Nancy A. Stirling-Neuhauser, 88, passed away on December 25, 2022.  Funeral Services will take place at 10:30am, Friday, December 30, 2022 at the Pierre First United Methodist Church with interment following at Scotty Philip Cemetery in Fort Pierre.  Visitation will be held the evening prior from 5:00-7:00pm, concluding with a prayer service at 7:00pm, all taking place at the Pierre First United Methodist Church.

Click HERE to watch Nancy’s funeral service live.

The bells in Heaven chimed the most glorious melody on Christmas Day 2022 as God welcomed Nancy (Hartwell) Stirling-Neuhauser to celebrate her Lord and Savior’s Birthday meeting Him face to face!

Born January 5, 1934 to Mark and Kitty (Sheren) Hartwell, Nancy was the third daughter to what would become a sisterhood of 4 best friends – Lois, Gwen and Judy. She spent her childhood and school years in Pierre, SD. Nancy learned the value of hard work at an early age as she delivered the Capital Journal door to door to help pay for her own piano lessons. Nancy spent much of her youth along the Missouri River learning to fish with her father, Mark and gaining a lifelong love of swimming. In fact, she even spent her teen years as lifeguard at the Pierre Swimming Pool. One of her greatest memories was serving as a Legislative Page for the South Dakota State Legislature at 15 years old.

December 16, 1949, Nancy married Richard Allen Stirling at her parents’ home in Pierre. Although a small, simple living room ceremony, their love would garner a lifetime of adventure. They made their first home on the Stirling Homestead west of Fort Pierre. Although raised as a “City Girl”, Nancy quickly learned and adapted to the ranch life and a life of servantship. She would become the main cook and caretaker to her father-in-law, Allen Stirling and brother-in-law, David Stirling.

In 1950, Dick and Nancy went to work for the Ralph and Clara Eldridge family west of Fort Pierre where they welcomed their first daughter, Kathryn Ada. After a few moves, they returned to the Stirling Ranch to build their herd and their family adding Cynthia Sheren, Julie Ann, Sandra Kay and Allen Lee. Many wonderful lifelong friendships, memories and experiences in the Spring Creek Community would teach Nancy how to garden, sew, tend animals, raise chickens and children and fight rattlesnakes!

March 1964, Dick and Nancy trailed their herd of cattle and five kids over the Oahe Dam to their own ranch in South Hyde County. Upon settling at the Stirling Ranch in Highmore, South Dakota, they would build their home and add three more to their brood – Brett Wayne, Carrie Lyn and Kristen Joy. Nancy worked alongside Dick to nurture their own place as she cultivated many corn fields, branded cattle, mowed alfalfa fields and ran harvest trucks to validate her commitment to the success of the operation.

All of this while serving her community in many capacities. Nancy found herself volunteering to help organizations that would help her children grow to be great community members/leaders and to support the beef industry. She was a 4-H Leader, Jr. 4-H Leader, Sunday School Teacher, and a member of Miriam Women’s Circle, Methodist Women and Eastern Star. She also served on the Hyde County Election Board and was the Secretary/Treasurer for the Dewey Township for many years. In addition, Nancy was a fierce bowling competitor! She enjoyed playing organ for church and family Christmas celebrations.

Nancy loved to promote the beef industry and to teach about the wonderful health qualities of red meat. Nancy helped with the very first National Beef Cook-off, Denver, Colorado in 1975-1976. At that time, Nancy & Dick began a life of devotion to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and to the South Dakota Stockgrowers. Nancy was an active member of the South Dakota CowBelles and would go on to serve as President of the organization in 1982-1983. Nancy and her officer team grew the organization to 28 clubs, 574 state members and 254 national members. Nancy served many years on the committee for the National Beef Cook-off going on to be Committee Chairperson for the 2005 National Beef Cook-off hosted in Rapid City, SD.

After Dick passed away in 1997 from cancer, Nancy guided her children to take the initiative to start a memorial in honor of Dick. In true Dick and Nancy form, they desired to leave an impact on the community so a Memorial Ranch Rodeo was created to help other families that are fighting cancer. For the past 25 years, the Stirling Family Memorial Ranch Rodeo has given money directly to cancer warriors.

