandchildren and was always excited to meet every new baby with a cuddle and a booming, “Hello there!”

Kenneth is survived by his daughters: Theresa McDonnell and Laura Zapata (Michael Richards); his sister: Linda (Kelly) Egan; 17 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Deloris; his sons, Christopher James, James Lee, and Carl Leroy; his parents, Emily and Carl; his sisters, Loretta, Ruth Anne, and Doris; and his brother, David.

A private family service will be held.

Natasha Marie Gross  - Share this obit - Print this obit

Natasha Marie Gross was born on April 28, 1992 in Sioux Falls, SD to Patrick and Serena Gross. She weighed 4 lbs. 8 oz. at birth and although she was small, she had been a fighter all of her life.

The family lived in Sioux Falls until moving to Brandon when Natasha was a young girl. Her sister, Emily, joined the family when Tasha was 3.5 years old. Natasha went to school in the Brandon Valley School District and graduated in 2010. Upon graduation, Natasha worked for Midco for 12 years before moving on to a more recent job at CarHop. She found her most recent position at CarHop Hop very rewarding and challenging. She worked hard in any position she held.

Natasha passed away unexpectedly at her home in Brandon, SD on December 25, 2025. 

Growing up, Natasha exceeded in sports especially softball, track, and basketball. She had a spit fire attitude and was a tough competitor. As she got older, Natasha enjoyed anything glitter and glam. The more glitter and sparkle, the better. She loved going shopping, especially for makeup. If you went shopping with her then you were in it for the long haul as she was known to spend hours walking up and down the aisles at various stores. 

Natasha’s life changed forever when she welcomed her son, Mason, on January 27, 2015. She was a devoted mother who treasured doing anything with her son. This included going to movies, taking photos, and doing crafts together. She was so proud of Mason and loved watching him in dance and cheer. 

Tasha cherished her time with family and friends. She liked cooking for her family, especially Mason. She would cook his favorite meals and always made sure to have his favorite snacks in the home. Her favorite “snack” was tabasco sauce. She put the sauce on everything!! Tasha was a devoted mother, sister, daughter, and friend. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her. 

Grateful for having shared her life are her parents: Patrick and Serena Gross; sister: Emily Gross; son: Mason Campbell; and many other family and friends. 

Natasha is preceded in death by her grandparents: Joseph and Mary Simon, Tom and Mary Gross; her aunt: Denise Simon; and her uncle: Kevin Gross.

A Memorial Service will be Monday, January 5, 2026, 2:00 PM at Barnett-Lewis Funeral Home.  

Jon Reed Walter  - Share this obit - Print this obit

Jon Reed Walter, 73, passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 27, 2025, at home surrounded by his siblings and close family. Born and baptized in Freeman, South Dakota, Jon was the youngest son of the late John and Maurine Walter. He attended Freeman Public Schools, then moved to Sioux Falls to live with his sister Karen and her husband Fred. Karen had promised their mother to take care of Jon and that lasted until he took his last breath. Jon was a loving brother and uncle to many relatives and Karen’s children at home and those children that were raised in Karen’s daycare. Jon helped wherever he was needed with household chores like mowing and shoveling snow. He was always excited when his niece Lindsey wanted to be in his room reading books, playing with toys or watching movies. When Karen could no longer drive, Jon would take her grocery shopping, to appointments, to work and anywhere else she needed to go, taking care of her in return.

Jon worked in the food industry most of his life. He always kept himself engaged while at the Sioux Falls Regional Airport, Citibank, Grandma Max (Love’s), Overtime (OT), Botski’s, and enjoyed his final employment days at the Brandon Golf Course. On a humorous note, Jon struggled with taking breaks because he said he always had a lot to do and taking a break just did not feel right. The family appreciates all the employers over the years that had given our “Uncle Jon” the opportunity to work and support his hobbies.

Jon loved the pets he had over the decades and took care of other people’s pets when asked. Jon has reunited with his dogs Fluffy, Cricket, Shadow, Sadie and Roxie.

Jon enjoyed watching his favorite football team, the Dallas Cowboys, yet still followed Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. When football was not on, Jon’s favorite TV series was Gunsmoke. He often watched 80’s music videos, the WWE, all the Mission Impossible movies, and could repeatedly watch the movie Home Alone during the Christmas season. Jon collected many beer steins and old model vehicles. He prided himself on every vehicle he owned, maintaining each with exceptional care. He enjoyed going to the races at Huset’s and tolerated helping with mowing yards for Fred’s Lawn Service. Jon was proud of his extended family members in the military and had photos of them in uniform in his room. Jon always looked forward to attending the Wednesday sibling lunches held at various restaurants in Sioux Falls and Menno over the past couple years. He always enjoyed having a perfectly cooked steak, huge juicy burgers and any type of “Hungry Man” breakfast.

