DeElda Krier | 1931 - 2024
Posted Aug 28, 2024 | 4:19 PM by Megan Sexton / 65 views
PRESHO, SD – DeElda Marie Hilmoe (Sweeney-Krier), 92, of Presho, died Thursday, August 15, 2024, in Rapid City, SD, where she has resided for the last eight years.
Visitation will be from 6:00pm until 7:00pm on Thursday, August 22, 2024 at Christ The King Catholic Church in Presho, with a vigil and rosary beginning at 7:00pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00am on Friday, August 23, 2024 also at the church, with burial to follow at Holy Angels Cemetery in Presho.
DeElda was born August 26, 1931, to Carl and Agnes (Jacobson) Hilmoe. She was a lifelong resident of Presho, until moving to Rapid City at age 84, where she made her home at Good Samaritan Village.
DeElda and her sister, Gail, were raised in a small, two-room house on the South-East side of town. Their extended family was a large one, and the girls spent their childhood playing with cousins and learning to sew and bake with their aunts. DeElda attended school in Presho in the class of 1948 and particularly enjoyed her typing class. In the winter of 1949, she married Joe Sweeney, and through this union, she gained seven sisters-in-law and a mother-in-law who taught her canning and gave her little tips and tricks on cooking and baking.
DeElda and Joe raised their four children, Colleen, Shirley, Tom, and Carol in a house next to her childhood home. During this time, DeElda worked at Husman’s Clothing Store and Hutch’s Café and Lounge. She also helped with farming when Joe needed a hand. She took pride in her household and took care of the things she had. She was tidy and precise, and everything had its place. For the grandkids, it was a treat when she would pull out some of her treasures to play with or look at. DeElda enjoyed hosting holiday dinners for her family and would reminisce about any mishaps, like dropping the pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.
DeElda had a talent for sewing, quilting, crocheting, and knitting. She crocheted her share of afghans for everyone in the family and then more after that. She made baby blankets and pajama dresses for the kids. She mended clothing with such care that no one could tell there had been a hole or tear at all. She enjoyed refurbishing items, like an old dresser she found in a ditch or her kitchen cabinets or a trunk she picked up from Goodwill and turned them into something worth having. She loved finding a good bargain, especially those made with quality. Her collections included owls, Christmas bears, Beanie Babies and Correlle ware.
DeElda became a widow in May 1983, at the age of 51. Needing to learn how to navigate life without her husband, DeElda’s friend, Mary, cajoled her into trying new things. The pair took a trip to Hawaii, and DeElda had a better time than she could have imagined. They started swim exercises at the Presho pool, rode their bicycles around town, and often went golfing.
DeElda enjoyed her newfound hobbies, but she missed having a companion at home. In 1985, she was asked on a date by a local man, and in August 1988, she married LeRoy Krier. They took care of each other and enjoyed each other’s company until his death in April 2022.
Throughout her life, DeElda endured many significant losses and trials, yet managed to be grateful for each new day she was given. She had a will and determination to keep living, regardless of the heartaches. Following the death of her remaining child in September 2017, a special bond formed between her and her granddaughters, with her affectionately referring to them as her “girls”. When staff would enter her room, she would declare, “This is one of my girls.” She might not always get the names right, but she knew they were one of the “girls”. With the passing of her second husband in 2022, that bond grew stronger and DeElda, not good at expressing sentiments, started saying, “I love you” in return. She would often end a call by saying, “Okay, Dear, I love you, bye-bye”. DeElda died knowing she was thoroughly, unconditionally, and unequivocally loved. She will be remembered for her wisdom, her witty personality, her feisty and sassy pushback, and her love for her family. She will be deeply missed.
DeElda is survived by her grandchildren, Amy (AC) Heald, Tammy Jaques, Julie (Eric) Anderson, Laura Craig, Dan (Kara) Heffner, Daryl Heffner, Lindsay (Branden) Sievers; 17 great-grandchildren; three great-great grandchildren, with three more on the way.
She is preceded by her parents, Carl and Agnes, sister, Gail Pfister, husbands, Joe Sweeney and LeRoy Krier, daughter and son-in-law, Rod and Colleen Hendrickson, daughters Shirley Gerard and Carol Massingale, son Tom Sweeney, two grandsons, Mike Massingale and Laramie Gerard.
