Sara E. Packer

STURGIS - Sara E. Packer died Tuesday, August 9, 2005, at the Sturgis Long Term Heath Care, where she had lived for the last 3 years. Visitation will be noon until 9 p.m. on Sunday at the Kinkade Funeral chapel in Sturgis. Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Monday, August 15, 2005, at the Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis with Pastor Harold Delbridge officiating. Burial follows at the Pine Slope Cemetery in Belle Fourche. Sara was born to Charles and Bessie (Brown) Gruver in a sod house north of Edson, SD (16 miles east of Faith) on July 9, 1915. She attended East Deep Creek School, a one-room school by driving a buggy for eight years. She wanted to go to high school but her parents couldn't afford to send her to Faith. She worked at home with her father until 1936, when she went to work for the Pullins family at Cedar Canyon. She met a neighbor, Edward Packer, 13 years older than her. They were married on September 23, 1937, in Bison, SD. A daughter Linda was born in April 1950, but she only lived 3 days; after celebrating 13 years of marriage a daughter Shirley Jean was born. They ranched side by side on the family homestead for 21 years. When Ed's health started failing in 1964 they moved to a small acreage outside of Sturgis. Ed died 1964 when Shirley was 13. Sara was known for her wonderful pies, and caramel rolls, she worked at a local truck stop and restaurants for 20 years. She loved riding horses, all farm animals, playing cards, hunting deer, and telling a story with lots of humor. Sara was a member of the Eastern Star of Faith and Sturgis Senior center. Grateful for sharing her life are Shirley & LeRoy Wetz, Vale; three grandchildren, Dale and Jennifer Wetz, Vale, Darla Badgley, Coos Bay, Ore., June Wetz, Vale; three great-grandsons, Tyler and Dalton Wetz, Vale, and Hunter Badgley of Coos Bay, WA; along with many nieces and nephews and the children of Walt McGuire. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, daughter Linda, brother Tom Gruver, two sisters Clara and Herman Kaubisch, and Ada and Don Creighton, a brother-in-law Robert and Blanche Packer and a sister in-law Sister Winnifred Packer. A memorial has been established to the South Dakota Buckerettes.