Dorothy Jean Davis

Memorial Services will be at 10:30 AM on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at De Smet Community Church with visitation held at the church in the hour prior to the service. Pastor Jim Millman will officiate with music provided by Mary Weerts as organist and Tristin Gruenhagen as vocalist.

Dorothy Davis, age 93, of De Smet, SD, passed away Saturday, February 4, 2023, at the Good Samaritan Society in De Smet, SD.

Dorothy Jean Herman was born near Bowdle, SD on the family farm Feb. 1st, 1930 to John J. and Alice (Nelson) Herman. She attended a country school through the 8th grade and then left home to live with her grandparents, Louis and Ellen (Anderson) Nelson in De Smet, SD, so she could finish high school. She graduated from DSHS in 1948, being the only child out of 7 in her family to go through all 12 grades. During High School she worked at Gordon’s Café. She married Clinton Adrian Davis on May 29, 1948 in De Smet. To this union were born 3 children, Brenda Kay, Jerry Allen and Kathy Jean. They were baptized and become members of the Lutheran Church in De Smet. They continued to live in De Smet until 1976 when they moved to Palmer Lake, CO. From there they moved to Castle Rock, CO and managed a self-serve gas station. They bought a “little piece of heaven” in the Rocky Mountains, enjoying camping, fishing and hiking. In 1983 they moved back and settled in Lane, SD on a small acreage and did a little “farming”, gardening and raising chickens, and planting the yard full of flowers.

Dottie, as her friends called her, went to work in 1958 at the Cottage Inn Café and Motel, and then worked at Harvey’s Jack and Jill until they moved to Colorado. After returning to SD she was the Lane City Finance Officer, Jerauld Co. Red Cross Coordinator, worked at Flowers and Things and the grocery store in Wessington Springs, SD.  They also sold fireworks for many years near Wessington Springs. She loved to garden and always had a very large garden, she loved cooking, canning, sewing, embroidery and crafts. While living in Lane she took up oil painting and gave away several of her paintings to family and friends. She always had the coffee pot on wherever she lived and loved family get-togethers. She loved Christmas and went “all out” to make her home decorated for the season.

After the death of Clint in 1998, she lived in Lane until 2001. She then met Joe Doyle and fell in love again and moved to Erwin, SD. They had a great relationship and she inherited 3 more daughters, Diane (Gregg) Hiles, Dixie (Allen) Wilde and Denise (Rod) Cundy and their families. She loved the farm life and enjoyed all the many friends she met in Erwin. In Dec. 2013 she had a slight stroke and moved into the Good Samaritan in De Smet where she remained until her death on Feb 4, 2023 at age 93.

Dottie is survived by her 2 daughters, Brenda (LeRoy) Kruse and Kathy (Craig) Connell, 7 Grandchildren: Joel (Khursheed) Kruse, Amy (Twait) Kruse, Jim (Jin) Kruse, Penny (Matt) Martens, Barb (Shon) Asleson, Trista (Scott) Farrens, and Evan (Sarah) Connell; 13 Great-Grandchildren: Zara Kruse, Logan (Marissa)Twait, Lauren Twait (Stu Meyer), Autumn Kruse, Whitney, Andrew, and Marcus Martens, Kyler (Morgan Carmody), Alyssa, and Avery Asleson, Major and Huston Farrens, and one step-grandchild Brady Wheeler; 7 Great-Great Grandchildren: Paige, Olivia, Harper, Jameson, and Dax Twait, Jackson Stewart, and Emersyn Meyer; 3  brothers; Dick, Dave and Gene, a sister-in-law Bernice and many nieces and nephews.

Dottie was preceded in death by her husband Clinton, son Jerry, companion Joe, sister Shirley Haar, sister-in-law Carol, sister-in-law Rose and brothers Robert, and Jack and her very best lifelong friend Fanchon Rounseville.

Arrangements by Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel  www.crawfordosthus.com  Watertown, Hayti, De Smet, Bryant

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