Georgia Ann (Herrick) McFarland, 85, passed away Sunday, October 13, 2019, at Regional Hospital, Rapid City, SD.
Georgia was born May 3, 1934, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, to George and Margaret (Martin) Herrick. Her early years were spent in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Her family moved to Ft. Meade, SD, when Georgia was 14 years old.
Georgia graduated from Sturgis Brown High School in May, 1952. She married Glenn McFarland on October 12, 1952, in the Methodist Church of Sturgis. Their first son, Micheal, was born in 1953 while Glenn was somewhere in the Pacific aboard the U.S.S. Boxer. Following his honorable discharge, Glenn and Georgia settled into ranching in west central South Dakota. A brother, Kraig, joined the family in 1955, followed by three sisters, Virginia in 1957, Carol in 1960, and Ranee` in 1964.
After leaving the ranch in 1976, they made their home in and near Belle Fourche. When Glenn passed away in 1999, Georgia moved to Spearfish and then Rapid City. In 2017, she moved to Maryhouse in Pierre, where she continued to be active in the Methodist Church, pursue artistic hobbies, give friendship to all, and was beloved by many.
Georgia was an active member of the VFW Auxiliary, multiple local hospital auxiliaries, the SD Hospital Auxiliary Association, where she held statewide leadership positions, and Lawrence County Women's Shelter Board of Directors. She was a regular volunteer at the Fort Meade Veterans Hospital, Belle Fourche Care Center, the Lawrence County Suicide Hotline and Women's Shelter Crisis Line. She was a lifelong member of the Methodist Church.
Grateful to have shared in her life are her children, Mike (Nancy) McFarland, WY, Kraig (Marcy) McFarland, OK, Gini (Tom) Grannes, SD, Carol (Randy) McFarland McKee, IL, and Ranee (Brian) Haglund, SD; thirteen grandchildren; nineteen great-grandchildren; a special brother-in-law and niece, Larry Heppner and Kathy Heppner, NE; a sister and brother-in-law, Connie and Maurice Grundei, MN; a sister, Edith Knutson, WA; and numerous nieces, nephews, and brothers- and sisters-in-law.
Georgia was preceded in death by her parents, George and Margaret Herrick; her husband, Glenn McFarland; a sister, Helen Heppner; a brother-in-law, Chuck Knutson; and numerous brothers- and sisters-in-law.
A Time of Sharing will take place Friday, November 8, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Kinkade Funeral Chapel, 1235 Junction Ave, Sturgis, SD. The Celebration of Life will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, November 9, 2019, at the Belle Fourche United Methodist Church, 1804 7th Ave, Belle Fourche, SD.
In lieu of flowers, Georgia's family requests gifts to the Georgia Herrick McFarland Memorial.