PIERRE, SD –

Rochelle Elaine Wilcox Willert “Rocky” Oakland passed away on Tuesday, December 5th surrounded by family at Highmore Health Care in Highmore SD. A visitation will be held on Monday, December 11th from 5:00pm-7:00pm at Isburg Funeral Chapel in Pierre with a prayer service and rosary starting at 7:00pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00am on Tuesday, December 12th at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Pierre. For those unable to attend the services they will be live streamed on this page the day of service.

Rochelle was born on September 20, 1942 at Cheyenne Agency, South Dakota on the old Cheyenne River Indian Reservation to Floyd and Katherine (Livermont) Wilcox. Rochelle was the second of eight children.

Rochelle and her siblings attended many different schools in the state while her father worked construction. Together with her sisters she attended several grade school years at St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain. During her high school years, she attended school in Murdo, Mitchell and finished at Kadoka. While at Kadoka she and her sister, Jackie, worked at the truck stop and it was there that she met and married Robert Willert December 1960 in Deadwood, SD. To this union two children were born, Bobby and Shana. They made their homes in Kadoka, Winner and Pierre. In March 1992 Rochelle married Michael Oakland and their family grew with Michael’s sons, Brett and Brian.

Rochelle was active with the children during their grade school years volunteering and attending all of their events she could. She sold Avon products and eventually moved into a career of banking. She worked at many banks in Pierre including First National Bank, First Federal Savings & Loan and BankWest. Prior to her full retirement Rochelle worked at Wal Mart when it opened, hiring many of the first Wal Mart employees.

One of Rochelle’s greatest loves was sewing. She sewed and altered clothing for 25 years and had a real talent for tailoring garments to fit her customers perfectly. Her next love was reading along with dancing and fishing.

Rochelle is survived by her husband Michael, her son Bobby Ray, daughter Shana Kay (Sam) Waters; stepsons; Brett (Julie) Oakland, Brian (Jami) Oakland; grandchildren, Tanner Jon Brunskill, Jaxon Rose Willert, Justin (Avery) Oakland, Carly (Gage) Taylor, Michael L. Oakland. Brothers, Ron (Ella) Wilcox and JR (Robin) Wilcox. Sisters; Cheryl Holvig, Gloria (Gary) Brown, Pat (Don) Phillips. Brothers and sisters-in-laws, Ralph and Louise Oakland; Gene and Sonja Oakland; Paul and Jeanne Oakland; Linda Ekle; Kathy and Gary Sehr; Mary and Sterling Heath; Marsha and Troy Young; Pam and Scott Vongroven and Carol Anderson and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents, parents, sister Jaqueline Hoffman, brother Leslie Wilcox, nephews Eric Brown, Richie Hoffman and Chad Holvig. One brother-in-law Norris Ekle.

In lieu of flowers memorials can be directed to Countryside Hospice and PAWS.

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