Grace Maxine Rezek, 83, of Spearfish, died Sunday, June 20, at Dorsett Regional Senior Care in Spearfish.
Memorial services will be at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, June 26, 2010 at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Spearfish with Pastor Karen Matuska officiating. Family burial services will be at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Student Scholarship Foundation at SDSU which is sponsored by the Rezek Family or to the Good Sheppard's Health Clinic at Our Savior's Lutheran Church.
Grace was born January 21, 1927 in Brookings, SD to Carl and Lillian (Johnson) Usletten. She was confirmed in the Brookings Lutheran Church and attended public school graduating from Brookings High School. She worked as a student switch board operator at the old city telephone company and also as a relief operator later. Grace became a licensed beautician and worked at a local shop until her marriage to Ray Rezek at Brookings in October 1949. Their first home was a one-bedroom furnished apartment in Sturgis where Ray served as assistant county agent of Meade County. A few months later Ray was transferred to Gregory County as a County Extension Agent so they loaded all their possessions into one automobile and moved to Burke, SD. They transferred to Spearfish in 1956. Grace became a full-time homemaker and mother. She was a devoted and loving mother to her two daughters, Connie and Cathy. She was a skilled seamstress and made most of her young daughters' clothing. She loved flowers and plants and enjoyed collecting antique pitchers. She was a longtime member of Western Slope Extension Club. Grace was pleased to see her two daughters graduate from college and continue their education. Later in life her activities were limited due to macular degeneration. She will be greatly missed by family and friends.
Grace is survived by her husband Ray; daughters Connie (Dennis) Petersen, of Rapid City, and Cathy Hoscheid, of Spearfish; granddaughter Jennifer (Chris) Johnson and great-granddaughter Olivia Grace Johnson, who she was able to meet for the first time a day before her last illness, and several nieces and nephews.
Grace was preceded in death by her parents, brother Robert, sisters Audrey and Irene and their husbands.
Arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels & Crematory of Spearfish, SD.
Online condolences may be written at: www.fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com