Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media, Author at Big Sioux Media Sports Network

Debbie Martell

December 25, 2015 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Deborah “Debbie” Suzanne Martell died on December 23, 2015. Memorial services will begin at 10:00 AM Monday, December 28, 2015 at Heritage Funeral Home Chapel 4800 S. Minnesota Ave. in Sioux Falls. Visitation will be one hour prior to services. Private inurnment will be at Woodlawn Cemetery. Condolences may be left at Minnehaha Funeral Home.

Debbie was born on June 4, 1952 in Sioux Falls to Wilfred and Lillian Leitheiser. After graduating from O’Gorman High School, Debbie worked at US West/Quest for 30 years until her “first” retirement. Her second career included ten years in real estate.

Debbie married Leno Martell in Las Vegas on Valentine’s Day, 1977. Together, they demonstrated the importance of work ethic and family accountability seasoned with a heavy dose of love and laughter to both of their daughters.

Debbie lived for family. It is difficult to label her a daughter, mother, sister, aunt or cousin as she was also our best friend, our caretaker, our confidant, our cheerleader, our travel agent and our comic relief. Debbie’s daughters and grandchildren brought her unlimited joy and pride. Gia and Marquis invited her to tea parties and football games. Debbie shared a love of oceans and vacations with them. Debbie also enjoyed wine tasting and playing cards, especially with family on Mondays.

Debbie is survived by daughters, Jill and Rebecca (Quentin Jackson); grandchildren, Marquis Vaughn and Gianna Jackson; mother, Lillian Leitheiser; siblings, Jerry Leitheiser, Diane Gunderson, Bonnie Dewar, Dorothy (Jim) Koska and Dennis Leitheiser; aunt, Janet Schetnan; brother-in-law, Monte (Shirley) Martell; sister-in-law, Jeannie (Greg) Ammon; nieces; nephews and many other relatives and friends.

Debbie was preceded her in death by her husband, Leno; father, Wilfred and nephew, Wyatt Ammon.

Beverly Wolles

December 24, 2015 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Beverly Wolles, 76, of Dell Rapids, passed away very suddenly on Tuesday, December 22, 2015 at the Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota. Her Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, December 28, 2015 in St. Mary Catholic Church, Dell Rapids. Visitation with the family present will be from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 27, 2015 in St. Mary Catholic Church. The Christian Wake service will begin at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday in the church. Condolences may be left at Kahler Funeral Home.

Beverly Jo Ann Pressler was born on March 28, 1939 to Antone “Tony” and Loretta Pressler in Hartford, SD. She attended grade school at St. Ann’s School in Humboldt and graduated from Humboldt High School in 1957. Three years later, she finished Nurse’s Training at McKennan Presentation School of Nursing in Sioux Falls. During her nursing career, she worked as an RN at McKennan Hospital, Dell Rapids Hospital, and Terrace Manor in Dell Rapids.

On June 24, 1961, Beverly was united in marriage to the love of her life, Roger Wolles. They lived west of Dell Rapids where they raised their five children on the family farm. In 1996, they moved to their current home in Dell Rapids.

Like her mother, Beverly was an excellent homemaker, noted for her cooking, baking, canning, and her immaculate housekeeping. She taught her children and grandchildren how to make apple pies, freeze sweet corn, and keep the muddy boots in the garage. As a devout Catholic, she was also a role model in her faith, always centering her life around Christ.

Grandma Bev was proud of and loved spending time with her 17 grandchildren and enjoyed attending their various activities near and far. She graciously made birthday cakes, signature banana bread, and peach cream dessert (sometimes even served for breakfast). Grandma Bev opened her home anytime for grandchildren and often provided a hot shower and breakfast after morning practices. She had a love for painting and sewing; each grandchild cherishes the memories of the annual pumpkin painting and his/her baby blanket and “quillow” made by Grandma.

Over the years, Beverly was active in various organizations such as Catholic Order of Foresters, St. Mary’s Altar Society, and the local Alzheimer’s Association. She spent many years as a Hospice Care Volunteer along with being editor of the county NFO Newsletter. Recently, she was a leader of the Friendship Bible Study.

Grateful for having shared her life is her husband Roger; children, Dave (Deb), Mike (Sherri), Tim (Stephanie) of Dell Rapids, Cathy (David) Cunningham of Frisco, CO, Ed (Teresa) of Dell Rapids; her grandchildren, Brittany (Eric) Feigen, Breanna, Jessica, Brooke, Gina, Kiley, Anna, Joey, Brandilyn, Lindsey, Kayla, Jackie, Wyatt, Clay, Nick, Landon, Cami; her great-grandchildren, Adalyn and Tori; her siblings, Jo Redlin of Arroyo Grande, CA, Larry (Harriet) Pressler of Sioux Falls and Washington DC, and Sandy (Cory) Patterson of Butte, MT.

Beverly was preceded in death by her parents Antone and Loretta Pressler, and brother, Daniel.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. Mary School.

