Elfriede Buchholz

Elfriede Buchholz, 88, of Highmore, passed away Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at the Highmore Health, Highmore, South Dakota.

Funeral services were held at 1:00 p.m., Monday, June 20, 2011 at the United Methodist Church, Highmore with Pastor Jenene Earl officiating. Burial followed at the Highmore Cemetery.  Visitation was held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Sunday, June 19, 2011 with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service at Luze Funeral Home in Highmore.

Elfriede Kunz Buchholz was born on December 1, 1922 in Frankfurt on the Main, Germany, to Fritz and Anna (Schoenhals) Kunz.  Elfriede received her education in Frankfurt, Germany.  Following graduation, she worked for a German telephone company as a telephone operator.  It was at this time during the American Allied Occupation, while she worked as a telephone and teletype operator for the American forces, she met Private Otho V. Buchholz.  Elfriede and Otho were married on January 13, 1948, in Little Falls, Minnesota.

Elfriede and Otho made their first home on the family homestead north of Harrold.  They then moved their family to a farm 16 miles south of Holabird, currently known as the Melvin Ranch.  After a short time there, they moved to the farm three miles south of Holabird.  It was during this time Elfriede worked for the Brock Creamery in Highmore.

On May 10, 1960, Elfriede proudly became a naturalized citizen of the United States of America.

Elfriede and Otho moved to the farm ten miles south of Holabird where they lived until purchasing the Holabird Texaco Station, Grocery, and Post Office.  Elfriede was a U.S. Postmaster until her retirement some 26 years later.

Elfriede was an active youth leader.  She was a leader of the Chapelle Local Farmers Union youth program and also organized and led the Clever Clover 4-H Club for over 20 years.

Elfriede enjoyed visiting with each new 5^th grade class in Highmore and Miller, telling of her life as a young girl growing up in Germany and about her schooling.  She would answer any questions the children had about her life in Germany.  Everyone who knew her loved her stories about her life as a young girl in Germany.  Elfriede enjoyed her parents visit from Germany in the summer of 1959 and also the several visits from Fritz-jueren Heck and Gerard Zittlau from Germany but she never wanted to return to Germany herself.

Elfriede’s hobbies included needlework, reading, watching baseball games and rock collecting.  The children and grandchildren have many treasured needlework gifts that she made throughout the years.  Elfriede also contributed to grandpa’s wood working projects, with many hours of finishing work, sanding, staining and varnishing them all for him.  Grandma Holabird also made flannel receiving blankets, with crocheted edges for the birth of each grandchild until her health prevented her from doing this beloved project.

Elfriede is survived by her children: Doris (Gary) Knox, Linda (Jerry) DuBois, Roger (Diane) Buchholz, and Marty (Nyla) Buchholz; many grandchildren and many great grandchildren.

Proceeding her in death were her parents; husband, Otho; sister, Mary; and grandchild, Matthew Zane Knox.

Luze Funeral Home of Highmore has been entrusted with Elfriede’s arrangements.