Lorna Emily (Fensel) Prunty, passed away peacefully Feb. 20, 2021. A visitation and viewing with family present will be held from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27 at Bethany Mennonite Church, 509 South Juniper Street, Freeman. A funeral service will follow at 2 p.m. at the church. 

Roger Schmidt, 68, of Freeman, S.D., passed away Sunday, Feb. 21 at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, S.D. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Walter Funeral Home is assisting the family.

David Lee Kleinsasser, 59 of Monroe, S.D., passed away on Feb. 11, 2021 at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, S.D. A funeral service was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 18 at Calvary Reformed Church, Monroe, with a visitation from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17, at Hofmeister-Jones Funeral Home in Parker, S.D. Due to COVID-19, please wear a mask and practice social distancing at both opportunities to celebrate David’s life.

Bruce Mueller, loving husband, father and grandfather, died Feb. 9, 2021, in his home at Sunnycrest Village in Sioux Falls, S.D. He was 86.

James (Jim) Gesick, 80, of Marion, S.D., passed away on Feb. 9 at the Tieszen Memorial Home in Marion. A private family funeral service was scheduled for 11 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 15 at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church of Marion. Public visitation will be on Sunday, Feb. 14 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the church. The family asks that masks and social distancing be observed at both events celebrating Jim's life.

Tabea (Mendel) Koehn was born on Oct. 11, 1929 to David E. Mendel and Marie P. Hofer in Hutchinson County at Freeman, S.D. She attended elementary school at Progressive District #20, but she was not able to go to high school because her mother passed away at a very young age. So, Tabea, at a young age, took over her mother’s responsibility. She helped her father shock grain and pick corn by hand.

Mary Ida Graber, 87, of Goessel, Kan., died Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021 due to advanced dementia. She was born June 20, 1933 on the family farm north of Freeman, S.D., the daughter of John and Matilda (Hofer) Nachtigall.

Kristy Waltner, aged 65, died Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021 at Oakview Terrace in Freeman, S.D. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Salem-Zion Mennonite (North) Church of rural Freeman, located at 27844 443rd Ave, Freeman, SD 57029. Visitation will be Friday, Feb. 12 from 5 to 7 p.m., also at the church. Memorials should be directed to the Alzheimer's Association.

Irene Evelyn Schrag, 96, passed away on Monday, Jan. 25, 2021 at Greencroft Healthcare in Goshen, Ind. from complications of COVID-19. She was born Dec. 12, 1924 in rural Hurley, S.D., to Adolph and Nettie (Wittrig) Preheim. In her youth she was baptized and became a member of Salem Mennonite Church in Freeman, S.D. She then transferred her membership to Salem-Zion Mennonite Church in Freeman upon her marriage to Harley Schrag on May 29, 1946.

Dr. Bruce R. Beier, 86, passed away Jan. 29, 2021 at Oakview Terrace in Freeman, S.D. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. at Bethany Mennonite Church in Freeman. Pastor Shane VanMeveren will officiate. Public visitation will be from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. prior to the service. Burial will be at the Freeman Cemetery. Memorial monies will be donated to the Bethany Mennonite Church television ministry.