DeAnna Hoyer

DeAnna Mae Hoyer, 79, went to her heavenly home on November 5, 2022, four days shy of her 80^th birthday.

DeAnna was born November 9, 1942, at Arlington, SD to Clarence “Kelly” and Eleanor (Ryland) Cleveland.  She grew up at North Preston South Dakota community with her younger brother, David.  She attended country school for seven years, and Lake Preston, SD, public school for five years, graduating in 1961 as valedictorian of her class.  DeAnna married Dale Hoyer on July 22, 1961.  They made their home on a farm southwest of Oldham, SD, where they started their family.  DeAnna became a proud, loving mother to five children.

Faith and community were a big part of DeAnna’s life, attending Oldham Lutheran Church in Oldham, SD, Christian Missionary Alliance in De Smet, SD, and St. John’s Lutheran Church in Howard, SD.  She was very active in all congregations and enjoyed teaching and serving and had a great love for music.  She loved surrounding herself with family and friends, never a stranger to anyone.  As you all know, she lived by the motto, “To Have a Friend, Be a Friend”.  Many days you could find her in the kitchen, so if you stopped by to visit, you wouldn’t go away hungry.  When not in the kitchen, she was always willing to lend a hand out on the farm.

In 2003 DeAnna graduated with an A.A.S. degree in Business Software, and then moved to her own “slice of heaven”, her cabin by the creek in the Black Hills.  She loved family visiting for snowmobiling, skiing, and tubing in the always cold Spearfish Creek in her backyard.  DeAnna’s life revolved around her grandkids and great-grandkids.  She always enjoyed passing on her cooking and baking skills to them, always spoiling them with whatever they wanted to eat.  The distance did not stop her from attending as many of their activities as possible, often traveling back and forth across the state.  Her cabin was in the Hills, but that didn’t change where her heart was.  DeAnna also enjoyed traveling, from visiting her roots in Norway, to the Bahamas and other sunny destinations, always enjoying her time with family and friends.  She also was a skilled seamstress, fixing uniforms, work jeans, and everything in between, even sewing her own wedding dress!

DeAnna’s pride and joy and her greatest rewards were her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids.  Children:  the late Mary (Michael) May of Fort Benton, MT, Clint (Jane) Hoyer of Winfred, SD, Craig (Marla) Hoyer of Oldham, SD, Cody (Rhonda) Hoyer of Oldham, SD, and Clark (Jessica) Hoyer of Colman, SD.

Beloved grandchildren of Granny Dee include:  Tyler and Nicholas (Amanda) May [Mary]; Brandon (Danielle) Hoyer, Krystal (BJ) Kalkman, Skyler Hoyer, and Keaton (Macy) Hoyer [Clint]; Sarah (Cole) Hauge, Hannah Roseland, and Braxton Hoyer [Craig]; Taiden, Tana and Tyce Hoyer [Cody]; Jennilee Hoyer, Jayda Kenyon, and Callyn and Camdyn Hoyer [Clark].  Her adored greats Kaylie May, Charlie and Violet May, Braylon, Beckett, and Merrick Hoyer, Adalynn, Kennaley, and Breanna Kalkman, and Paislee Hoyer.

DeAnna is survived by her four sons and four daughters-in-law, sixteen grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, her brother David (Vicki) Cleveland of Lake Park, NC, and several nephews and nieces.

Preceding her in death were her parents, Kelly and Eleanor, and her daughter, Mary.

Funeral services for DeAnna will be Monday, November 14 at 10:30am at Calvary Free Lutheran Church at Arlington. Burial will be in the North Preston Lutheran Cemetery rural Lake Preston. Visitation will be from 5-7pm on Sunday, November 13, 2022, at Johnson-Henry Funeral Home in Arlington and preceding services at the church on Monday.