Mike Simons January 15, 1983 - November 12, 2015

Michael Simons, 32, of St. Lawrence, passed away Thursday, November 12, 2015 at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls.Funeral Mass was held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, November 16, 2015 at the Miller Armory with Father Chester Murtha and Captain Father Bob Lacey, celebrants. Lunch followed at the Miller Community Center. Burial was held at 3:00 p.m., Monday, November 16, 2015 at the Morningside Cemetery, Ree Heights with full military honors. Visitation was held from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., Sunday, November 15, 2015 with a 4:00 p.m. prayer service at the St. Lawrence Community Church with Pastor Scot Tutt officiating.Michael Dale Simons was born in Miller, SD, on January 15, 1983, to Dale and Lorelei (Heida) Simons. He grew up on the farm northeast of Miller and most of his early years were spent outdoors exploring with his sister, Anna, and playing with cousins Monica and Melanie. A large portion of his time was probably spent hanging upside down from a green gate while dad fed the cows.He graduated from Miller High School in 2001, where he stood out as an athletic, kind, artistic young man. He excelled in football, wrestling, track, music, and drawing however, all Mike ever really wanted to be was a soldier. Following in his grandfather and father's steps, he enlisted in the Army National Guard unit in Miller, SD, his junior year of high school. He, along with his uncle Dean and great-uncle Myron, was activated at the beginning of the Iraq war and mobilized to Ft. Campbell, KY, February to May 2003, and later deployed to Iraq from December 2003 to February 2005. He later deployed again, with his uncle, to Iraq at the close of the war, from June 2011 to June 2012. Between these deployments you could find him building homes alongside his uncle Duane, and traveling, hiking, and camping with friends and family. He was proud to be present at his sister's graduation from basic training in 2009.Mike picked up playing the guitar during his time overseas and was quite talented and entertaining. However, his military service took a severe mental and physical toll on his body, and returning to civilian life proved difficult for him, most notably after his last deployment. His family is grateful that the last few weeks of his life he was very well, and was able to personally connect with many of the people he cared about. We do not know the exact moment he left us, but we were able to say our goodbyes on Veteran's Day, which is only too appropriate. Surrounded by his biological and military families alike, Mikey was drafted into God's Army shortly after midnight, on November 12th, 2015. As he requested, his body will be laid to rest in Ree Heights, next to his brother in arms, Alex.Awaiting him in heaven were his great-grandparents, Bernard and Berniece Simons; grandfather, Gerrit Heida; uncle, Randy Evans; and his older sibling that he never got to know here in this life. He will be missed by every single person that was blessed to know him.

Earl and Miriam Reinhold August 13, 1925 - January 6, 2013

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Miriam Caroline (Hood) Reinhold went to be with the Lord on Sunday morning, January 6, 2013, in her home following an extended illness. She was born August 13, 1925 to parents Carl and Pearl (Norman) Hood in Pierre, South Dakota. They later moved to Kadoka, South Dakota where her father became a rancher and her mother a teacher. Miriam married Earl Reinhold on October 18, 1941 in Sundance, Wyoming. From that union, three daughters were born. While raising a family, she continued her education, earning a B.S. and a M.S. from Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma. After three years of teaching high school English, speech and drama, she accepted a position in Waxahachie, teaching the same courses at the college level at her beloved SAGC, now Southwestern Assemblies of God University. During this tenure, she took post graduate studies at Baylor University. She often reflected on how difficult English had been for her and was passionate about making it easy for her students. This was typical of her determination and compassion for others. Organizations which Miriam greatly enjoyed were: DAR (40 year membership), Delta Kappa Gamma, AAUW, Texas Junior College Speech and Theatre Association and Roger Williams Family Association (She was a proud descendent of Roger Williams.) She was a loving wife, mother, grandma, aunt, cousin and friend. She had a great sense of humor and an incredible ability to see the best in all people and circumstances. She was a faithful member of University Church for 52 years. Her church family was a very important part of her life. She was a member of the Adult Sunday School Class and greatly enjoyed assisting with church banquets and travelling with her husband on Daystar tours. She was a mighty prayer warrior who interceded on behalf of her family through life's challenges. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Miriam is survived by daughters Marilyn Thompson and Linda Edwards and her husband Dean; son-in-law Larry Wallace and wife Michele, all of Waxahachie; grandchildren Cami Dodds and husband Bill of Mansfield, Texas, Chad and Sarah Wallace of Rockett, Texas, Brandon Clement of Waxahachie, and Brittanie Thompson of Nashville, TN; great grandchildren Tristen and Landon Dodds, Emma Grace Clement, Elizabeth, Hadassah, and Eve Wallace. She was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Earl Reinhold, her daughter Jeanette Wallace, and son-in-law Woody Thompson.