Dolores Stoley

Dolores Stoley, 90, of Highmore, passed away peacefully Easter Monday, April 13, 2020 at Highmore Health.   She entered Heaven while engulfed in the love of her family.

Due to the current threat of the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions, a private funeral service was held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, April 17, 2020 at Our Savior Lutheran Church, Highmore with Rev. Sara Kayser officiating. Burial will be at Highmore Cemetery, Highmore at a later date. To remain in step with the fact that Dolores loved parties, a celebration of life, with a gathering of family and friends, will be announced when safety and travel return.

Dolores Eleanor was born in Highmore, South Dakota on February 16, 1930 to Orville and Evelyn Olson. Born during the great depression, challenging economic times resulted in her family relocating often to find work and living arrangements with relatives, taking them to northern Hyde County, SD, Minneapolis and Sturgeon Lake, MN, Boise, ID, Stockton, CA and Aberdeen, SD. In 1946, Dolores and her family returned to Highmore where Dolores graduated from Highmore High School, Class of 1948.

At the age of 16, she was working alongside her mother at the old Marshall’s Café. One evening Harlan Stoley was having supper at the café with his sister, Irene and her husband Don Mason. When Dolores finished her shift, she came over and sat with them and was introduced to Harlan. Before their conversation had ended, Harlan had asked her for a date. She accepted and the “resulting two-some”, after two years of courtship, married on June 21, 1948 at Sedgwick Lutheran Church and became a forever couple, celebrating nearly 72 years of marriage.  

Dolores and Harlan lived lifelong in Hyde County. They were an energetic couple living on three different farms before taking over the Stoley Ranch from 1962 – 2011 when they moved into Highmore to retire.

During the winter of 1951-1952, like so many others, they were snowbound for five months, unable to go for groceries, church or to visit friends and family. Airplanes occasionally dropped off mail and supplies. They worked exhaustively to keep their livestock alive and care for two little girls, fought the effects of social isolation and cabin fever, ate popcorn until it was no longer a treat, played cards, and waited patiently to see their family and friends. This was a challenging time for a “city girl” and young wife and mother. But spring came and normalcy slowly crept back into their lives. They had weathered the storm.

As a farm wife Dolores helped feed and water their herd of sheep, pulling 12-15 gallons of water in a little red wagon to their barn. She raised chickens and helped with cattle chores. But mostly, she loved being a wife, mother, and teaching “the girls” all the foundational skills of homemaking. She instilled a strong work ethic, a love for Jesus, supported her daughter’s individual interests, and always made time for fun and games. Dolores loved people. She had a special gift of accepting what was, without complaint, worry or becoming upset. She was kind, gentle, thoughtful, strong, sincere, sweet, compassionate, caring, giving, humble, fun-loving, and cheerful.

Dolores loved shopping and thrived on giving gifts. She thoroughly engaged in all the holidays and everyone always had a gift under the Christmas tree, including the family pets. She had a drawer at home where she kept random gift items that she could have on hand to give out to everyone she so desired, whether it was for an occasion or “just because.” She loved to bake, cook, and understood the power of how food could bring people together in good times and bad. She shared her specialties at potlucks, bake sales, and church events. The family especially loved her kringla’s, potato cakes, doughnuts, and homemade bread. She also enjoyed reading, embroidery, watching TV, playing games, scrapbooking, and collecting recipes. While a youngster in Minneapolis, she developed her love of going to movie theatres and this continued throughout her lifetime.

Dolores was an active member of Sedgwick Lutheran Church, the Ruth Circle, the Lutheran Women’s ELCA and for a term served as president. She taught Sunday School, Bible School, loved singing in the church and community choir, was a 4-H leader, and enjoyed being the local “Avon lady.” Dolores enjoyed socializing with neighbors and friends through card parties, square dancing, church, community events and celebrations. She took pride in planning and enjoyed attending her high school reunions. In later years, she was a member of Gideon’s Auxiliary, women’s prison ministry, Highmore Health Auxiliary, and the South Dakota Peace and Justice Organization promoting racial equality. She served as a blood drive coordinator for United Blood Services for many years, recruiting volunteers, scheduling appointments and hosting the day-long events. She was a member of the Hyde County Historical and Genealogical Society. She volunteered at the Hyde County food pantry and was a member of the Highmore Senior Center, serving a term as president.   One summer she and Harlan helped with 30 Habitat for Humanity House projects at Eagle Butte, South Dakota. She volunteered in a large mess hall tent that fed a crew of 1500 people. She had the privilege to visit one-on-one with former president Jimmy Carter, as he and his wife Rosalyn were also working there.

Vacation and traveling were a big part of her life. Often it was a journey to visit and stay with a daughter or it was a highly anticipated camping adventure. Together, Dolores and Harlan traveled to numerous state and national parks, Alaska, Bahamas, Canada, and Hawaii. Sometimes they set out in no particular direction and just let the destination surprise them, which they referred to as their special “gypsy” vacations. But mostly she loved being with all her family, spending special times with her grandchildren and cute little great-grandchildren.

Dolores is survived by her husband, Harlan; daughters: Barbara Coulthard of Woonsocket; Peggy Iverson of Sioux Falls; Jean Stoley of Gretna, NE; Laura (Blaine) Bulas of Hastings, NE, and Dona (Mike) Deal of Rapid City; grandchildren: Travis Coulthard of Woonsocket; Tara (Ryan) Walz of Hot Springs; Bryan Geier of Highlands Ranch, CO; Nathan Geier of Aurora, CO; Jordan Geier of Watertown; Carey Utterback of Sioux Falls; Bethanie Iverson of Sioux Falls; Ben Iverson of Sioux Falls; Justina (John) Kolbe of Omaha, NE; Brock (Megan) Bulas of Aurora, CO; and Cole (Lisa) Bulas of Hastings, NE; and 16 great-grandchildren.

Dolores was preceded in death by her parents, Orville and Evelyn Olson; beloved stepfather, David Olson; beloved daughter, Carol Marie and her husband, Chuck Geier; sons-in-law, Harvey Coulthard and Curt Iverson; grandson, Collin Utterback; and many relatives and friends.

Luze Funeral Home of Highmore has been entrusted with Dolores' arrangements.