Tamara "Tammy" Minder

Tamara "Tammy" Minder, age 63, of Estelline, SD, passed away on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at her residence in Estelline.  Funeral Services will be at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, August 7, 2026, at Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel in Watertown.  Pastor Steve Biswell will officiate.  Wearing bright colors is encouraged but not required in light of Tammy’s spirit. The Nurse Honor Guard Nightingale Tribute will be performed.

Visitation will be at the Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel in Watertown on Friday, starting at 10:00 a.m. prior to services at the chapel.

A private family burial will be at Milbank City Cemetery in Milbank, SD. Active pallbearers will be Ty’Sean Terry, Kaiden Goehring, Mason Gustafson, Mack Minder, Noah Eide and Nathan Reichling.

Tammy was born on March 20, 1963, in Millbank, SD, to John and Karen (Angerhofer) Gustafson. She graduated from Milbank High School in 1982. After high school she worked as a nursing aide at St. Williams Nursing Home before going to Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate for her LPN. She graduated from Lake Area Technical Institute with a degree in nursing.

Tammy went to work at several different agencies as a nurse; the longest and most impactful to her was her time spent caring for the residents at the Estelline Care Center.

Tammy had many hobbies including fishing, hiking, creating watercolor paintings, reading, doing arts and crafts, playing board games and spending time with her grandchildren and becoming fiercely competitive over the Green Bay Packers. She spent a part of her life teaching pilates and learning alternative types of therapeutic medicine to incorporate into her love of nursing and caring for others.  She was an avid concert goer and shared her love of music by learning to play the guitar and getting everyone up dancing. In her downtime she cherished her cat Lily, binge watching shows on Netflix and visiting with her friends and neighbors over coffee.

Tammy is survived by her father, John of Milbank, SD; three children: Mitchelle (Nathan) Reichling of Watertown, Mack (Kayla) Minder of Big Stone City, SD, and Mallory (Noah) Minder of Albany, MN; eleven grandchildren: Macy, Mason, Ty’Sean, Aiyanna, Kaylee, Kaiden, Harper, Elias, Benson, Brantley, and Brinley; three great-grandchildren: Leila, Leighton, and Amara; one brother, Dave Gustafson of Litchfield, MN; one sister, Tressa Gustafson of Montevideo, MN; and one nephew, Dominique Gustafson.

Tammy was preceded in death by her mother, Karen, and daughter, Mandy Gustafson.

Arrangements are entrusted to Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel of Watertown and Hayti.

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