Shirley Ilene Kraft, 81, of Platte, SD, formerly of Wessington Springs, SD, passed away Tuesday, December 29, 2009 at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD.

Funeral Services were Saturday, January 2, 2010 at the Olive Presbyterian Church in Platte. A 3:00 P.M. Committal Service followed at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Wessington Springs.

Expressions of sympathy may be extended to the family through www.mountfuneralhome.com.

Shirley Ilene (Bergquist) Kraft was born December 12, 1928 to John and Ebba (Peterson) Bergquist in White Lake, SD. She graduated from White Lake High School and went on to attend Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, SD.

Vote for 2009’s Top Wessington Springs Area Stories.

 What were the top news stories of 2009? You can use these suggestions or make one of your own. You may vote for the top story of 2009 by email (truedakotan@sbtc.net), telephone (605-539-1281), fax (605-539-9315), mail (PO Box 358), or at truedakotan.com Responses may be reprinted. Names may be used if you sign your response.

Here are some suggestions:

LSI, Inc. and its employees recently held a benefit fund raiser for the family of Todd Schmidt to assist the family with medical costs. Todd Schmidt’s son, Alec Schmidt, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Todd is employed by LSI, Inc., and the company and its employees hosted a meal with free will donations to help the Schmidt family with some of their medical costs. LSI, Inc. supplied approximately 700 meals at no charge, while the employees were given the opportunity to donate toward the Schmidt family’s medical costs. A total of $2,099.88 was raised by the fund raiser. All proceeds went to the Todd Schmidt family. Rick Tebay (left), LSI Plant manager, presents a check for $2,099.88 to Todd Schmidt (center), along with Terry Smith (right), Link Snacks Vice President of Operations.

Friends and co-workers of Jasmyn Knippling attended a memorial service in her honor at the Weskota Manor Avera nursing home in Wessington Springs on Tuesday, December 29, 2009. Jasmyn died in a car accident earlier this month. Her parents, Stephanie Ternes and Monte Knippling were there along with other family friends. One of the residents at the Manor told us Sarah Mentzer’s solo was “awesome”. Some of those ina ttendance are shown here, shortly before a balloon release in Jasmyn’s honor..

For you True Dakotan subscribers, there is a story about a Christmas baby that was born at Avera Weskota Memorial Medical Center in Wessington Springs during the Christmas blizzard coming to you in your copy of this week’s paper.

We’ll talk about it a little bit after the paper is delivered… as it just went out the front door a couple of hours ago (9:30 a.m. Tuesday).

Although the caption says “Shawn and his son Zak scoop out their driveway”… do you see a shovel in Shawn’s hands?

SHAWN PRIVETT and his son Zak scoop out their driveway on College Avenue. Boo Boo, the dog, all dressed up in an overcoat, seemed to be enjoying the day. Cold weather forecasts for later this week mean the snow will be with us for awhile.

Duke took a lot of pictures during the Christmas storm of 2009. Be sure to click on the blue headline atop this article to see the rest!

CARL LARSON worked away at this drift across his driveway in northwest Wessington Springs. He has just a little five-horsepower snow blower. “It was good enough for Omaha where we used to live, but I need a bigger one here or I’m going to have to hire this thing done. I’m getting too old for this,” he said.

John Eugene Sargent, 92, of Wessington Springs, SD, passed away Dec. 22, 2009 at Sunquest Healthcare Center, Huron, SD.

His funeral will be at the Foothills Bible Fellowship Church (Formerly Free Methodist Church) in Wessington Springs, SD, at 2:00 pm Tuesday Dec 29, 2009. Interment will be in Prospect Hill Cemetery.

John was born on May 31, 1917, to John M. and Laura (Orr) Sargent in a log cabin near Murdo, SD. He attended country schools around Murdo and graduated from Murdo High School in 1935. After working as a hired farm hand for a couple of years he enrolled at the Business College in Mitchell, SD, where he met Florence Morehead. They were united in marriage on Feb. 6th, 1939.

I’m sitting at home on Christmas Eve afternoon, looking out the window and hoping that everyone is either safely tucked away at home or has reached their holiday destination as the Dakotas prepare for a winter blast. A tree in my front yard was covered with frost yesterday (see picture) and today’s wind has blown most of it away. It’s going to be a cool Christmas Eve. All of our family members from out of town — children, their spouses and our grand kids– are going to miss the celebration we planned… but that’s okay, we know they are safe and not trying to make it here through the storm. –Merry Christmas, Craig.

Editor’s Note: It’s been a few years since this essay, “Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” was re-printed in the True Dakotan. Thanks to the Internet, we have added a photograph of both authors, and a portion of the original clipping as it was printed in 1897. From four people who still believe in Santa Claus, “Merry Christmas”. – The Wenzels

Eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York’s Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history’s most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.