Alma Heckel, age 91, of Huron, died Thursday, December 31, 2015, at her residence. Her funeral service was held at 11 AM, Friday, January 8th, at Riverview United Methodist Church. Burial was at 11 AM, Saturday, January 9th, in the Rosehill Cemetery at Parker. Memorials may be directed to the Alzheimer's Association or the Special Olympics.
Alma Schmidt Heckel was born September 26, 1924, at Hurley, South Dakota to Henry and Nettie (Duerksen) Schmidt. She attended school in Hurley.
On July 9, 1944, Alma married Alvin Heckel on her family farm near Hurley.
She enjoyed baking, cooking, scrapbooking, and entertaining friends and family. When Alvin was a school administrator, she hosted all of the school staff and their spouses each year.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Alvin; three brothers, Calvin Schmidt, Harry Schmidt, and Otto Schmidt in infancy; and two sisters, Alvina Poppe and Leona Griffin.

Grateful for having shared in her life are her five children, Boyd (Maureen) Heckel of Huron, Vicki (Jim) Hamblet of Ramsey, Minnesota, Vaughn (Peggy) Heckel of Spearfish, Dane Heckel of Ronan, Montana, and Debbie (Jeff) Blackledge of Stronghurst, Illinois; seven grandchildren, John (Jonda) Heckel of Shakopee, Minnesota, Chris (Alan) Reither of Oakdale, Minnesota, Farah (Stein) Rosburg of Anoka, Minnesota, Melissa Heckel of Spearfish, Joshua Blackledge of Stronghurst, Illinois, Brittany Blackledge of Stronghurst, Illinois, and Jonathan (Chelsea) Heckel of Brookings; eight great-grandchildren, Karson and Dalton Reither, Elizabeth, Rachel and Sarah Heckel, Miles and Parker Rosburg, and Ethan Heckel; and her siblings, Della Fogelman of Sioux Falls, Grace (Charles) Stratton of Burnsville, Minnesota, Blondina Ferguson of Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, Raymond (Lori) Schmidt of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and Norma Sherard of Tualatin, Oregon.