Obituaries

Chandler Bakley

Chandler “Chuck” Cole Bakley, 27 of Mitchell, S.D., formerly of Martin, passed away unexpectedly Friday, January 16, 2026.Chandler was born May 5, 1998, to Mike and Sherry Bakley in Pine Ridge.

Raymond Kocer

Raymond John Kocer, age 83, passed away on January 9, 2026, at the Long Term Care facility in Winner, South Dakota.Raymond was born on January 11, 1942, in Gordon, Nebr., to John and Sylvia (Hladky) Kocer.

Alfred Francis Livermont Jr.

Alfred Francis Livermont Jr. passed away after a short illness on December 25, 2025 at the Michael J. Fitzmaurice South Dakota Veterans Home in Hot Springs, S.D. Alfred was born on December 21, 1946, in Rapid City, to A. Francis and E. Evelyn (Steele) Livermont, the oldest of five boys.

Evelyn May (Hoyt) Ward

Evelyn May (Hoyt) Ward, 85, passed away at her home in Goodland, Kans. on December 10, 2025. She was born on August 22, 1940 to Ernest F. Hoyt and May L. (Butler) Hoyt at the family farm in a sod house in Sherman County, Kansas.She met the love of her life Edison G. Ward in Porcupine, S.D.

Sharon Koenig

Sharon Koenig, 68, of Martin, S.D. passed away on Thursday, December 18, 2025 at the Winner Regional Long Term Care Facility in Winner. Memorial service will be held on Tuesday, December 30, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at the Mason Funeral Home in Winner. Burial will be held at a later date.

Hope Kaltenbach

Hope Eileen Kaltenbach, of Martin, S.D., passed away peacefully on December 12, 2025, in Kadoka, just shy of her 89th birthday.Born on December 16, 1936, in Rockford, Wash., to Earl and Floretta Briggs, Hope faced early tragedy when her mother passed away just one week later, on December 23, 1936.

Sylvia Shaw

Sylvia Theresa Shaw, 81, of Wanblee, S.D., passed away November 24, 2025, in Martin.Sylvia Theresa Shaw was born on October 13, 1944, in Wanblee, to William Pumpkin Seed and Bessie Bertha (Lipp) Pumpkin Seed.

Daisy Martinez

Daisy Virginia Martinez, 64, of Martin, S.D., passed away November 25, 2025, in Rapid City.Daisy Virginia Martinez was born on June 20, 1961, in Pine Ridge, to Seth and Christina (Gay) Martinez. Daisy made her journey to the Spirit World on November 25, at the Monument Health Hospital in Rapid City.

Pete Schmidt

Pete R. Schmidt was born on March 17, 1944 in Rushville Neb., to Peter M. and Mable E. Schmidt. Pete spent his earliest years on land located 12 miles north of Hay Springs on White Clay Creek. This land was homesteaded by his grandfather Peter Schmidt in 1885.