Georgia Ann (Brown) Feist

Georgia Ann (Brown) Feist passed away peacefully on Monday, August, 12, 2024, at the Hospice House in Rapid City, South Dakota, with family by her side.

Service of Remembrance was held Saturday, August 17, 2024 at Calvary Lutheran Church in Lemmon, SD.  Pastor Charlotte Kvale officiated and burial followed at Greenhill Cemetery in Lemmon.  Visitation was held one hour prior to the funeral at the church on Saturday afternoon.

Georgia was born on September 29, 1942, in Carroll, Iowa, to Glen and Dortha (McNabb) Brown. During the Blizzard of 1949, she moved with her parents to Lead, South Dakota, where her father went to work in the Homestake Gold Mine and her mother for Woolworth's Department Store. Georgia and her mother later moved to Rapid City where Georgia attended middle school and high school.

On June 23, 1962, Georgia married Lynn Feist in Rapid City. They purchased the Horseshoe Motel and worked together running the business. In 1968, they purchased their first SuperValu grocery store in Faith, South Dakota, relocating their family to start what would soon become their family's new way of life. In 1970, they moved to Lemmon to grow their second store, later developing over time a chain of grocery stores – Lynn's Dakotamart – serving small town communities in western South and North Dakota.  Georgia and Lynn strongly believed in the mission of grocery stores as a means to provide communities with fresh food and economic opportunity, and this motivation fueled their involvement in several initiatives impacting rural life in South Dakota.

In addition to her role supporting the grocery business, Georgia was a full-time mother to three children and active in many social organizations including the Motel Association, Jaycees, Faith Bethel Lutheran Church, Faith Chamber of Commerce, Lemmon 20th Century Women's Club, Lemmon Chamber of Commerce, P.E.O., Perkins County Cancer Society, and Lemmon Calvary Lutheran Church, where she held various offices and taught Sunday School and Bible School. Georgia loved playing bridge and enjoyed entertaining and opening her home to many friends and family over the years.

Georgia was a collector of many things: Precious Moments figurines, decorative santas, tea cups, but – most importantly – of friends.  She made many friends over the years across so many moves and loved them all, old and new. She would often say, "You can never have too many friends.

She was known as the "card lady" for her love of sending greeting cards to many to let them know she was thinking of them. Her thoughtful and generous personality was known to many.

One highlight of Georgia's life came much later when she discovered she had three brothers and two sisters from her father's second marriage. She was delighted to get acquainted with them and build relationships with her newfound siblings, having grown up an only child.

Most of all, Georgia loved and cherished time spent with her family.  She spent much time and effort in connecting her family and spending quality time making memories together. Memories of holidays and summer family gatherings at Shadehill will always be cherished.

Grateful to have shared in her life and for the opportunity to celebrate Georgia's memory are her son Jim (Sherrie), granddaughter Kelsie (Baily) Simons and their children, great grandchildren Sawyer, Beckham, Denver and Lynden; daughter Tammy (John) and their daughter, Jessica; and son Donny (Suzanne) and their children, Lauran (Octavio) Dondiz and great granddaughter Olivia, Lincoln, Madison, Ben and Wilson.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Lynn, on September 10, 1996.

In lieu of flowers, Memorial have been established to Calvary Lutheran Church in Lemmon, SD, Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Spearfish, SD and the Special Olympics.