Leola "Lee" Berding

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Leola “Lee” Berding, 81, of Chester, SD passed away peacefully Tuesday, December 11, 2012 surrounded by her family from complications of a stroke.

A Time of Remembrance with the family present will be held from 1:00 to 4:00 PM Sunday, December 16, 2012 at Minnehaha Funeral Home in Colton, SD.

Memorial services will be held at 1:00 PM Saturday, January 5, 2013 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Kensett, Iowa.

Lee was born February 15, 1931 at Kensett, Iowa to parents Carl and Hazel (Crippen) Jaspers. She lived her first eighteen years around Kensett. Lee then married Victor Berding and they moved to Sheffield, Iowa where they raised five children.

After all five kids were gone; she boldly went to make her own way in life and was successful and happy. The early 80’s found her living in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, thoroughly enjoying big city living. It was there about twenty years ago that she met her last love, Steve Sater and became his significant other and he her’s.

As Steve kept accepting better job offers, she found herself leaving the city life and never looked back. They moved to rural central Minnesota, North Dakota and finally to the Colton, South Dakota area where they found themselves drawn to living on the shores of Brant Lake. To the both of them this was truly heaven on earth.

Lee had many interests and careers. She owned the 65 Drive Inn Restaurant and Unique Antique Boutique on the Highway 65 Turnpike in Sheffield, Iowa. She loved buying and selling antiques. She also had intermittent careers as a Tupperware salesperson and manager as well as a teacher’s aid and librarian while raising her children and being an exceptional homemaker. Lee also enjoyed playing cards, boating, cooking, home decorating and traveling.

Grateful for having shared her life are her children, Victoria Lee Berding, Lancaster, CA; Brad Berding, Chester, SD; Renee (Rich) Strottman, Waterloo, IA; Hal (Gerilynn) Berding, Clear Lake, IA; and Marla (Jeff) Pulkrabek, Amery, WI; grandchildren, Joel (Amy) Berding; Jennifer (Tyler) Halfpop; Matthew Berding; Jordan Strottman; Jocelyn Berding and Haley Pulkrabek; great-grandchild, Shepherd Halfpop; siblings, IvaDene Pavlik; Lowell “Tub” (Della) Jaspers; Donna Olsen; Carl “Bones” (Luella) Jaspers, Jr.; sister-in-law, Jane Wheeler; special four legged friend, Sami and other relatives and friends.

Lee was preceded in death by her significant other and companion, Steve Sater; parents and brothers, Lee Jaspers; Fred Jaspers and Stanley Jaspers; brother-in-law, Bob Olsen and sister-in-law, Leota Jaspers.