Deann Schaefer

DeAnn Schaefer, age 54, rural Hayti, died peacefully at her home on Thursday morning, May 25, 2017 with family at her side.

Memorial services will be held on Tuesday, May 30, 2017 at 3PM with a memorial visitation beginning at 2:30PM all in the Furness Funeral Home Chapel at Clark.  Jaret Stormo will provide the music. Bearers will be Shane Ladwig, Jim Noem, Lucky Nebel, James Paulson, Kevin Coleman, and Kevin Benthin. The urnbearer will be Shane Ladwig. Honorary urn bearers will be Destiny Arends, Kash & Everly Webster, Aaliyah Madrid, Rylan, John, Mya Marissa, and Maesyn Yonker, Kali, Beyek, and Bayne Hartse, and Aiden, Jaelyn, and Brendin Moe. Burial will be private.

She was born DeAnn Kay Gruber of January 7, 1963 at Denver, CO, the daughter of Fred and Janice Ann (Bachman) Gruber. DeAnn was raised in the Denver area and then moved to South Dakota in the early 1980's. She finalized her schooling at Madison, attending Dakota State.

On August 18 of 1990 she was united in marriage to Scott Schaefer at the Fortin Barn near Watertown.

While living in this area, she has worked for Dakota Tube, Davisco, Nitteberg Construction and owned and operated Elite Etching & Engraving. DeAnn became ill last year with a muscle/tissue issue and then on March 17 of this year was diagnosed with cancer.

Over the years she has had numerous nicknames including Precious, Drop Dead – Gorgeous, Miss America and Nana. In her free moments she enjoyed etching and engraving, crafts, making rugs, breeding and raising dogs, summer fishing (she HATED ice fishing), enjoying the sun, and seeing her grandchildren. One will never forget her love of watching and protecting the train set in the yard, even shooting a duck from it!

Preceding her in death was her father, Fred Gruber, brothers,  David & Freddie Gruber, paternal grandparents, Paul & Hazel Gruber, and maternal grandparents, George & Anna Bachman.

Grateful for having shared in her life is her husband, Scott Schaefer of Hayti, children, Adam (Amanda) Webster of Rapid City , Crystal Madrid-Yonker of Watertown, Dustin (Tara) Hartse of Lake Norden, and Ja'Mae (Brad) Moe of Volga. Also surviving is her mother, Janice Ann Richards of Watertown, "Dads" Roger Richards of Golden, MO and Emil Wiese of Watertown, 15 grandchildren, and an aunt and uncle, Bob and Alyce Mae Hubbard of Watertown.

Funeral arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com