Jerry Schuette, 52, of Highmore, passed away Saturday, November 2, 2024, near Highmore, as a result of an ATV accident. Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at Our Savior Lutheran Church, Highmore, with Pastor Shari Schwedhelm officiating. Burial will be at the Highmore Cemetery. A visitation will begin at 5:00 p.m., followed by a 7:00 p.m. prayer service, on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, all at the church. Jerry Schuette was born July 4, 1972, to Jim and Judy (Wilcox) Schuette in Pierre, SD. He was raised on the family ranch near Highmore. He graduated from Highmore High School in May 1990. He attended Mitchell Tech and graduated in May 1992 with an associate’s degree in Telecommunications. After graduation, he returned to

We are sad to announce that on October 23, 2024 we had to say goodbye to Wayne Ernest Fields in Torrington, Wyoming, born in Henry, Nebraska. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. In the echoes of fond remembrance, may a sense of peace be found, knowing that the memories held dear will continue to shape and inspire his loved ones, keeping Wayne Ernest’s spirit alive in the hearts and actions of family and friends alike. While his presence may be gone, his impact lives on in the kindness shown to others and the joy found in the ordinary moments of life. He was loved and cherished by many people including: his parents, Johnie Fields and Chlodean

Douglas D. Bennett of Echo, OR passed away August 18, 2024, at the age of 91. Doug and twin brother Don were born May 8, 1933, to J.W. and Marie Bennett born on a cattle and wheat ranch in Winona, WA, the twins quickly followed the lead of their two older brothers Bill and Jack and the vision of J.W. and Marie continued. The four boys were soon spending countless hours on horseback in the rough Winona countryside learning the registered Shorthorn business. With J.W. at the helm showing cattle took center stage. The Bennetts started showing and garnering champions throughout the United States. It wasn’t long before these young Bennett boys were headed to Chicago in boxcars to exhibit the Grand Champion Shorthorn bull.

James Walter Douthit, Jr. was born in St. Francis, Kansas, on July 9, 1938, to Helen (Pochop) Douthit and James Walter Douthit. He left to be with his Savior on July 22, 2024. He passed away peacefully at the Cheyenne County Village. He had four siblings: Emily, Roger, Rudolph, and Stephen. Walter was the oldest of the boys. Walter led a life centered around his Catholic faith and his family. Growing up, he attended Broadview School, the nearby country school. As a young boy he worked beside his father and brothers. He was proud of himself when he got to run a hay crew at the young age of 11 with the mules Molly and Dolly. Upon entering junior high, he was sent to the

Paul “Bill” William Schmele, age 91, passed away on July 4, 2024. Born on October 31, 1932, in Rapid City, SD, to Paul William and Sophia Anna (Karinen) Schmele, Bill attended Horse Creek Elementary School and Newell High School. Bill married Alice Blackburn on June 8, 1961, and they were blessed with six children: Nadine (Dwight) Sandoz of St. Paul, NE, Carol (Klemen) Vidic of Ljubljana, Slovenia, Mary (Nathan) Johnson of Grand Forks, ND, Joanne (Brian) Wise of Orange City, Iowa, James “Jimmy” Paul  Schmele, and Donna Phillips of Grand Forks, ND. A dedicated and passionate cattle rancher, Bill was renowned for raising registered Hereford bulls and cultivating a distinguished bloodline of Hereford cattle traced back to England. His exceptional knowledge and intuition about cattle

Lovell Kuykendall passed away on Thursday, June 27 2024, one month shy of his 87th birthday, at his home, in Cherokee, TX. A memorial service will be held 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at the Cherokee Baptist Church in Cherokee, TX. The family will receive guests from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. prior to the memorial service. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Blaylock Funeral Home in San Saba. Lovell was born in Temple, Texas on July 27, 1937 to James and Zudora Kuykendall and was raised on the family ranch in Cherokee, Texas. After graduating from Cherokee High School, Lovell continued his education at Texas A&M University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1960. Shortly after graduation he married Sandra

Lila Lou (Drybread) Churchill Lifelong cattlewoman and rancher, Lila Churchill, of Valentine, Nebraska passed away at home on June 26, 2024.  Born August 15, 1932, to Wilbur and Celia Drybread, and married to Kenneth Churchill, Lila raised two sons of her own, Brad and Linn.  There were countless other “children” that passed through her life on the ranch; she played an integral role in their upbringing too.  Some went on their way, many kept in touch through the years, and a few are considered family. Lila’s family moved to the Red Deer Ranch south of Valentine when she was a young girl, and later purchased the ranch where she lived out most of her life. Much of her childhood was spent raising, showing and selling

