Tonjia "Toni" DuMarce

Funeral services for Tonjia "Toni" Lee DuMarce, 79, of Sioux Falls, SD, will be held Friday, August 22, 2025, at 11:00 A.M. at the Lake Traverse District Center, Sisseton, SD. Inurnment will be at the Lake Traverse Presbyterian Cemetery, Sisseton, SD, following services. Hyke Funeral Home, Redfield, SD, is in charge of arrangements (www.hykefuneralhome.com).

Tonjia Lee DuMarce was born July 31, 1946, to Maxine DuMarce. As a young child, she and her mother lived at Lake Traverse with her grandpa Harry. In her early school years, Toni went to a residential School for the Deaf in Redfield, SD, as she had significant hearing loss and speech impairments. She later moved to Winner, SD, and lived at Community Connections. When Toni became an elder, she moved to DakotAbilities in Sioux Falls, where she lived until she passed. Tonjia died on August 15, 2025, at Avera McKennan Hospital after a brief illness.

Though Tonjia lived away from home due to her disabilities, she was loved and cared for by many. The family acknowledges with deep gratitude the many people who helped her throughout her life. Toni made lifelong friends with her fellow housemates and caretakers; the DakotAbilities community is her family too. She enjoyed going out to dinner with her friends and staff and loved sweet treats and ice cream. Toni is remembered for her happy, funny personality, her beautiful smile, and laugh. She adored children and loved spending time with her takoja's Maya and River Anderson, who met their Kunsi Toni when they were small. Dionne shared that she loved beautiful things and had all the comforts to make her life good and enjoyable. She especially noted that she had loving and caring caregivers.

Tonjia leaves behind her siblings: Denyce Carillo, Audrey German, David Redthunder, Guy Canku, and John White; a special niece Dionne Crawford and children. She joins in Heaven her mother Maxine DuMarce White, sister Sandra Madison, brother Michael Selvage, and maternal grandparents Mary (Redthunder) and Harry DuMarce.