Jon is survived by four sisters: Karen Kieffer (with children Lindsey, Dawn, Russ and Jane), Myriam Thomas and Rachel Gilmore, all of Sioux Falls, Donna (Eugene) Benshoof, of Watertown, SD; one brother: Micheal (JoAnn) Walter of Menno, SD; and a sister-in-law: Mary Jo Walter, Freeman, SD. At Jon’s passing he had many nieces and nephews, along with grand and great nieces and nephews. Jon was preceded in death by his parents, John and Maurine (Mandel) Walter, a sister, Arlene Miller, and two brothers, Delroy Walter and Delmar Walter.

A celebration of life will start at 11:00 AM on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at Rustic Hills Community Church, 4500 East Fernwood Drive, Sioux Falls, SD with lunch to follow.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to Sanford Hospice for the support our family has received in the past 5 months, especially his nurse, Katera. She was caring and compassionate with Jon and Karen during her weekly visits.

Michael “Mike” Duane Loe  - Share this obit - Print this obit

Michael “Mike” Duane Loe passed away on December 20, 2025.

Mike was born on September 18, 1963 to Janice and Gary Loe in Sibley, Iowa. He later moved to Sioux Falls where he attended Washington High School and graduated from Mitchell Tech.
   
He enjoyed fixing cars motorcycles trucks anything that needed fixing. He also enjoyed socializing with friends. Mike was employed by Mryl & Roy’s in Sioux Falls.
  

Mike is survived by two brothers: Mark (Khris) Tea, SD and Rod (Rhonda) Sioux Falls, SD; three nephews and three nieces. He was preceded in death by parents, Janice and Gary and step-dad Palmer Ericksen.

    Visitation with family will be Friday, January 2, 2026 from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM at Barnett-Lewis Funeral Home in Sioux Falls with a short service at 6:30 PM. A Celebration of Life will be directly following at the Red Eye Bar in Sioux Falls. Burial will be at a later date. 

Kerry Lee Kasulka  - Share this obit - Print this obit

Kerry Kasulka was born December 6, 1945 to Melvin and Evonne (Krietlow) Kasulka in Geddes, SD. Kerry attended school in Montana, Washington, Winner, SD and graduated from Yankton High School. He passed away December 24, 2025 in Sioux Falls.

Kerry married Stella Zurcher in 1963 and they made a home in

Mission Hill, SD. Kerry worked at Farmers Elevator in Mission Hill for 38 years serving as Manager for the last 20 years. Kerry later worked at the Postal Distribution Center in Sioux Falls until his retirement in 2010.

Kerry married Kay Roberts Magorien in 1980. They resided in Mission Hill where Kerry was very focused on the community, always trying to make it a better place. He served as President of the town board for 30 years where he was instrumental in bringing the B-Y water and sewer system to Mission Hill as well as getting the roads oiled and street

signs installed. His talent went further when he rebuilt a bridge in town and remodeled multiple homes. Another large accomplishment was the revitalization of the city park and swim pond which was a big deal for the kids!

Kerry enjoyed family, friends, especially attending the great-grandkids sporting events, boating, traveling by motorcycle with Kay, reading, doing crossword puzzles and spending many seasons on their boat.

Kerry is survived by his wife: Kay; daughter: Peggy (Jeff) Bormann, Astoria, SD; son: Paul (Patty) Kasulka, Richland, SD; step-son: Lyle (Lisa) Magorien Jr, Ft Pierre, SD; 6 grandchildren: Danielle Kaiser, SF, Shelby Magorien, Pierre, Kaleb Bormann, Katrina, Timothy and Alexandria Kasulka; great-granddaughters: Payton Magorien, and Piper Kaiser; and great-grandsons: Kellen Kaiser, Tate and Hayes LaCompte; half-brothers: Doug (Donna) Kasulka, Texas and Melvin “Butch” Diamond, Pierre, SD; sister-in-law: Diane (Bill) Tschetter, Rapid City SD; brothers-in-law: Tom (Linda) Roberts, Sioux Falls, Jim Roberts, Sioux Falls; step-brother-in-law: Irvin (Peggy) Englebrecht, Lufkin, TX and many cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, parents and stepson, James Magorien.

Funeral Service will be 10:00 AM, Tuesday, December 30 at Barnett-Lewis Funeral Home.

Anne Marie Leedom  - Share this obit - Print this obit

Beloved mother, sister, and friend, Anne Marie Leedom met life with warmth, courage and joy—leaving gentle light wherever she went. Anne passed away on Tuesday, December 9, 2025.

