Neva Maas, age 83, of Yale, died Monday, April 6, 2015, at Good Samaritan Center in De Smet. Her funeral service was at 10:30 AM Friday, April 10th at Bethel Church, rural Yale. Burial was in the Restlawn Memory Gardens Cemetery.
Neva was born November 20, 1931, to Eli and Marie Walter at their farm northeast of Yale. She attended Yale School and graduated in 1949. She married Ralph Maas on June 19, 1949. From this union four children were born: Dean, Cindy, Melodie and Marcia. Neva was baptized in the James River July 28, 1957 and was a member of the Bethel Church. Her faith was important to her and she enjoyed attending church whenever she was able.
Throughout her married life she held various jobs that included farm wife, nursing aide at the Huron Hospital in the 60's, transit driver for a number of years at the Huron Area Senior Center, and she and Ralph owned and operated the grocery store in Willow Lake for a few years. She enjoyed playing cards, bingo, sewing, and spent many hours making quilts.
No other role was more important to her than being a compassionate caregiver to her husband Ralph after his stroke in 1990. For 19 years, her devotion and undying love for him was very evident. The last four years of her earthly journey were spent in the loving care of the amazing staff at the Good Samaritan Center in De Smet.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her brothers, Byron Walter and Raymond Walter in infancy.
Grateful for the privilege of sharing her life are her children, Dean (Peggy) Maas of Huron, Cindy Kuecker of Maricopa, Arizona, Melodie (Ken) Decker of Yale, and Marcia (Kevin Raap) Hiles of Andover; nine grandchildren, Travis (Aurie) Maas, Melissa (Bryan) Brinkman, Kristin (Bryan) VanOverschelde, Brandon Kuecker, Brent Kuecker, Britt (Brad) Bontems, Misty (Brandon) Heck, Chelsea (Bubba) Hildebrandt, and Taylor (Tracy Johnson) Hiles; nine great-grandchildren, Kuper, Kenlea and Korbi Heck, Ty, Izzy and Alyza Brinkman, Nicholas and Blake Maas, and Cash Bontems; and a very loving sister, Marilyn (Albert) Decker of Huron. She will be dearly missed.