Marie Mizera, 64, of Rapid City passed away Friday, June 21, 2024, at her home in Rapid City. Arrangements are pending with Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge.

Marie Elaine Mizera was born to Bob and Minnie Mizera on July 3, 1959 at the McLaughlin Hospital. She was their second child. Her father wanted her to be named Marie. For the first five years of her life, she lived on the Mizera homestead located five miles west of McLaughlin during the farm season (from March to October) and in Mandan, North Dakota where her father worked as a musician during the remainder of the year.

Her Grandma Rose Mizera loved holding her and feeding her. As she grew, she became “Grandpa’s Little Girl”. One day, she followed Grandpa John Mizera to the barn to see the chickens. When they didn’t return, her mother went to look for her. Minnie wasn’t happy to find them both asleep on a hay bale. Marie always crawled up on Grandpa’s lap when he was in his rocking chair. Soon they would both be fast asleep. Her mother didn’t mind that, because she knew they were safe.

When her older sister started first grade, the family moved to McLaughlin permanently and lived on the same block as the public school. Marie enjoyed many hours on the school playground inventing creative games.

While growing up, Marie loved spending time on the farm, driving machinery (especially swathing and combining), hunting (grouse, partridge, duck, and prairie dogs), shore and ice fishing, swimming in the local pool and river, cooking, knitting, crocheting, and playing cards (like canasta, whist, and pitch). She also loved playing clarinet, snowmobiling, bicycling, and sledding down hills at the Grand River while the family was ice fishing.

Marie graduated from McLaughlin High School in 1977. She attended Bismarck Junior College where she studied agriculture for two years. She returned to McLaughlin and farmed with her father along with working as a dental assistant in town. As her passion for dentistry grew, the local dentist encouraged Marie to go back to school and study a field in dentistry.

She attended Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, South Dakota to become a dental lab technician. She then moved to Sioux Falls to work as a technician.

She later attended the University of South Dakota in Vermillion where she became proficient as a dental hygienist. While studying dentistry, she formed some lifelong friendships and had many adventures.

Marie had a heart of gold and was a very generous person. She liked to buy a lot of Christmas presents and enjoyed playing “Santa Claus” by passing out her gifts from under the tree. She loved playing bingo with her nieces and nephews and giving them prizes. She also loved playing practical jokes on her family.

Marie moved to Albert Lea, Minnesota after college and worked as a dental hygienist in a private practice for 14 years. Even though she loved dentistry, she eventually retired due to the toll it was taking on her neck, back, and wrists. In her retirement, she lived in Spearfish and Rapid City, South Dakota.

As an adult, Marie loved listening to a wide variety of music including Elvis, streaming religious videos (especially Father Chris Alar), plus watching westerns (starring John Wayne and Clint Eastwood) and comedies (featuring Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin). She was an avid rosary maker. She not only kept her family well stocked but also donated many of her finished masterpieces to people in need.

Marie was preceded in death by her father Bob Mizera, Sr. She is survived by her mother Minnie Mizera, nine siblings – Susan Mizera, Carol (Mike) Mizera-Amick, Lila (Trent) Richards, Linda Mizera, Patty (Bruce) DeMers, Becky (Tom) Heinen, Bob, Jr (Candice) Mizera, Bruce Mizera, and Ken Mizera, eight nieces and nephews, and numerous grand nieces and nephews.

Marie will be deeply missed by her family and friends, but always remembered with love. God has taken her home, and we will see her again in paradise.

 

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