On Tuesday, April 5, 2011, the Lord took Sylvia Mae (Reed) Wittmeier, of Spearfish, to her heavenly home. She was 97 years and 5 months.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, April 9, 2011, at St. Paul Lutheran Churh in Spearfish with Pastor Gene Bauman officiating. Visitation will be 1 hour prior to the service. Burial will take place at 9:00 A.M. CST on Monday, April 11, 2011 at the Tyndall Cemetery in Tyndall, SD. A memorial has been established to benefit St. Paul L.W.M.L. (Lutheran Women Mission League)and the Spearfish Food Pantry.

Sylvia was born Nov. 2, 1913 to I.G. and Edna (Wallace) Reed in Spokane WA. She moved to Appleton, MN at the age of 7 where her Dad managed a privately owned hunting lodge. She and her Dad and brother lived with her Grandma Sarah Reed.

She attended Hantho Consolidated School thru 8th grade. Riding to school in a horse drawn wagon or sled, driven by her Dad and stopping to pickup other students on the way.

They moved to Sioux Falls, SD where Sylvia attended Washington High School. After High School she moved to Tyndall and lived with her cousin, Lyle Wagner's family. She was trained as a beauty operator in Lyle's Beauty Shop.

It was in Tyndall she met and married C.J. (Pat) Wittmeier on July 21, 1934. In 1939 they moved to a farm, which belonged to Pat. They raised their 3 children, Jill, Rod & Rick on that farm.

Sylvia was very active in St. Johns Lutheran Church serving as a Sunday School teacher for 20 yrs and a member of the Ladies Aid. She started the first Beauty Shop, free to all residents, in the Good Samaritan Home in Tyndall.

After selling the farm in 1973, she and Pat worked as dorm parents at Springfield College. One day a week, she would open their apartment doors as she baked cookies for all the students on their floor. And on room inspection days, she carried with her handmade paper clothing and would properly clothe the pin-up posters hanging on the young men's walls.

In 1975 Pat suffered a stroke and they moved to Spearfish, SD to be near their daughter's family. She became a very active member of the St. Paul's Lutheran Church developing many friendships and was a wonderful "Gram." She lost Pat in 1988. She lived independently until November of 2010 when she became a resident of the Dorsett Care.

Preceding her in death are her husband Pat, son, Rodney, granddaughter, Karla, brothers, Lee and Lloyd.

Left to have happy memories: daughter, Jill (Ken) Anderson of Spearfish; son, D. Rick (Roxanne) of Hot Springs, SD; grandchildren: Laurie (Howie) Albrecht of Sturgis, SD, Kris (Mike) Thomas of Gillette, WY, Stacia (Jim) Roggenbaum of Bradford, PA, Matthew (Jodell) Anderson of Madison Lake, MN, Nichole (Dave) Philo of Sparks, NV, Jessica (Dave) Frank of Sparks, NV, Jacob Wittmeier of Portland, OR, Ray (Sharon) Schmit of Gillette, WY; great grandchildren: Kristina Young, Ashley, Rachel, Michael Anderson Taylor & Morgan Roggenbaum, Reed, Jameson, Noah Philo, Lenin, Emma Franks, Ryan Schmit; step grandchildren: Danielle Tveter of Rapid City, SD, Nichole Tveter of Minot, ND, Amy Swearson of Minot, ND

She left us with this hand written message:

To My Wonderful Family,
I love you all so very much and when I leave you, I pray, as I do every day, you will always have a saving faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and become ever closer -
See you later

Arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels & Crematory Service in Spearfish. Online condolences may be written at www.fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com