Jan Talley

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Jan (Kusser) Talley, 69, of Rapid City, passed away wrapped in the loving arms of her family Sunday, June 8, 2025, at the ranch south of Highmore, after a courageous battle with cancer. 

Funeral Mass will be 11:00 a.m., Thursday, June 19, 2025, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Highmore, with Father Christianus Hendrik, celebrant. Burial will follow at Kusser Cemetery, rural Highmore. Visitation will begin at 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 18, 2025, followed by a 7:00 p.m. prayer service, all at the church.  Following the burial, there will be a meal and continued fellowship at K Lazy K Ranch. Jan’s wish was to have a party!

Cards can be mailed to The Kusser Family, 34080 216th St., Highmore, SD 57345.

Janice Ann (Kusser) Talley, Rapid City, was born July 7, 1955, to Simon and Eileen (Beranek) Kusser in Huron, South Dakota, and  Jan grew up on the family ranch where she was surrounded by love, laughter, adventure, and generations of family working hard together. Jan loved to ride horses, work cattle, and greatly enjoyed putting up hay. She was proud to be part of the mowing crew and could change sections on a 9 foot bar mower faster than any of the crew.

She attended Convent country school through the 8th grade.  She made many lifelong friends with the “south hyde” girls, and some of her fondest memories were of sleepovers at Mac’s Corner with the King girls and Ricki Bloomenrader.  Janny, as she was known then, attended Highmore High School, graduating with the Class of 1973 as the salutatorian.  Like many country kids of the era, she boarded in town during the school year.  While in high school, she participated in National Honor Society, cheerleading, FHA, girls’ glee, rodeo club, and was the yearbook editor. A proud Yellowjacket, she attended Black Hills State College finishing her degree in December of 1976 and graduating in 1977 Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Business.  Her years at BH were filled with friends, good times, and again hard work.

In 1977, she moved to Pierre and started a 45 year career with the State of South Dakota.  Her first job was with Legislative Audit, then she moved to the Unified Judicial System. Jan started work with the Department of Revenue in Rapid City as an Auditor and worked in various positions before being promoted to the Division Director of Business Tax in Pierre. She made valued friends and so many great memories working for Revenue. After retiring from that Department, she started working for the Department of Transportation as an Accounting Manager. Again, gaining lasting friendships wherever she went.  She retired from DOT in May of 2021 and moved back to Rapid City. Through all her years in state government, she was a dedicated employee always looking out for the citizens of South Dakota. She spent many years collecting sales tax to make the state government run, including several years at the Sturgis Rally.  She rarely took a day of sick leave, even with her cancer battle, she still had well over 3,500 hours of sick leave on the books when she retired. In 1984, while working for Revenue, she became a member of the Girl’s Club, a group of friends that has stuck together for 41 years.

On a night in Canode’s Bar in Highmore, she met the love of her life, Rolis Talley. It was evident from the start that Jan and Rolis were meant for each other, and they were married on August 25, 1979, at Immaculate Conception Church at Stephan. They moved to Rapid City, where they shared a love of working hard, card games, hunting, golfing, fishing, boating, snowmobiling, traveling, and having a cocktail or two. In February of 2000, she lost her soulmate when Rolis died from a heart attack at the age of 43.  Finding herself a widow at 44, she navigated a new life without her beloved Rolis by her side.  Jan survived this by focusing on her job and her family.  Her sister Susie was diagnosed with cancer six weeks after Rolis died, and Jan opened her home and her life to Susie and her family while Susie took treatments in Rapid City. Another family member she focused on was her much loved nephew Max Ring.  Jan took him to and picked him up from day care while Max’s mom, Marilyn, worked every other week in surgery at Rapid City Regional.  Jan always claimed that Max saved her during that time.  When she was diagnosed with cancer in 2018, she told Max, “you saved me once I hope you can do it again”. Jan fought this brutal disease for seven years with strength, grace, and determination. She was focused, resilient, tough, but always flexible and able to roll with the punches- and life seemed to give her more than her share of punches. This might have been the one instance where the legendary Kusser “stubborn” actually came in handy.  

Jan loved flowers-planting and nurturing them. She also enjoyed golf - she said her happy place was the number five tee box at Tomahawk. Jan was always up for a card game or trip to Deadwood or Vegas, a crown and water tall or a glass of wine. She loved sitting on her deck in the morning, enjoying a good cup of coffee or watching a sunset at the family cabin or at the ranch.  Jan was a lifelong fan of the Dallas Cowboys and attended several games. She also enjoyed many concerts anywhere she could, but she had a particular fondness for Alabama and Keith Urban.  She was an excellent cook and loved to bake, especially Christmas treats-she was our bun maker for all holidays. She was an avid reader and loved spending time with family and friends and taking long walks with her faithful dog, Ginger. We have lost a part of us-our circle has gotten smaller but will never be broken. We will miss her laughter, her smile, her ability to take a joke and deliver one, the character and toughness that carried her through the battles, the way she lived her life with gratitude, and the amazing ability to hope and look to the future. There could never be enough time with the ones you love. Cancer, you didn’t win-Jan’s unbreakable spirit is soaring with the angels and lives on in all who loved her. 

Grateful for having shared her life are her siblings: Sheila Kusser of Highmore; John Kusser of Highmore; Trish Wendte and husband Jim of Pierre; Marilyn Ring and husband, Mike, of Highmore; and Dan Kusser of Highmore; nieces and nephews: Crystal Bonnichsen and husband, Richard Oeckler, Zumbro Falls, MN; Wendy Bonnichsen, Eden Prairie, MN; Sarah Klumper and husband, Lucas, Lakeville, MN; Justin Bonnichsen and wife, Morgan, Highmore; and Max Ring, Brookings; great nieces and nephews: Susie, Kara, and Harper Klumper and Briar, Havyn, Rhett and Collyns Bonnichsen; aunt, Mary Beranek; brother-in-law, Steve Bonnichsen; friends who are family: Mike and Clela Henson, Duluth, MN; her husband’s family Nancy Miller and husband, Lynn, of Mud Butte, SD, and David Veit, of Buffalo, WY; nieces and nephews: Regan, Danielle, David A., Grant, Chancy, Taylor, Shayna and Katy and their families; and her beloved and faithful dog, Ginger.

Waiting to greet her in heaven are husband, Rolis; parents, Simon and Eileen Kusser; brother, Jimmy Kusser; sister, Susie Bonnichsen; aunts and uncles: Joe and Lavonne Kusser; Buzz and Vonnie Kusser; Betty and Ronnie Heckenliable; Marvin and Carolyn Beranek; and  Leo Beranek; parents-in-law, Allen and Ellen Talley; sisters-in-law, Sharon Priest and Reena Veit; grandparents, Max and Mabel Kusser and Joe and Alice Beranek; and cousins, Debbie Kusser, Ronnie Allen Heckenlaible, Dave Beranek, and Chad Kusser.  

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