Anne was born in Sioux Falls, SD, on February 8, 1971, to Chester and Elizabeth Leedom. She attended St. Mary Elementary School and graduated from O’Gorman High School. She was an active band member at O’Gorman and maintained lifelong friendships with her fellow band members. One of her greatest joys, her daughter, Emily Steece, was born in 1994.

Anne graduated from Southwest Minnesota State University and started working at Wells Fargo. She remained there until her area closed. At that time, she was working part-time at Home Depot, so it made sense to move to a full-time position. She loved working there. She had many roles and friends, and it felt very much like a second family to her.

Anne loved her two dogs, Binks and Chewie, and they were such an important part of her life that she called them her girls. She named them after characters from Star Wars. Having experienced the Star Wars saga from the beginning with her dad, it was one of her favorite movies and a cherished memory. Anne loved traveling, but her favorite place was Costa Rica. The friendships she made drew her back multiple times and provided the respite she needed.

Anne’s kindness, laughter, and adventurous spirit touched everyone she met. She will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all who knew her.

She rests in peace now with her dad, Chester Leedom, while keeping an eye on her greatest joys, her daughter, Emily, and her special friend, Fritz Thiner, and his pup, Haven.

She is survived by her two sisters, Cat Leedom, Missoula, MT; Mary Schieke (Greg), Lincoln, NE; two brothers, Joe Leedom (Mary), Mike Leedom (Michele); and her mother, Elizabeth, all of Sioux Falls.

A memorial service is scheduled for January 3, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Barnett-Lewis Funeral Home. Memorials may be sent to Emily Steece for future designation.

Carla Rae Kreul  - Share this obit - Print this obit

Carla Rae Kreul, born May 1, 1969, of Madison, South Dakota, passed away peacefully in her sleep at Sanford Ava’s Hospice House in Sioux Falls on December 17, 2025, after a lengthy and difficult illness.

Carla graduated from Madison High School and attended Lake Area Vo-Tech. She worked at various jobs in Madison, including 12 years at DSU. She loved the outdoors, family, friends, gardening, crocheting, cooking, and being a mom to her many dogs and birds (parakeets). We also want to thank the staff at Valiant Living who assisted Carla with various daily living tasks for many years.

Carla spent her last five months in hospice at Sanford Ava’s House, and the family extends a heartfelt thanks to all staff for their compassion, dignity, and kindness throughout her extended stay. While there, Carla made many lasting relationships with staff and was able to spend precious time and activities with family and friends.

Carla will be deeply missed by her parents: Karen Kreul and Richard Kreul; her siblings: Kimberly Motes (Joshua), Kyle Kreul (Melanie), and Heather Law (Timothy); her nieces and nephews: Hunter, Kade, Donovan, Mallory, Holland, Elizabeth, Owen, Harlee, and Harlow; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Raphael and Rosella Kreul and Donald and Dorothy Warren, as well as uncles and cousins.

A Memorial Service will be Sunday, December 28, 2025 at Church of the Nazarene in Madison, South Dakota.

Michael Patrick Donelan   - Share this obit - Print this obit

Michael Patrick Donelan was born on February 13, 1939 to Felix and Elizabeth Donelan and attending Montrose School. In 1956 he enlisted in the army, served six months active duty and eight years reserved.

He married his high school sweetheart Judy Jacobs on June 5, 1961. He farmed all his life and raised cattle, sheep, and horses. Along with farming he worked for several construction companies throughout the years. In 1981 he went to Glenwood Springs Colorado to work for the Mid-Continent Coal Mine. He also was janitor for the Montrose School for fourteen years. He retired in 1990 after knee replacement surgery. He bred, and raised thoroughbred race horses that ran the Nebraska circuit. He raised and sold registered border collies for over fifty years. His strong work ethic, love for farming, caring for his animals and strong faith were shared with his family.

Grateful for sharing his life are his family: wife: Judy; sons: Mick (Kathy), Gary, Bob (Marci) and daughter Becky (Russ) Hirschman, of Montrose; six grandchildren: Jasmine Blue, Shaun (Chelsie), Keegan (Mikayla), Logan (Bradie), Matthew Fee and Kendra Fee, Westley Hirschman, Russ Hirschman, Elijah Flood and Martin Flood; and four great-grandchildren: Quinn, Radley, Sloane and Walker. He is preceded in death by his parents, siblings, Larry, Darlene, Sister Agnes Marie, Bernard, Merle, Mary Therese, and his beloved dog, Ty.

Visitation with family present Sunday December 21, from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM followed by Prayer Services at 6:30 at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church in Montrose. Mass of Christian Burial will be Monday, December 22, 10:30 a.m. at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church with burial following at St. Patrick Cemetery in Montrose.