Leroy Krage

The funeral service for Leroy Krage, 98, of Aberdeen, SD, will be 10:30am, Thursday, May 15, 2025 at Our Savior Lutheran Church, with Pastor Alan Ludwig officiating. Burial at Riverside Cemetery. Leroy died Friday, May 9, 2025, at Avera St. Luke's in Aberdeen, SD.
Visitation will be 5:00pm-7:00pm, Wednesday, May 14, 2025, followed by a prayer service at 7:00pm at Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home, 1111 South Main Street.
Leroy Krage was born on April 4, 1927 in St. Helen's, Oregon to Ewald and Helen (Hinz) Krage. The family returned to South Dakota that fall. He attended Peck Country School then graduated from Westport High School in 1945. Following graduation, he began farming near Aberdeen. He married Violet Layton. They resided on the farm and raised their family of five children.
In his earlier years, he sheared sheep for many neighbors in the area. He built his first haystack mover when he was 27, which was the beginning of many years moving stacks in Brown, McPherson and Edmunds County. Leroy farmed and ranched, raising Simmental and later Black Angus cattle. Pheasants were abundant on his land. He guided various groups of hunters over the years and many became lifelong friends.
On December 3, 1982 he and Linda (Durheim) Schaffer were united in marriage. They continued to remain on the farm until moving to Aberdeen in 2014.
Grateful for having shared Leroy's life are his wife, Linda; children: Sheryl Baloun (Terry), Sioux Falls; Alvin, Sacramento; Wayne, Aberdeen; Kevin, San Francisco; Hal, Aberdeen. Step-sons, Rod Schaffer, Aberdeen; and Jason Schaffer (Sarah), Canton, GA. Grandsons, Shad Baloun (Danielle), Park City, UT; Brett Baloun (Jenny), Sioux Falls; and Taylor Peitz, Aberdeen. He was so proud of his great granddaughters, Maggie, Lucy, and Anna Baloun; Sioux Falls.
Preceding Leroy in death are his parents, his sister, Marjorie Peterson, his brothers Harold and Junior.
Family requests casual attire.
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials to the charity of your choice.