PIERRE, SD  –

Lloyd Kannegieter, 91, of Pierre, passed away on May 30, 2023, at Avera Maryhouse. A Memorial/Celebration of Life is being planned for a future date.

Lloyd was born on the family farm in Willow Lake, SD, to Fred and Ann (Nogelmeier) Kannegieter on July 5th, 1931. During high school, he met his future wife, Leona Warwick, who was the “new girl” in town when her father was transferred to Willow Lake by his employer, Great Northern Railroad. Lloyd and Leona were married at the Spirit Lake Presbyterian Church on August 19, 1949. Leona taught rural school while Lloyd worked on the farm. Two children were born to this union, daughter, Linda, and son, Layne.

Tragically, in March of 1951, Lloyd’s parents were killed in an airplane crash when returning from their 25th wedding anniversary celebration trip to California. At the tender age of 19, Lloyd and Leona became responsible for the farming operations. Ultimately, Lloyd took a position at the local locker plant, which is where he learned his lifelong trade of cutting meat. Following brief moves to Vienna, SD, Huron, SD, and Mitchell, SD, Lloyd was offered a position in Pierre as Meat Market Manager with the Red Owl grocery store, later becoming what is now Dakotamart. Long time loyal shoppers always praised Lloyd for the special attention they received, and his knowledge and expertise when unique cuts of meat were requested. He took great pride in the display and freshness of his meat counter, and provided the ultimate in customer service.

In 1965, Lloyd & Leona were charter members of the Oahe Presbyterian Church of Pierre, and both served faithfully in whatever capacity was needed; especially assisting with preparing and serving meals for special occasions.

A trip of a lifetime to Germany was made possible in 1992 while Linda & Rick were stationed at Lindsey Air Station in Wiesbaden, Germany. Lloyd and Leona were in awe of the local sights and sounds along with delicious food, beautiful castles, scenic countryside, majestic cathedrals, quaint towns and villages along the Rhein river, and truly excited about witnessing how much culture the grandsons were able to absorb while living overseas. The pair also traveled to Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Georgia and their all-time favorite spot, Santa Barbara, California, to visit Layne and his family.

Lloyd was also a man with many interests and talents. He loved hunting, fishing, boating, woodworking, and attending sporting events. Another passion was photography which led him to enter local contests often resulting in winning multiple ribbons. In the fall of 2004, Lloyd had a very exciting experience when he bagged a trophy 20 point whitetail buck while hunting on Curt and Leone Kannegieters’ (cousin) property in Clark County, SD. The article about Lloyd’s adventure was featured in The Outdoorsmen Magazine, with documentation of scoring by Boone and Crockett Club and entered into the records of North American Big Game. The buck is now proudly on display at the Rusty Nail café in Willow Lake.

Up until the passing of his special friend, Bonnie Aasby, in 2019, Lloyd and Bonnie spent many hours at the Legion enjoying their favorite pastime of listening to music and showing off their dancing skills. They were actively involved in the Swishers’ Dance Club, and had a passion for attending “Tales on the River”.

In addition to his parents and grandparents, he was predeceased by his wife, Leona, of 60 years, and a special friend, Bonnie Aasby of Ft. Pierre, SD. Survivors include one sister, Shirley (Ken) Erickson of Watertown, SD; sister-in-law, Jeanean Warwick of St Helens, OR; brother-in-law & sister-in-law, Arlan and Ramona Warwick, Watertown, SD; Daughter, Linda (Rick) of Roswell, GA; Son, Layne (Melissa) of Goleta, CA; Four grandsons and their wives, Geoffrey (Norma), Rion (Kate), Jordan (Mahsa) and Skylar (Meghan); as well as four great-granddaughters and three great-grandsons; many nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of lifelong friends.

Lloyd’s love for family and friends was evident and everyone knew that he never met a stranger. A very special thank you to niece, Deb Ness, and good friends, Roger and Mary Edwards, for hours upon hours of diligently clearing Lloyd’s former home on Polk Street after he entered the nursing home. The family is extremely grateful for the extra time and visits made by Scott Granville and Richard Zabel, along with Helen Baron-Wilshard and husband Lee Wilshard, Margaret Ellefson, Tayia Kierstead, Don Lungren, Karen Hedlund, and countless other friends who have been so loyal to Lloyd over the years.

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