Elizabeth K. Easton

Brookings: Elizabeth K. Easton of Brookings died Tuesday morning, Jan. 11, 2011, at Golden Living Center in Arlington, S.D., at the age of 94 years, seven months and 25 days.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011, at First United Methodist Church in Brookings, with interment at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Wessington Springs, S.D. Visitations will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings.

Elizabeth Way Kieser Easton was born May 16, 1916, to H. Ward and Lulu Irene (Way) Kieser in their farm house in Viola Township, Jerauld County, Wessington Springs, S.D. She was the first grandchild of Henry H. and Martha E. Kieser and John Way. She was baptized in the Viola Methodist Episcopal Church. She started school at the age of seven at Way School in Bristol Township in Aurora County. She was a fast learner, and by her third year she was in the fifth grade. She latter attended Hillside school in Viola Township.

Her mother told that she started talking at an early age - and never stopped! She graduated from Wessington Springs High School in 1933. In the fall of 1933, she enrolled in the Wessington Springs Junior College to earn her teaching certificate. In the fall of 1934, she began teaching at Spring Valley school just northeast of Wessington Springs and stayed with the nearby Shryock family. She taught there two terms, earning $35 a month, out of which she had to pay room and board ($12) and also for her college education.

Beth also taught two terms near New Underwood, S.D. From 1937 through 1940, she went to summer school at Black Hills Teachers College in Spearfish, S.D., so she could teach in a town school. She then taught in Sturgis from 1941 through 1944.

In 1943, she married Charles Easton, who she met while attending Wessington Springs Junior College. At the time, Charles was in the Navy and stationed in Cuba. They were married in Sioux Falls by the same preacher who had married her parents in 1914. She returned to Sturgis to teach, and he went back to Cuba.

In war time, 1944, she decided to go to school to be a weather observer for the military. She received her training in Minneapolis and Cincinnati, Ohio, and was later stationed on Catawba Island in Lake Erie, near Port Clinton, Ohio. Beth and Chuck were divorced in 1947.

She came back to South Dakota to teach in Watertown. In 1950, she enrolled in the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, where she earned her bachelor's degree in home economics. In 1953, she took the position as home economist in Britton, S.D., until 1964, when she resigned and went back to college to earn her master's degree at Iowa State in Ames. In 1965, she accepted the position on the staff of SDSU in Brookings as head Extension clothing specialist. She kept that position until she retired in 1979, after 26 years in extension work.

In March 1980, Beth and Chuck were again united in marriage and made their home in Brookings. During their 14 years of marriage, they traveled to Europe, New Zealand, Australia and Hawaii, and were planning their next trip to Alaska when Chuck's health failed. He passed away in July 1994.

Beth continued to travel some, including a trip to Alaska. Besides traveling, Beth loved to garden and especially enjoyed raising beautiful flowers and often furnished flowers for her church, First United Methodist. She served in various positions in the church and remained active until her health failed.

She was a member and held local and state offices in the following organizations: BPW, Zonta International, AAUW, NARFE, AHEA, United Methodist Women and the care group of First United Methodist.

Because she had no children, Beth took great interest in other people's children by working with youth organizations, especially 4-H. She enjoyed entertaining these students when they attended college at SDSU.

In June 2000, she moved into assisted living in Brookings, and in September 2001, she entered Beverly Health Care Center in Arlington, which later became Golden Living Center.

Survivors include her brother, Kenneth (Gladys) Kieser of Wessington Springs, S.D.; two nephews, Randy (Linda) Kieser of Torrington, Wyo., and Jeff (Laura) Kieser of Wessington Springs; one niece, Debra (Dale) Kunkel of Deadwood, S.D.; grandnephews, Paul (Danielle) Kunkel of Laramie, Wyo., and Reid Kunkel of Troutdale, Ore.; two grandnieces, Kayla (Trevor) Madler of Hampton, Minn., and Andrea (Brian) Feist of Jordan, Minn.; one great-grandniece, Irene Madler; two great-grandnephews, Bryce Kunkel and Weston Feist; and many cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; and brother, Ivan Kieser, who was killed in World War II.

This obituary was originally published in the Aberdeen American News.