Connie R. Tschetterage 68, of Yankton, SD passed away on June 28, 2011 at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, Yankton, SD. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 2:30 PM, Friday, July 1, 2011 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Yankton, SD with Rev. Mark Lichter officiating. Burial will be in the Sacred Heart Cemetery, Yankton. Visitations will begin at 2:00 PM, Thursday, June 30, 2011 with a Scripture service at 7:30 PM at Opsahl Kostel Funeral Home & Crematory, Yankton. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. Pallbearers will be Grant Briggs, Doug Hellmers, Jeff Lassley, Harold Schmidt, James Will, Link Will, Mike Will, and Steve Will. Honorary Pallbearers will be Ladies Auxiliary Ernest-Boyer Post #791, Sgt. Ben Handke of Afghanistan and LT2 Jeff Tielke of Japan.
(Connie) Constance Rae was born on June 9, 1943 to Robert L. & Josephine (Bainbridge) Will in St. Joseph Hospital (now Queen of Peace) in Mitchell, SD. Her home was in Aurora Center, SD. The family moved to Plankinton, SD when she was three. She went to school at Plankinton, SD and graduated high school in 1961. In September, she wasn't eighteen and couldn't be accepted in nursing, so she went an extra year to college. She graduated in 1965 from Methodist School Nursing.
She was united in marriage to David A. Tschetter in Mitchell on September 11, 1965. To this union was born two children, Lori Lee on February 15, 1967 and Russell Alan on October 2, 1970.
She worked at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital for 35 years. She started the float pool, working any place needed for the shift or even twenty more places as needed. She taught diabetes and heart patients for a year or so. She was head nurse on surgical floor and worked recovery room. Her love was working on the ICU and ER floor with direct patient care. She had to retire in May, 2000 because of poor health. David died November 29, 2000.
Connie was active in Cub Scouts up through Webelos. She helped design and do work on the after prom parties even after the children were grown and gone. She loved to read and help her mom with quilts. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary. She setup a watermelon memorial for David's memory each year, served as officer in Ready Club and then Sky Warn for weather problems, floods, etc.
Grateful for sharing her life are her daughter, Lori Lee Schmidt and grandchildren, Jeffrey Tielke, Brittany Tielke, Harold Schmidt, all from Sioux Falls, SD; her son, Russell Alan Tschetter (Terri) and granddaughter, Aimee Jo of Spearfish, SD, step grand-children, Emily and Ben Handke of Lawton, IA; sister, Donna Keller of Omaha, NE and family; sister, Jan (Dennis) Alberda and family of Gilbert, AZ; sisters-in-law, Gayleen (Grant) Briggs of Beulah, ND and Kendra Will and family of Plankinton, SD; sisters-in-law, Pam Tschetter of Estherville, IA and Sister Margo Tschetter of Sacred Heart Monastery, Yankton, SD and many cousins.
Connie is preceded in death by her husband, paternal and maternal grandparents, parents, brothers: James Douglas Will and Robert L. Will II, and brother-in-law, Hank Keller.
In lieu of flowers, family requests donations to the Tschetter Memorial Scholarship and Watermelon Feed.
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