Leo “Harry” VanderMay

Leo “Harry” VanderMay, age 95, Long Valley, S.D., died Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018, at his son’s home in Kadoka.

 

Leo Harold VanderMay, better known as Harry to his family and friends, was born Sept. 1, 1922, in Mitchell, S.D., to Leo Nordas and Katherine (Crampton) VanderMay. He attended Plainview Elementary and graduated from Wanblee High School in 1940. 

 

He was inducted into the United States Army on Dec. 30, 1944, at Fort Snelling, Minn. Harry was an auto mechanic and truck driver for a medical unit in the Philippines and then in occupied Japan. 

 

After the war, Harry moved to Minnesota living in the Twin Cities, working for his future brother-in-law. 

 

On June 10, 1950, he was united in marriage to Norberta “Bertie” Poeppel in Minneapolis. They moved to the farm/ranch northeast of Long Valley in 1950 where he built his own house using a book as his only guide.

 

Harry loved farming and worked on his own equipment, was knowledgeable in many things from electrical to plumbing and repurposing pieces of junk, not into art but into a very practical piece of equipment. He loved to drive out into the back country, discovering places he had never seen before. He was a voracious reader, especially of westerns, local history and of WWII stories.

 

Harry was a member of the Sacred Heart Parish in Norris, helping to move the church to its current location. He was also a member of Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Kadoka.

 

Harry is survived by his four children, Paul (Ruby) VanderMay, Diane (Baxter) Hogen, Vern VanderMay, who cared for him the last five months of his life, and David VanderMay; four grandchildren, Bryce VanderMay, Elijah and Isaiah Hogen and Emelia VanderMay; five stepgrandchildren; six stepgreat-grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Betty VanderMay and Norma VanderMay; and a host of other relatives and friends.

 

He was preceded in death by his wife, Bertie, on July 31, 2017; his parents; one sister, Irene Zickrick; two brothers, Loyd and Francis VanderMay; and a daughter-in-law, Anita VanderMay.

 

Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Saturday, March 3, at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Kadoka.

 

Interment with military honors was held at the Kadoka Cemetery.

 

A memorial has been established.

 

Arrangements were with the Rush Funeral Chapel of Kadoka.

 

His online guestbook is available at www.rushfuneralhome.com