Rhonda Michalski

Rhonda Michalski, age 66, widow of Rod Michalski, died peacefully Monday morning, February 17, 2014 in the USD Sanford Medical Center with family at her side after a courageous battle with cancer. A memorial visitation will be held on Thursday, February 20, 2014 from 5-8PM at the Furness Funeral Home in Clark. Memorial Services will be held on Friday, February 21, 2014 at 3PM at the Congregational United Church of Christ in Willow Lake with Pastor Rosanne Anderson officiating. Shauna Kimball will provide special music. The honorary casketbearers will be Cutler, Kasey, Shay, Kaplan, Sullivan, Archer, Trigg, Newt & Reis. Burial will be private at a later date. Following the memorial services, everyone is invited to the Rusty Nail in Willow Lake for a time of fellowship. She was born Rhonda Ree Bruley, the daughter of Newt and Marie (Nelson) Bruley in Clark County, SD on May 3, 1947. Rhonda attended country school in Hague Township through the 4th grade and then was schooled in Willow Lake graduating in 1965. Following high school she moved to Minneapolis and attended the Humboldt Institute and obtained a degree as an airline reservationist clerk. She left the Midwest and moved to New York City where she worked for the next 3 years for National Airlines. In the fall of 1969 she returned to the Willow Lake area. During a winter storm that year she met a blade operator for Earl Schlagel Construction by the name of Rod Michalski. The couple dated and then on Valentine's Day of 1970, the couple married. After their marriage they lived and farmed in that same area as she was raised in their entire married life. Rod died on June 13, 2011. While living on the farm Rhonda worked at various business's in Watertown and Clark including the FSA office, CO EV Magnetics, Premier Bankcard, and also started as a substitute rural mail carrier and then later became a full-time contracted rural mail carrier at Willow Lake, still delivering mail up until two weeks ago. Some of her fondest moments were spent on her deck, tending to her flowers which she thoroughly enjoyed, gardening, playing the piano, shopping, and taking care of her lawn. She will long be remembered by everyone, including the out-of-state hunters, as a fantastic cook, but second to none was her love of her children, following them in high school events and Tia while playing college ball, and her love of her 7 grandchildren and Rick and Lisa's boys, her 8th & 9th grandchildren. Rhonda was baptized and confirmed in the Congregational United Church of Christ at Willow Lake where she played the piano for many occasions over the years. Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband Rod, a brother, Rodney, and a brother in infancy. Grateful for having shared in her life are her children, Darin (Jessica) Michalski and Tia (Jim) Felberg all of Willow Lake, grandchildren, Cutler, Kasey, Shay, Kaplan, Sullivan, Archer, Trigg, Newt and Reis, a sister, Rita (Chuck) Kettering of Watertown and a brother, Rick (Lisa) Bruley of Willow Lake. Funeral arrangements are pending with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com