In 1998, Nancy left the ranch and pursued a much more active role in the beef industry. Her devotion to the National Cattlewomen’s Association earned her recognition to eventually lead the organization as National President in 2006. The day she was inducted as President, Governor Michael Rounds would honor her with a day dedicated specifically as “Nancy Stirling Day” at the South Dakota Legislature. Nancy was very proud of her industry and the work they did to promote the ranching/beef community. She gained many friends and special bonds with folks all around the country due to the love of the beef cattle industry. Her theme was “Bee-F Positive – you are not born on this planet to take up space, but you are here to do and to give and to Bee-F Positive, so that when you leave this earth, you leave something good behind.” Following her term as National President, she would return to the South Dakota CattleWomen (formerly SD CowBelles) to serve another term as President.

She also served on the South Dakota Beef Industry Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Board for many terms and was an active promoter not only in South Dakota, but also throughout the United States. Many folks have had the opportunity to try some of the best beef recipes due to Nancy’s cooking expertise. She advocated for the Beef Industry in supermarkets, radio and tv, ensuring families throughout the country knew the value that beef had at the table.

Nancy coined herself a graduate of the School of Hardknocks, Jane of All Trades and Master of None. But, she was never one to be still. In an effort to help provide supplemental income to the ranching operation, Nancy spent many years waitressing at the Fort Pierre Sale Barn, running the Highmore Sale Barn Cafe, serving as Executive Director of the National Buffalo Association, interim Executive Director for the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association and many other hats as the need would arise.

Nancy married Raymond Neuhauser from Rural Haakon County in January 2000. They continued to ranch on Robbs Flat, Midland, SD until 2007 when they moved into Pierre to “retire”. As “Fancy Nancy” always did, she would find herself active in the world around her. She served in many positions throughout the South Dakota Eastern Star including Grand Organist. In addition, she led her HOA, was active in the Pierre Senior Center and as an active member of the Pierre United Methodist Women and loved gathering on Tuesday evenings with her Beloved Wine Buddies!

None of these titles or roles were ever more important as that of being wife, mother to her eight children, grandmother of thirty grandchildren, great grandmother to fifty-nine great grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren. She loved hosting family gatherings, attending school activities, sporting events and rodeos of her children and her grands. The gatherings at the Stirling Ranch and Nancy’s fabulous holiday feasts are etched in the minds of all that attended. Her family cabin in the Black Hills of South Dakota was her special sanctuary for finding peace and joy with her dear ones. Many family memories are held closely to hearts because of the warm welcome that Nancy always presented.

A life well lived and loved is the best way to describe Nancy Stirling-Neuhauser’s life. Those who are left to carry on her legacy are her children: Kathy Heezen – Miller, SD; Julie (Rodney) Fieldsend – Sioux Falls, SD; Sandy (Randy) Sivertsen – Ree Heights, SD; Allen (Fran) Stirling – Fort Pierre, SD; Brett (Rhonda) Stirling – Hemingford, NE; Carrie (Tom) Kelly – Gardendale, TX; Kristen (Mike) Grant – Whitewood, SD; and her thirty grandchildren, fifty-nine great grandchildren and six great great grandchildren and Nancy’s husband, Raymond Neuhauser. In addition, her sister-in-law Maxine Stirling, the Stirling & Hartwell nieces, nephews and cousins, and Raymond’s children: Randy (LeAnn), Darwin (D), Clayton (Mary) & Craig.

Just ten days shy of her 89th birthday, she was greeted at Heaven’s Gates by her husband, Dick; her precious daughter, Cyndi Scott and Cyndi’s infant son Chad Scott; mother and father Kitty & Mark Hartwell; sisters/brother-in-laws – Lois (Ernie) Stephenson, Gwen (Frank) Williams, Judy (Paul) Ove, baby brother Chucky Bob and sister Sheren, Dick’s siblings: Robert (Peggy) Stirling, Harold (Doris) Stirling, Lawrence Stirling, Dorothy (Ken) Fratzke, and David Stirling; and a host of nieces and nephews.

Memorial Funds can be directed to the Stirling Family Memorial Ranch Rodeo – www.stirlingfamilyranchrodeo.com.

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