Josephine Venner | October 11, 1930 - March 20, 2021
Obituaries-Pierre / Posted Mar 24, 2021 | 5:24 AM / 942 views
“The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23
A public celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Josephine Anna (Robinson) Venner entered her heavenly home on the 1st day of spring, March 20, 2021. She was born on Oct. 11, 1930 in Pierre, SD to Gain H. Robinson and Mary (Molly) (Hinesh) Robinson and baptized as an infant by the Christian missionary Thomas L. Riggs. As an adult, when she was baptized on Oct. 5, 1980 by Wesleyan Pastor Earl Jantz, she said she began her true relationship with Jesus. Josephine grew up on the Missouri River bottom (Peoria) NW of Pierre, SD very close to her cousins, the children of her father’s twin brother. Her dad died when she was a senior in high school and she went on to graduate from Pierre High School in 1948. During her senior year she met Eugene Venner on a blind date (literally because she didn’t wear her glasses) and they were married on Dec. 17, 1949.
In the summer of 1948 Josephine attended Black Hills State Teachers College in Spearfish and received her teaching certificate. She taught one year at Grandview Elementary School, a one room school house in the Peoria River Bottom.
After she married Eugene they made their home in Agar, SD until August of 1958 when they moved to land in Hughes Co. that was homesteaded by her grandfather, Cyrus Robinson. There on the farm, she and Eugene raised three boys, Mark, Bruce, and Ivan.
The life on the farm in western Hughes County was harsh and because of her love for trees, it became a constant endeavor for her to water and nurture fruit trees, pines, and cottonwoods. When the Mid Dakota Rural Water System came to the farm, she not only could nurture trees but also began a passion for growing watermelons which she loved to give to family and neighbors. Josephine was also an avid rock hound. Anytime you went on a walk with her, she was dragging rocks home. Sometimes it required a tractor to get the rock in her yard. She and Eugene took numerous trips to Texas, New Mexico and Arizona during the winter months.
Josephine is survived by her three sons, Mark (Denise) on the farm in Pierre, Bruce (Lori) Rapid City, and Ivan (Colleen) Hot Springs, 15 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren, 1 great great grandson and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Eugene, brother Gain, sister Helen (John) Tuveson, parents Gain and Molly and infant great grandson Aiden Venner.
