Valois Ann Danekas

Valois Ann (Frenchie) Danekas, age 90, Clark, formerly of the Raymond Community, passed away on Friday, February 1, 2019 at the Clark Care and Rehabilitation Center in Clark, SD where she had resided for nearly 2 years. She was the widow of Walter Danekas.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, February 19, 2019 at 10:30 AM at the Furness Funeral Home in Clark. Rev. Randy Bader will officiate.  A luncheon will follow the services in the Furness Funeral Home reception area with burial  following at the Prairie Valley Cemetery in Raymond, SD.  Barb Wegman will be the pianist. Active casket bearers will be Michael Danekas, Jamie Cutler, Peter Koelsch, Steve Danekas, Dala Albright and Greg Furness.  Honorary casket bearers will be Robert Gergen, Tom Beauvais, Kevin Beauvais, Norb Rusch, Francis and Debbie Haas, Jim Kopriva and David Hink.

Visitation will be held Monday, February 18 from 4-6pm at the Furness Funeral Home in Clark and 1 hour preceding services on Tuesday, February 19, 2019.

Frenchie was born on July 6, 1928 near Turton, SD, the daughter of Jule and Loretta (Fortin) DesLauriers.  She attended Turton Public Schools and was united in marriage to Walter Danekas on September 28, 1946 in Watertown, SD.  They lived for a short time near Raymond before building Blue Top Angus Farm northeast of Raymond where they raised their five children, farmed and raised registered Black Angus cattle.  Each building on the farm was built by their hands and Frenchie took great pride in keeping the farm in immaculate condition until their retirement and move to Clark in October of 2003. Frenchie lived at Fay Wookey Memorial Assisted Living from April 2013 to March 2017 and has been a resident of the Clark Care and Rehabilitation Center since March 2017.

Frenchie had a passion for cooking and baking and worked in restaurants in Raymond, SD and Doland, SD for many years.  She loved to garden, manicure her flowers, help Walt with his restoration of Studebaker automobiles, sew, embroider, crochet, play Bingo, play an occasional slot machine, card games and most of all her version of "marbles". She was a member of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Raymond, SD, Bethlehem Lutheran Ladies Aide, Helping Hands Club, Raymond Legion Post 209 Auxiliary, Birthday Club and the local "July" Birthday Club.

Grateful for having shared her life are children, Gene (Phyllis) Danekas of Greenville, SC; Janet Koelsch of Mendota Heights, MN; Judy (Jeff) Callaway of Rapid City, SD and Ruth (Gary) Leis of Lake Havasu City, AZ; a daughter in law, Sherry  Danekas of Woodland, CA, grandchildren, Jamie (Lorri) Cutler, Michael (Meg) Danekas, Danielle Danekas, Mercedes (Matt) Danekas-Lohse, Peter and Anna Koelsch and Sara (Nick) Callaway-McGeehon and great grandchildren, Lily and Madeline Cutler, Hadley, Ella Kate and Branson Danekas and Sutter James Danekas Lohse, several nieces, nephews and friends.  Two amazing and very special people that were earthly angels to Frenchie were Dala Albright and Greg Furness, both of Clark, SD.

Preceding her in death were her husband Walter, son James, parents Jule and Loretta DesLauriers,  sisters, Erlene in infancy, Vearl Gergen, Teresa (Clark) Rusch, Phyllis (Floyd) Beauvais, and Betty (LeRoy) Davis; 2 brothers, Kenneth (Darla) Popkes and William Popkes; Brother in-Laws, Willis (Valois J.) Danekas, and Leonard (Audrey) Danekas.

Frenchie had a love for the color "red" and in her honor the family wishes that we celebrate her by wearing a splash of red to the services.

Memorials can be made to the Clark Med Van, Prairie Valley Cemetery and Prairie Lakes Hospice.

Funeral arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where email condolences can to sent to www.furnessfuneralhome.com .  The family has requested that those unable to attend the services and would like to send cards of condolence that they be mailed to the Furness Funeral Home c/o the Danekas family at 402 N. Commercial Street, Clark, SD  57225.