Mass of Christian Burial for LeRoy Reinert, 80, of Timber Lake at 10:30, Tuesday, November 3, 2020 at the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Timber Lake. Burial will be at the Timber Lake Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Visitation will be at 6 PM Monday, with a prayer service at 7 PM at the church. LeRoy passed away, Sunday, October 25, 2020, at Avera St. Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen.

Leroy Reinert was born March 18, 1940, in Tipton KS, the fifth of nine children from Frank and Helena Reinert. They moved to Owanka, SD in 1946 where Leroy attended eight years of grade school there, and two years of high school in New Underwood, SD. The family then moved to a small farm North of Isabel, SD, where Leroy finished his schooling, graduating from Isabel High School in 1958.

On December 22, 1961 he married Shirley Shaff in Isabel, SD at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Leroy and Shirley had three children, Leroy Jr. (Lee), Ben, and Patsy.

Leroy worked as a lineman putting in the transmission line from Eagle Butte, SD to Newell, SD. He also did this for the missile sites in the area. He then worked for the Western Cattle Company at the B.J. Ranch in Howes, SD until President Kennedy was killed and the company was sold off. He worked for different ranchers in the area until he went to work for the Dewey County Highway Department, working there for several years.

Leroy and Shirley then moved their family to Timber Lake, SD, buying their farm from Leroy’s widowed mother. He started out in the Engineering Department for the South Dakota Department of Transportation and would retire twenty-five years later as the Supervisor of the Isabel Department.

Throughout the years, Leroy learned many different traits. If asked how he knew how to do something, he would always respond, “trial and error”. One could always find him outside working on something or other as he always had a project he was doing. Leroy enjoyed farming, working cattle, breaking and riding horses, and later in life being around and spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Leroy and Shirley also raised three of their grandchildren as if they were their own, T.J., Kimberly, and Trista. Leroy was always saying how his grandchildren and great-grandchildren kept him young. He enjoyed going to their activities and teaching them his many self-learned traits.

Leroy is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Shirley, his three children: Lee (Cathy), Ben (Janice), Patsy, his seven grandchildren: T.J., Kimberly, Trista (Brandon), Zane, Carmen, Kayla, Ben (Montana), his five great-grandchildren: MaKia, Etzio, Elias, Kiya, Tucker, his siblings: Fritz (Ruth), Marcella, Pauline (Gary), Anita, Roberta, Delores, and numerous nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents: Frank and Helena, and two of his sisters: Barb and Agnes.

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