Lois E. Buehner

The beautiful spirit of Lois Eileen Buehner (Stanbridge), 89, peacefully took wing and entered Paradise Saturday morning February 6, 2021 from the ICU at Avera Queen of Peace Hospital in Mitchell, South Dakota. Surrounded by her loving husband and three of her four devoted children, she lost her battle with COVID 19. Her kindness and extraordinary selflessness made her life a beautiful love story for those blessed to know her.

Born July 14, 1931 in a sod house in Rocky Ford, Colorado to Rocelia and Ray Stanbridge, she grew up with her older brothers Bob and Mel and her older sister Betty during the Great Depression. They worked the family farm, raised vegetables to sell, and walked the proverbial mile to school. They proudly sacrificed rationed food and goods and planted Victory Gardens like all Americans during World War II. In high school, she was honored to be a cheerleader, drum majorette, DeMolay Sweetheart, and Crystal Sugar Beet Queen.
Sacrificing a full scholarship to study journalism, she married her high school sweetheart. Though it lasted only a year, she said having her daughter Sandy made it all worthwhile. She became the original strong, independent, single working mother in 1950’s Denver. When Ken Buehner moved into the boarding house where she and Sandy lived, he was smitten, but it took several tries to get her to say yes before they were wed October 25, 1956. They bought a small brick house and had two sons, Marvin and Tom, but lost a third, Donald, from complications of pregnancy.

They soon moved to Emery, South Dakota, and after a long winter in a farmhouse without running water, moved to Southern California where their youngest, Joyce, was born. Lois loved the nice weather and chicken dinners at Knott’s Berry Farm just up the road, and she loved serving as Cub Scout den mother, and Girl Scout leader. She treasured the family vacations to fish in Roy Lake, South Dakota, camp in National Parks, and even backpack in the California desert. After 12 years, they returned to South Dakota to establish Buehner Hardware store in Tripp, an all-family enterprise. Unfortunately, financial hardship forced the sale of the store, but they got back up and enjoyed several years in San Antonio, Texas before moving back to Southern California. She continued to work as an office manager until retirement in 1996 when they returned to their house in Tripp.

The Tripp house was the family hub for many reunions, especially for the fireworks festivities every Fourth of July, but they enjoyed trips to Hawaii, Alaska, the Rockies, Pennsylvania, and even to Europe. They had a huge garden and Grandma always made sure the pantry was full of homemade pickles, canned fruits and vegetables, and the freezer was stocked with sausage and ice cream for the grandkids.

Lois loved music and played favorite hymns and boogie-woogie tunes on the piano from memory. Her creative expressions included beautiful cross-stitching, toll painting wooden knick-knacks, Christmas ornaments, and ceramic flowerpots, and especially hand-sewing beautiful quilts for every child, grandchild, and great-grandchild. But her great passion was reading, especially historical fiction such as her favorite series, Little House on the Prairie, that she read as a girl and passed on to her beloved great-granddaughters. She loved her flowers and watching the birds and fireflies from the front porch.

Her love for God and her family was her guiding light. Her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were her pride and joy, and she attended every musical, sports, and milestone event that she possibly could. Her love was unconditional and unwavering as her 65-year marriage to Ken can attest. Though she knew tough times, she always had a good word to share with her calm, sweet voice. She treasured her role as wife and mother, always concerning herself with the welfare of others before herself, and lamented not seeing loved ones during months of quarantine. Even after she and Ken contracted coronavirus at their assisted living facility, she repeatedly admonished us “Don’t worry about me!” Her love-light will always burn bright in our hearts.

Lois was preceded in death by her parents, Mary “Rocelia” (Coon) Stanbridge, Charles Raymond “Ray” Stanbridge, her sister Betty Louise (Stanbridge) Mumaugh, her brothers Robert “Bob” Edwin Stanbridge and Melvin Lloyd Stanbridge, and her son, Donald Gene Buehner.

She is survived by her husband Kenneth Marvin Buehner, her daughter, Sandy (Buehner) Wiese and her husband Brad Wiese, her sons Marvin Buehner and Tom Buehner, her daughter Joyce Buehner, her grandchildren, Cynthia Wiese , Christopher Wiese and his wife Season (Kerrigan) Wiese, Jonathan Wiese and his wife Brenda (Antunez) Wiese, Corissa Buehner, Matt Buehner, Carly Buehner, Jake Buehner, and her great-grandchildren, Sammi Wiese, Emily Wiese, Cassidy Wiese, Oliver Wiese, and Adeline Wiese.

Lois’s family members would like to remind everyone to follow CDC corona virus guidelines until then to prevent any further unnecessary loss of life. Memorial donations may be directed to Feeding South Dakota, Main Street Living, or St. Jude’s Children’s hospital, some of her favorite charities. Please send cards of condolence to Ken Buehner at Avera Brady Rehab and Health in Mitchell, South Dakota.