Roxanne Danburg

Roxanne R. Danburg, 53, of Milford, DE and formerly of Miller, SD, passed away Tuesday, August 20, 2013 at Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital in Miller, SD.

Mass of Christian Burial was held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, August 24, 2013 at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, Miller with Father Chester Murtha, celebrant. Burial followed at St. Ann’s Cemetery, Miller.  A prayer and rosary service was held at 7:00 p.m., Friday, August 23, 2013 at the church.

Roxanne was born July 9, 1960 to Raymond and Rose (Martinmaas) Danburg in Miller, SD.  She joined a family of three brothers: Larry, Dan, and Jerry and one sister, Marilyn.  Roxie was the baby of the family with beautiful red hair and from that very tiny beginning, music was very important to her and she enjoyed that love throughout her whole life.  She attended grade school at Miller Elementary and graduated from Miller High School in 1978.  She sang a song at graduation to her classmates “You Can Count on Me”.  This speaks to who Roxie was; wanting to always be there for her friends and those she loved.  During those high school years, we will all remember her for her beautiful voice and the love that she was able to give us through her music.

The loss of her Dad in 1978 was very difficult time for Roxie, but she went forward and headed to SDSU to pursue a music major.  She then moved on from there to cosmetology school and pursued that career in Colorado.  During that time, she also followed her love of music by singing in a band.  At some point, she and an acquaintance decided to move to Delaware.

After arriving in Delaware, she met the love of her life, Mike Kemp.  She began a life with Mike and his two children, Trisha and Josh.  Mike and Roxie spend the next 29 years living on Slaughter Beach, near Milford, Delaware.  She affectionately called Mike “My Man”.  There was a furry little friend in her life called Mr. Butters, her cat.  She loved walking on the beach, watching the beautiful sunsets and sunrises; this was always a great and peaceful joy to her.  During her years in Delaware, she worked in a bridal boutique, but her most enjoyable job was being a librarian.  The staff she worked with called themselves the Library family and they truly were a close knit and loving group of friends for Roxanne.  Mike said she loved going to work every day and was happy when she came home from work each night.  She shared her great talent of singing and playing piano for social events that were held at the library.  It gave her great pleasure to be able to share her love of music and see the reactions on their faces as she belted out her songs.  She sang for many receptions, weddings and events, and loved to do it.  She was a piano teacher and she taught many students to play piano which filled her with joy to be able to instill in others the love and desire to make beautiful sounds for others and themselves.

During these years she spent in Delaware, her family back home was always special to her.  She devoted much of her love to her mother Rose, her brothers Jerry, Larry and Dan and their families and also to her very special sister, Marilyn.  She also loved and thought about her aunts, uncles, and cousins; as they also were an important part of Roxanne’s life.  Family was everything to her.  She made the trip back to South Dakota or to where ever a wedding of one her of nieces or nephews was taking place whenever and as often as she was able.

Roxanne was diagnosed with cancer about a year ago and she fought the battle with everything she had. Surgery, chemo, radiation, positive thoughts and prayers but there was not to be a finish to the fight that we had all wished for.  She reached the point when all knew the battle was lost and she wanted to come home to Miller to spend her last days with all her family that she could.  Mike made it happen, he arranged for a special medical plane to fly her to Huron.  Her niece, Dr. Michelle Turner and the Miller ambulance crew met Roxie and “Her Man” Mike at the Huron airport and brought them home to the Miller Hospital.  The family was able to come back and those who lived here spent as much time as we could to love her and to let her know how much we loved her.  Mike pretty much did not leave her, spending both nights and days at her side.  She loved us all and smiled her smile and then peacefully left us on August 20^th.  One of her wishes she expressed to Mike was to donate her beautiful red hair to Locks of Love.  We will all miss this beautiful woman, but know that she is happy, pain free and is making heaven a more special place with her presence and her songs.

Her memory will be cherished by her significant other, Mike Kemp and his children, Trisha and Josh Kemp of Milford, DE; mother, Rose Danburg of Miller; brothers: Jerry (Barb) Danburg of Pueblo, CO, Larry (Dee) Danburg of Miller and Dan Danburg (fiancé, Kelli Nelson) of Aberdeen; a host of nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and many many relatives.

She was preceded in death by her father, Ray Danburg; sister, Marilyn Danburg; paternal grandfather, Gene Danburg; paternal grandmother, Norma Danburg; maternal grandfather, Gerhard Martinmaas and maternal grandmother, Josephine Martinmaas. 

Reck Funeral Home of Miller has been entrusted with Roxanne’s arrangements.