Keith Robert Fawcett, 64, of Ree Heights, passed away Friday, June 7, 2024, at Highmore Health, after an intense battle with cancer with his wife at his side. Funeral service will be 11:00 a.m., Friday, June 14, 2024, at Trinity Lutheran Church, Miller, with Rev. Rhonda Wellsandt-Zell officiating.  Lunch will follow at the Miller Community Center and then burial at Morningside Cemetery, Ree Heights, SD.  Visitation will be 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, June 13, 2024, followed by a 7:00 p.m. prayer service, at the church. Keith was born to Robert and Marjean (Diede) Fawcett as the third child of three, the only son and the 4th generation to thrive on the ranch, which would become known as Fawcett’s Elm Creek Ranch.  Showing cattle in

Eugene E. “Gene” Bock, was a beacon of strength, humbleness, and generosity, a dedicated family man, a friend to all, and a passionate advocate for agriculture education and horned Hereford cattle. Born on July 31, 1957, in Beatrice, Nebraska, Eugene was a man of deep integrity and humor. His dedication to his work and family was unmatched. His laughter was contagious; his patience, legacy, and love for his family and community, unparalleled. Eugene was a man whose grit and savvy were matched only by his love for people, Hereford cattle, and conservation. A member of the Hereford Association, the Tallgrass Prairie Association, and the Natural Resources and Conservation Service, he was a champion of land conservation, reseeding native grasses, terracing farmland, developing water sources, and

James Clarence Caraway was born March 7th, 1970 to Clarence and Mary (Delaney) Caraway. He was welcomed by his sister Barb and then followed by Lori, Mary Kay, Corey, and Jon Caraway. James attended grade school in Lake Benton until 2nd grade when the family moved to Clearfield, SD where he went to country school (Star Prairie Country School). In 4th grade the family moved back to Lake Benton. James was very active throughout Jr High and High School in 4-H, FFA, and MN Junior Hereford Association where he, along with his siblings and several of his friends in the show cattle world, enjoyed shows including county fairs, state fairs, and several Jr National shows all over the country during the summer. James was a

Rainn J. Stadheim, 12 of rural Reeder, ND tragically passed away at the West River Regional Medical Center in Hettinger, ND on Sunday, June 2, 2024. Service of Remembrance will be Saturday, June 8, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. MT at the Dakota Prairie Enrichment Center (formerly the Reeder School) in Reeder, ND. Rev. Phil Hahn will officiate and burial will follow at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Reeder, ND. Visitation will be from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, June 7, 2024 at the Centennial Chapel of Evanson Jensen Funeral Homes (700 2nd Avenue South) Hettinger, ND. In lieu of flowers, a Memorial will be established for Rainn by her family. Rainn is survived by her parents, Jeremy and Carrie, her brothers, Pitch, Stone and

Delores’ life began on June 18, 1931, in Herington. She was the daughter of Clarence J. “Jake” Schneider and Alice L. (Hedburg) Schneider. Delores attended school in Herington and a member of the Class of 1949. She was united in marriage to Wallace D. “Bill” Granzow on September 20, 1948, at the United Methodist Church in Herington. Delores went to work when she was eleven years old and worked hard all her life. She was an early telephone operator, worked for Bus Stiles Thriftway Grocery, was the secretary for the Tri-County Methodist Parish and spent 20 years at the Herington Hospital as a medical transcriptionist. Delores was a member of the Cosmopolitan Club, United Methodist Women, Herington Hospital Auxiliary, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and the

November 12, 1928 to April 30, 2024 Ralph Dyer passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loved ones on the family farm he grew up on and lived at for the majority of his life. He was born to Donald and Susan Almeda Dyer on November 12, 1928. He graduated from Knoxville High School in 1946 and was a star athlete, being inducted into the Knoxville Schools’ Athletic Hall of Fame. He was married to the love of his life Donna (Fee) Dyer on October 17, 1952.  To this union Ralph and Donna had two sons, Monty and Tim Dyer. After his service in the Korean War in the Air Force, Ralph and Donna settled in rural Pleasantville and raised Hereford Cattle and Ralph

Donald J. Knippling, 89, of Gann Valley, passed away Sunday, April 28. 2024, at Good Samaritan Society in Miller. Funeral Mass will be at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, May 4, 2024, at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Miller. Burial will follow at St. Placidus Cemetery, Duncan. Visitation will begin at 6:00 p.m., Friday, May 3, 2024, followed by a 7:00 p.m. rosary and prayer service, all at the church. Donald Jerome Knippling was born June 29, 1934 in Wessington Springs, SD, to Joseph Knippling and Eleanor (Etbauer) Knippling. He lived in Arlington Township, Buffalo County his entire life.  He was the oldest of six children. He had two brothers, Jerald (Ardith) and Clayton (Evelyn) and three sisters, Genevieve (John Rank), Joyce (Ken Lawver), and MaryJo (Mark Joens).

