Leola Lampy (April 2, 1916 - April 7, 2012)

Leola Helen Pack Lampy

Pierre SD—

Leola Lampy, 96, of Pierre, died Saturday, April 7 at Golden Living in Pierre. Services will be held in Pierre and Watertown. In Pierre, the visitation will be from 6-7pm, Wednesday, April 11 at Isburg Funeral Chapel, followed by a prayer service and coffee at 7:00pm. The Watertown services will be held Thurdays, 4-12-12, 11:00am Visitation at Immaculate Conception Parish 309 Second Ave SE Watertown, SD 57201 11:30am Funeral followed by burial at Saint Mary's Cemetery

Leola was born in her parents’ home across the street from the school in Bryant, South Dakota, on April 2, 1916. She was the fourth child of Murray and Kathryn (Finley) Pack and the granddaughter of Dakota Territory homesteaders from Ireland. She attended school in Bryant for 11 years. She spent her senior year in Luverne, Minnesota, and graduated from Luverne High School on Friday, June 1, 1934. During her school years she took part in church activities, 4-H, oral interpretation, and cheerleading.

Following high school, she attended the Northwest College of Commerce in Huron, South Dakota, completing the secretarial and accounting course of study. In 1935, she was hired by H.H. Humphrey Sr. to “keep the books” for Humphrey Drugstore in Huron. She married Kenneth A. “Dutch” Lampy on Sunday, October 23, 1938, at the Catholic parsonage in Bryant.

She and Dutch moved to Watertown, SD, where she gave birth to their first child on February 8, 1942, two months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. They were blessed with a family of five children—Karon, Mary Lee, Barbara, Russell, and Elizabeth. She and Dutch raised their family in Watertown, enjoying Lake Kampeska and the Muni Golf Course. They were active participants in the parish life of Immaculate Conception church and school. They also enjoyed hunting and fishing in the lakes of northeastern South Dakota as well as vacations in northern Minnesota and the Black Hills. Leola’s family joined her mother, siblings, nieces and nephews many times over the years for holiday dinners and summer picnics.

In 1967, Leola resumed working outside the home and became a library aide at Lincoln Elementary School Learning Laboratory in Watertown. She and Dutch moved to Brookings in 1969, and she began a long and satisfying tenure at Central Elementary School in Brookings, first as a teachers’ aide and then as school secretary for principals Franny Dolan and Wayne Thompson. In addition to giving hundreds of hugs to school children, typing school announcements and correspondence, Leola successfully transitioned from the typewriter to the computer during her years at Central Elementary and was always proud of being “up to date” with her office skills. She was awarded a lifetime membership in SD PTA. She and Dutch were active in St. Thomas More Parish and attended many Jackrabbit athletic events during their years in Brookings.

Upon retirement in 1986 at the age of 70, Leola moved to Pierre to be with children and grandchildren, and spent 26 years enriching their lives in many ways. She was an active member of Sts. Peter & Paul Parish, and was proud to earn her 50-year pin from the Catholic Daughters of America. She worked part-time for several years for the SD Cosmetology Commission; she did volunteer work for St. Mary’s Hospital Auxiliary and the Right to Life office. In 2008 she moved from her beloved apartment on Capitol Avenue, to Dakota Heritage House, an assisted living facility. In January, 2010, she moved into the Golden Living Center, where she was lovingly cared for until her death.

Leola was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth “Dutch” Lampy in 1977, her parents Kathryn and Murray Pack, her siblings Florence Gadsden, Golda Rice, Frances Harmel, and Robert Pack, her son-in-law Ken Schaack, and her granddaughter Amy Karon Schaack.

She is survived by her children, Karon Schaack, Barbara (Monte) Hillestad, Russell (Nancy) Lampy, all of Pierre; Mary Lampy, Sioux Falls; Elizabeth (Jeff) Lechner, Madison; eight grandchildren, including Andrew Lampy, SDSU/Brookings; Jim (Kelly) Pettersen, Madison; Greg Pettersen, Lake Elmo, MN; Jed (Jolene)Hillestad, Rapid City; Eric (Anne) Hillestad, Pierre; Katie (Kevin) Olsen, Des Moines, IA,; Ann (Yohance) Humphery, Eagle River, AK; Jon (Tara) Schaack, Rapid City; and 13 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that Leola’s memory be honored with memorials to Children’s Museum of South Dakota, Attn: Donation, 521 4th Street, Brookings, SD 57006. The Museum is housed in the former Central Elementary building, a place where Leola spent many happy years.

Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family in care of Barbara Hillestad, 612 N. Oneida, Pierre SD 57501.

A complete obituary and online registry is available the the Isburg Funeral Chapels’ website, Isburg Funeral Chapel