Wednesday, September 19, at 4:30 p.m. a semi hauling hay north of Exit 177 started on fire, resulting in a blaze that destroyed 2,465 acres of land.
The fire threatened five different residences between Exit 177 and Okaton, both north and south of Interstate 90.
Although no residences were damaged, one shop building near the Flavia Stotts home was destroyed, as well as the abandoned “Stickler Place,” owned by Raymond Stotts.

Lauren Hofmeister, 87, formerly of Pierre, died Thursday, September 20, at the Marion Nursing Home.
Lauren Hofmeister was born on April 11, 1925, in Chancellor, S.D. to Albert and Ida (Mundhenke) Hofmeister. He grew up in Chancellor and graduated from Chancellor High School in 1944. He served in the United States Army from 1944-1946 during WWII with service in Okinawa and Korea. He married Maxine Purcell in Sioux Falls on December 31, 1948.

The funeral for Alice Hall, age 90 of Meadow, will be held at 1:30 p.m. Friday, September 28, 2012 at the Bison Presbyterian Church. Pastor Florence Hoff will officiate with burial in the Chance Cemetery. Visitations will be from 4 p.m. followed by a family service at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 27, all at the Bison Presbyterian Church.
Alice passed away Saturday, Sept. 22, at the Carriage House Manor in Sulphur Springs, TX. A memorial has been established to the Bison Presbyterian Church or Legacy Hospice, 301 Gilmer, Sulphur Springs, TX 75482.

Ann Carter, age 89, died at St. Mary’s Healthcare Palliative Care Suites, September 14, 2012. She was born to Louis & Vera (Obst) Englehart of Bison, South Dakota, October 2, 1922. She grew up there, graduated from Bison High School and later attended Aberdeen Business College. In 1942 she went to work for the Corps of Engineers at Black Hills Ordnance Depot Provo, SD. In 1945 she transferred with the Corps of Engineers to Fort Belvoir, Virginia. After the war she transferred to the Commerce Dept. in Washington, D.C.

Marjorie A. Krebs, 53, of Rapid City, passed away at Rapid City Regional Hospital on Mon., Sept. 10, 2012.
Margie was born April 7, 1959 in Lemmon, South Dakota to William and Barbara Malloy.
She is survived by her two daughters, Whitney Krebs and Heather Krebs, both of Rapid City; her mother, Barbara Malloy of Ruskin, Florida.; her brother, Chan Malloy and his wife Kathy of Loveland, Colorado; her loving boyfriend, Rob Frease of Rapid City; and her mother-in-law, Joyce Krebs Lacy of Mississippi, with extended family and friends.

Tammy Eberhard, age 50 of Belle Fourche, died Sunday September 9th, 2012 at her home, surrounded by her loving husband.
A Memorial Service will be held 10:30 a.m., Thursday, September 13th, 2012 at Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche, with Chaplain Randall Bradley officiating. There will be no visitation. Inurnment will take place in Pine Slope Cemetery, Belle Fourche.

Mass of Christian burial for Liv Laufer, age 85, of Hettinger, North Dakota, will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 14, 2012 at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Hettinger, ND. Fr. Stephen Folorunso will officiate with burial in the Hettinger Cemetery.
Serving as casketbearers are her grandsons: Dylan St. Germain, Joe Oxner, Frank Laufer, Dusty Laufer, Michael Laufer and Ben Laufer. All of Liv’s friends and family are considered honorary casketbearers.

Lifelong Meade County rancher and former county commissioner, James Rue (Jimmie) Reed passed away in Sturgis, SD on Sept. 16, 2012 due to complications from heart failure. He was born July 3, 1926 at home in the original log house at the Reed Ranch on Brushie Creek, SD to James G. and Hannah Doerfler Reed, the fifth of seven children.  The attending midwife, neighbor Julia McCabe, later became his grandmother-in-law.

Boyd L. Porch, Kadoka, was presented the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), September 8, during a South Dakota Pilots Association (SDPA) meeting in Spearfish.
The FAA honored Porch for 50 accident free years of flying and presented him with a plaque and a blue ribbon package of his accomplishments and records over his flying career. The SDPA presented Porch’s wife, Pat, with a plaque and the FAA presented a pin for her support of him being a pilot.

Leila Dithmer, age 92 of Spearfish, S.D., formerly of Wanblee and Kadoka, died Sunday, September 9, 2012, at the David M. Dorsett Healthcare Center in Spearfish.
Leila Mae Collins was born June 17, 1920, in Mellette County, the daughter of Claude and Minnie (Hennings) Collins. She grew up and received her education in rural schools in Mellette County, graduating from Belvidere High School in 1937. After graduation, Leila attended college at Southern Normal in Springfield, where she earned her teacher’s certificate. She taught school in Mellette County for seven years.