David Edward Gottschalk, 87, Byron, Minnesota David Edward Gottschalk was born May 20, 1936, in Rochester, Minnesota. He graduated from Rochester High School in 1954. He was a member of the National Guard Reserves for 5 years. David married Rose Anna O’Byrne in Rochester, MN on June 4, 1954. David passed away April 5, 2024. David was a reputable Registered Hereford cattle breeder since 1961 and a passionate lifetime “Minnesota Hereford Breeder’s Association Hall-Of-Fame member” as well as a National Hereford Association member. He was a Mayo Clinic employee for 21 years from 1957-1978. David was married to his wife Rose for nearly 70 years. David is survived by Rose, and his children Scott (Astrid) of Kimball, MN, Julie (Dean) Albers of Red Wing, MN,

Harley Edward Zens, 73, of Canova passed away peacefully on March 23, 2024 surrounded by his family. Funeral mass will begin at 10:30 am on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at Church of the Epiphany in Epiphany, SD. Visitation will be held Tuesday, March 26 from 5-7 pm with a 7 pm prayer service also at the church. Harley Zens was born on January 13, 1951 as the oldest of 4 children to Clement and Elsie (Ehlke) Zens. He attended country school near their family farm until its closure after he completed the third grade and then attended St. Mary’s Catholic school in Epiphany, SD through the 8th grade. After parochial school, he attended and graduated from Canova High School in 1969. Following high school, he

James “Jim” Dale Bellis, 67, of Aurora, MO passed away on Saturday, March 2, 2024, after a decade-long battle with cancer. He was born in Aurora on March 20, 1956, to Dale and Dorothy Bellis; the oldest of three children. Brought up on the family farm raising cattle, agriculture became one of the passions of his life. Active in FFA, he served as a chapter president, area president, and state secretary. He was mentored by his agriculture teacher, Mr. Jim Golding, who introduced him to Hereford cattle, helped him pick out his first Hereford that started his herd, and empowered him to go to college at Mizzou to become an agriculture teacher. He was a mentor to many aspiring agriculture students. He worked at Wheaton

Scott Kennedy, age 70, of Philip, SD, died on Tuesday, February 13, 2024 in a horse accident in Wickenburg, AZ. Scott James Kennedy was born on February 10, 1954 in Rapid City, SD. Scott was the fourth child of Howard & Dorothy Kennedy. He attended school in Philip from elementary through high school, graduating in 1972. During his school days, he played football, baseball, basketball and rodeoed. His basketball team went to state his senior year, which was quite a highlight to his life thus far. Scott started team roping after graduating high school. In the fall of 1973, the Kennedy families bought a ranch in Faith, SD. Shortly after high school graduation, at the age of 19, Scott moved to Faith with his cousin,

We bid farewell to Wayne on Friday, February 9th, 2024, one week after his 82nd birthday, at St Vincent Hospital due to complications from surgery. Wayne was born February 2, 1942, in Orrville, Ohio to Ross and Irene Clapper Brillhart. Wayne was the middle child of six children. In 1946 at the age of four, his family moved to Montana to the Three Mile area of the Bitterroot Valley. A couple of years later his dad purchased a ranch a Lolo, MT, where he spent the next twenty years. He attended Lolo grade school, graduated from Missoula County High and then on to Northern Montana College in Havre, MT. He graduated in Farm and Ranch Management. This is where he met his wife Shirlee Cure,

James Dewey Bennett, 90, of Knoll Crest Farms, Red House, Virginia passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at his residence on Knoll Crest Farm. He was the devoted husband of Barbara Scott Bennett for 66 years. Born on April 11, 1933, in Campbell County, Virginia he was the son of the late Paul Dewey Bennett and Hannah Baldwin Jennings Bennett. He was an active member of Providence Baptist Church. James proudly served his country as a member of the United States Army. He was honorably discharged from the service in 1957, one month early to get home in time for planting. Upon his return, he married his childhood sweetheart, Barbara. Over a 60-year career in the beef seedstock cattle business, James was a