Quarriers Sweep Baltic on “Night of Champions” Celebration

December 24, 2015 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids Quarrier girls and boys basketball teams both defeated the Baltic Bulldogs during the “Night of Champions” celebration on Tuesday, December 22nd, at the Dell Rapids High School. The 1975-76 boys state champion team and the 2005-06 girls state champion teams were honored during halftime of the respective games during the night.

The Quarrier girls exploded for 31 first quarter points on their way to a 31-5 lead after the first quarter. Dell Rapids led 43-12 at halftime. The offense continued to roll for Dell Rapids in the second half. The Quarriers finished the third quarter ahead 61-23 and cruised to a 80-29 win to pick up their second win in a row. Mikaela Stofferahn led Dell Rapids with 22 points in the game.

The boys followed the girls’ example and raced out to a large lead in the first quarter. Dell Rapids put up 24 points while holding Baltic to just four for a 24-4 lead after the first quarter. The Quarriers kept up the offensive and defensive pressure in the second quarter extending their lead to 45-8. Dell Rapids finished the third quarter ahead 62-22 on their way to a 75-27 win over Baltic. Sheldon Siemonsma finished with 15 points, and Ty Hoglund added 14 points.

The Quarrier girls (3-2) will play in the Parkston Classic on Monday, December 29th.

The Quarrier boys (3-0) will play Sioux Valley at the Entringer Classic at 6:00 p.m. in Brookings on Thursday, December 31st. The game can be seen on Big Sioux Media.

Cardinal Boys Can’t Solve Deubrook Area

December 24, 2015 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Deubrook Area Dolphins used two big quarters to defeated the Dell Rapids St Mary Cardinals on Tuesday, December 22nd, in White.

The Dolphins held the Cardinals to just six first quarter points and led 19-6 after the first quarter. Deubrook Area only out scored the Cardinals by two in the second quarter, but they had a 33-16 lead at halftime. Deubrook Area also had a big third quarter adding 14 points to their lead after out scoring the Cardinals 20-6. The Dolphins led 53-24 at the end of the third quarter. The Dolphins went on to win 67-35.

The Cardinals finished the game shooting 25% (13-52) from the field, 30% (3-12) from three-point area, and 43% (6-14) from the free-throw line. St Mary had 31 team rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.

Luke Brown and Zach Geraets led St Mary in scoring with 10 points each. Noah Fiegen finished with five points and eight rebounds. Geraets also grabbed five rebounds. Connor Libis had two steals and four assists.

The Cardinals (1-3) will face Oldham-Ramona/Rutland at the Entringer Classic in Brookings at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 31st. The game can be seen on Big Sioux Media.

Deubrook Area Defeats Cardinal Girls

December 22, 2015 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

After the Dell Rapids St Mary Cardinals lead 3-0 in the first minute of the game, Deubrook Area held the Cardinals to just one more point in the first quarter while building a lead they would never lose. The Dolphins defeated the Cardinals 65-27 on Monday, December 21st, in White.

Deubrook Area led 16-4 after the first quarter and increased their lead to 35-14 at halftime. The Dolphins then out-scored St Mary 30-13 in the second half.

The Cardinals finished the game shooting 21.6% (8-37) from the field, 0-2 from three-point area, and 70.6% (12-17) from the free-throw line. St Mary also had 27 team rebounds and eight steals.

Jackie Wolles led the Cardinals in scoring with eight points. Sydney Cook finished with seven points, and Lexi Klein added five points. Cook led the team with six rebounds. Wolles finished with three. Cassy Geraets had three steals.

St Mary (1-4) will play Ipswich on Wednesday, December 30th, at 12:00 p.m. in Brookings at the Swiftel Center as part of the Swiftel Center Basketball Classic.

Quarrier Wrestling Places Five at Madison Tournament

December 21, 2015 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids Quarrier wrestling team placed five wrestlers at the Madison Tournament on Saturday, December 19th. The team finished 9th out of 14 teams with a total of 70.0 points. Spearfish won the team event with 211.5 points. Madison was second with 179.5 points, and Brookings was third with 153.0 points.

Individual Results:

106: Zach McKee went 0-2 in his matches.
113: Max Lamer went 1-3 in his matches and placed 6th.
126: Gage Carr went 1-2 in his matches.
138: Tristan Weinzetl went 0-2 in his matches.
145: James Lueders went 2-2 in his matches and placed 4th.
152: Isaac Land went 0-2 in his matches.
182: Matt Gillogly went 2-2 in his matches and placed 5th.
195: Ben Cavigielli went 1-2 in his matches.
220: Lathon Gorospe went 1-1 in his matches and placed 2nd.
285: Nick Schmidt went 3-2 in his matches and placed 5th.

Joe “JP” Burggraff

December 21, 2015 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Joe “J.P.” Burggraff passed away on Friday, December 18, 2015. His Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 23, 2015 at St. Joseph the Workman Catholic Church at Huntimer. Visitation on Tuesday will be from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Kahler Funeral Home in Dell Rapids and will resume at the church at 5:00 p.m. The Christian Wake Service will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the church. Condolences may be left at Kahler Funeral Home.

