Beloved mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, and great-grandmother Delores Mae (Wittmier) Himmerich, 89, passed away peacefully Thursday, September 9, 2021, in Salt Lake City after a lengthy illness.

A longtime resident of Deadwood, S.D., and later Spearfish, S.D., Delores was born Aug. 31, 1932, to Reinhold and Emma Brenneise Wittmier on the family farm between Streeter and Napoleon, N.D. It is here she developed her strong love and quiet sense of responsibility for the things she held dearest in life: God, family, and education.

The eldest of four daughters, she often found herself in charge of her younger siblings as they tackled the myriad daily tasks for which they were responsible, from milking cows, to fetching water, to raking hay, or whatever else was needed. She took her responsibilities seriously but was also relieved when, during her high school years, she got to stay in town on weekdays to focus on her studies — something she tackled with the same attention as her chores.

It was while living here she met the love of her life, Herbert J. Himmerich, and the two were married on September 23, 1951. The couple made Napoleon their home, and Delores taught in a one-room schoolhouse during this time until the couple and their two daughters, Cheri and Marla, moved to Deadwood in April 1962. At this time, she attended Black Hills Teachers College to gain accreditation, and began teaching at Deadwood Elementary School in 1964, a job she held for 30 years before retiring in 1994, having an opportunity to teach all three of her daughters, including the youngest, Heidi, and her oldest grandchild over her long career.

A lifelong Baptist, Delores and Herb were longtime members of the First Baptist Church of the Northern Hills in Deadwood, where they loved to volunteer and help out in whatever way they could. They also volunteered for years in the Meals on Wheels program, and Delores was a member of the American Baptist Women.

Still, Delores found her greatest joy in family, whether that was playing games with Herb, sister Tina and her husband, Stan; seasonal reunions in North Dakota with her sisters and their families; visits from her daughters and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; or even through her daily emails over the years detailing the highlights of her day.

Delores is survived by: three daughters, Cheri (Glenn) King of Waldron, Arkansas, Marla (Shaun) Nacey of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Heidi (Todd) Williams of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; 10 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; sisters Tina (Stan) Angle and Esther Benson; and numerous nieces, nephews, and grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Herbert, in 2020; as well as her parents, and sister, Virginia Dockter.

Visitation will be from 2-4 pm on Sunday, September 19, 2021, at the First Baptist Church of the Northern Hills in Deadwood.  Funeral services will be at 9 am on Monday, September 20 at the church.  Burial will follow at Black Hills National Cemetery at 10:30 am.

Online condolences may be written at www.fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com