Leola Bartels, age 97, of Davis, SD, passed away, September 24, 2024, at Pioneer Memorial Nursing Home, Viborg, SD. Services will begin at 2:00 p.m. Monday, September 30 at First Baptist Church, Chancellor, SD, with burial in the Chancellor Baptist Cemetery, with visitation one hour prior, at 1:00 p.m. Memorials may directed to the many charities Leola supported including, First Baptist Church, Pioneer Memorial, the Humane Society or a charity of your choice to honor Leola. God bless her memory.
Leola Cleota Hofer was born on September 28, 1926 and raised in Olivet, SD, to Paul B. and Olive (Walker) Hofer. She attended schools in Olivet and Brookings, SD. Leola C. Bartels, age 97, died September 24, 2024, at the Pioneer Memorial Nursing Home, Viborg, SD, surrounded by love.
She and Herman Bartels were united in marriage on September 28, 1950 in Madison, SD. Together, they farmed north of Chancellor, SD, until 1961, when they moved to their farm southeast of Davis, which was home until 2010. At that time, Leola moved to Pioneer Memorial in Viborg, where she lived until her death.
Leola had been a homemaker and working companion with Herman on their farms. She also worked for nine years at Gambles in Lennox, and then a total of twenty years as a seamstress for Dakota Industries in Hurley and Raven Industries in Beresford. She had many hobbies including vegetable and flower gardening, knitting, crocheting, mastering challenging jigsaw puzzles, bird watching, family gatherings, and she excelled at making homemade root beer and baking numerous wedding cakes. Leola was also an active and faithful member of the First Baptist Church in Chancellor.
Leola was preceded in death by her husband of fifty-nine years, Herman, her parents, three sisters: Rachel Hofer, Deloris Wollmann and Alma Rames; six Hofer brothers: Harland, Harold, Elmer, Maurice, Dennis, Donavon and several nieces and nephews.
Grateful for having shared her life are her numerous treasured nieces and nephews. Other survivors include: Herman’s daughter Phyllis (Bartels) Kirschenman and her husband, Ronald, their family and Leola’s many friends, especially those who cared so lovingly for her the years she resided at Pioneer Memorial. She felt very blessed and thankful for their kindness.