Joe “J.P.” Burggraff was born on July 11, 1929 at the family farm near Hartford. He attended country school through eight grades near Hartford and then started farming with his family. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1952 and served during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged in 1955. He married Alice “Hun” Penning on June 2, 1954 at the St. Mary Catholic Church in Dell Rapids. The couple made their home on a farm near Hartford until 1958, when they moved to their farm near Colton. He retired in 1999 and continued to help out around the farm.

He was a member of St. Joseph the Workman Catholic Church and the Dell Rapids American Legion Post. He served on the Colton Elevator Board, where he was a past president, the Burke Township Board, and the church council for many years.

J.P. enjoyed his children, woodworking, welding and building many things. He played the accordion for many house parties and dances. He loved dancing and old time music.

J.P. was preceded in death by his sons, Jason, John, and Teddy; and daughter, Elizabeth; and one brother.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Alice “Hun” Penning of Colton; his children, Ginger Ellis of Newport News, VA, Randy (Sheila) of Round Mountain, NV, Lee (Melanie) of Dell Rapids, Jo (Kyle) Olson of Blackhawk, Bernie Taylor of Newport News, VA, Justin (Alvina) of Sturgis, Mary (Joe) Bohlman of Belle Fourche, Charlie (Bobbie) of Colton, Willson (Alesha) of Monticello, MN, Anita (Wayne) Tidemann of Rapid City, Wade of Colton, Josh (Melissa) of Colton, and Christy (Anthony) Oberg of Colton; his 46 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren; his two brothers and two sisters; and many nieces and nephews.

Distracted Driving Assembly Held at Dell Rapids Schools

December 21, 2015 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Students at Dell Rapids and Dell Rapids St Mary took part in student assemblies on Thursday, December 17th, on distracted driving. Students in grades 7-12 at Dell Rapids had their assembly at 1:00 p.m., while the students at Dell Rapids St Mary had their assembly at 2:30. The assembly was a powerful message on distracted driving organized by the Dell Rapids Connections group. The presenters of the assembly lost their son in a distracted-driving accident, and they speak at school in an effort to stop all students and adults from texting and driving.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2013, 3,154 people were killed, and an estimated 424,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver. Also according to the NHTSA, sending or receiving a text message takes a driver’s eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent of driving the length of an entire football field blind at 55 mph.

Students and parents were able to sign pledges to never text and drive during the basketball double-header at Dell Rapids High School against Tea Area on Friday, December 18th. Important information and statistics were also handed out at the ball games.

Quarrier Girls Back in Win Column

December 19, 2015 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

After losing two close games at home, the Dell Rapids Quarriers got back into the win column with a 58-27 victory over the Deubrook Area Dolphins on Saturday, December 19th, at the Entringer Classic in Colman.

The Quarriers got off to a bit of a slow start as Deubrook Area led 13-9 after the first quarter. It wasn’t long before Dell Rapids took the lead and never looked back. Dell Rapids held Deubrook Area to just three points in the second quarter, and the Quarriers led 26-16 at halftime. The Dolphins were only able to score four points in third quarter as Dell Rapids put up 17 more to end the third ahead 43-20. The Quarriers out-scored Deubrook Area 15-7 in the fourth quarter as well.

Dell Rapids held the Dolphins to just 25% (11-44) shooting from the field and out-rebounded Deubrook Area 41-23. The Quarrier defense also forced 18 turnovers.

Every varsity player for Dell Rapids scored in the game. Mikaela Stofferahn led all players with 12 points and seven rebounds. Emma Paul added 10 points and seven rebounds. Arial Hoffman finished with nine points, and Kali Graham and Kaylee Hennen each had six points. Hoffman and Aspen Hansen each had six rebounds.

Stofferahn was named the game’s MVP.

Dell Rapids (2-2) will host Baltic as part of a double-header with the boys team on Tuesday, December 22nd. The game can be seen on Big Sioux Media.

Defense Key for Cardinal Girls in Win

December 19, 2015 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Colman/Egan had no answer for the Dell Rapids St Mary defense, as the Cardinals cruised to a 40-26 win at the Entringer Classic on Saturday, December 19th, in Colman.

The Cardinals had just a two-point lead at the end of the first quarter, but held the Hawks to just 15 points over the next three quarters. St Mary extended their lead to 23-14 at halftime, and they also led 31-19 at the end of the third quarter.

Colman/Egan shot just 17% (10-59) from the field, 13% (3-24) from three-point range, and 43% (3-7) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile the Cardinals shot 37% (18-49) from the field and 44% (4-9) from the free-throw line. The key stat of the game was rebounding. St Mary out-rebounded the Hawks 50-27. 39 of the 50 rebounds for the Cardinals were on the defensive end of the court.

Sydney Cook led St Mary with a game-high 12 points and 16 rebounds. Cook also had two assists. Lexi Klein finished with nine points and seven rebounds. Jackie Wolles and Abby Brukhart each had six points in the game. Burgin Groos had 11 points for Colman/Egan.

Cook was named the game MVP.

St Mary (1-3) will travel to White on Monday, December 21st, to take on the Deubrook Area Dolphins.

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