Wilma "Billie" Pranger Gustafson passed away peacefully on May 22, 2016 in Spearfish, SD at the age of 100.

Billie's mother, Alice Van-der-Voort Pranger, was born in a sod house north of Platte, SD, and her father, John Pranger, traveled to South Dakota from Friesen in Holland as a one-year old. She greatly enjoyed history and studied her genealogy on both sides of the family as well as the history of the Black Hills and South Dakota.

Billie and her sister rode a horse from their farm to a one-room school house until they moved to Platte. She graduated from high school at age 16, in the middle of the Depression, and joined her sister in the Black Hills. She married Harold "Gustie" Gustafson, a machinist employed by the Homestake Mining Company, and a Lead native, in September 1935.

Billie was a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Lead for more than 84 years and served the church as a vestry member for several terms, as an officer in the Altar Guild, the Sunday school treasurer and a teacher.

During World War II Gustie enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving as a Machinist Mate, and was part of the Beach Master group assisting the British troops landing at Gold Beach on D-Day. When he returned to the U.S. after VE Day and was assigned to West coast Navy facilities, Billie brought their girls to Long Beach to join him. Shortly after his discharge as a Chief Petty Officer they returned to the Hills where Gustie continued to work for the Homestake Mining Company, retiring after 47 years of service.

Billie worked outside of her home throughout her life. She was an Office Manager for Clark Real Estate for many years and worked as an insurance agent with Rosencrantz Insurance. After both daughters graduated from Stanford University, Billie enrolled at Black Hills State University and graduated Magna Cum Laude while working part time. After graduate studies at Florida State University, she was hired as the Director of the Library and Media Center, training interns and providing resource assistance to Lead High School students.

Billie was also active in Eastern Star, Job's Daughters and Girl Scouts. She loved exploring the Black Hills by foot and by car – enjoying many encounters with the deer, mountain lion and other wild animals. After they moved from their house on West Summit Street, in which her husband was born, to their home on Hanna Road near Cheyenne Crossing, they joined others to form the Spearfish Canyon Volunteer Fire Department and were also active in the Spearfish Canyon Home Owners Association.

A lifetime member of the South Dakota Historical Society, Retired Teachers Association and an active member of the Lawrence County Historical Society she was an avid reader of western history. In 2008, she moved into Edgewood Vista in Spearfish, where she found a community that took excellent care of her in her final years. She was grateful for her family and her friends throughout her life.

She is survived by her sons-in-law, Charles Haworth, of Tallahassee, Florida, and Mike Allen of Sunnyvale, California; three grandchildren and their spouses, Stuart Haworth (Elizabeth Kuhlmann), David Haworth (Claudia Bellinger Haworth) and Ann Haworth Kolman (Michael Kolman); seven great-grandchildren, Connor and Alaina Haworth; Cannon and Taylor Haworth; and Jacob, Alison and Katherine Kolman. She is preceded in death by her husband, Harold "Gustie" Gustafson; her daughters, Karen Gustafson Allen and Joan Gustafson Haworth and her three siblings, Josephine Kovacevich, James Pranger and Donald Pranger.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, June 4, 2016 at Edgewood Vista in Spearfish. Private family burial will take place at Black Hills National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers please give to a cause that is special to you.

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