Iona Salmen

Sadly, we lost our beloved mother and best friend on Saturday, September 18th.

Iona was born August 20, 1930, at Strasburg, ND, to Andrew and Frances (Scherr) Lipp. The family moved to Fruitdale, SD, when Iona was 8 years old. She attended grade school at Fruitdale and high school in Nisland. She worked as a cook and waitress at the Tri-State Café in Belle Fourche for several years. Iona married Robert George Salmen in Belle Fourche on January 21, 1950. They lived in Belle Fourche until 1955 when they moved to Sturgis where she has resided since.

Iona was very loving, generous, a great cook, and was loved by all who knew her. She particulary loved taking care of others. Iona was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church and was very active in Meade County Relay For Life. She lived for her husband and children, providing them with a fun and happy home.

Iona and Bob had eight children: Wanda (Glen) Schummer of Vale, SD, and sons, Jason, Jeremy, and Justin; Kathy (Marlin) Anderson of Black Hawk, SD, and sons, Sean and Chad (now deceased); Jean (Doug) Mailloux of Vale, SD, and children, Toby and Deana; Cindy (John) Sinclair of Goodman, MO, and children, Chad, Tracy, and Christy; Karen Salmen of Black Hawk, SD; John (Lydia) Salmen of Las Vegas, NV; Mark (Michelle) Salmen of Denver, CO, and children, Nik, Zach, and Sydney; and Laurie (Darrell) Brink of Gillette, WY, and children, DJ, Blayne, and Cami. She had eleven great-grandchildren. She is also survived by two sisters, Mildred Schmidt, Belle Fourche, and Lorraine, Hale, Albuquerque, NM. Honorary family members are Steve, Sandy, Molly, and Brady Buchholzthank you so much for taking such good care of our mother. A special thank you to Father Kari for his loving care.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; four brothers, Mike, John, Al, and Leroy Lipp; and four sisters, Ann Wald, Regina Stoppell, Eva Lipp, and Barbara Lipp.

Visitation will be Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. with a rosary beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Kinkade Funeral Chapel.

Mass of Christian burial will be held on Wednesday, September 22, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church with Father Arnold Kari officiating. Private family inurnment will be held at St. Aloysius Cemetery.

Memorials have been established to the American Cancer Society Relay For Life - http://www.cancer.org/, and the Lippold Hospice Suite of the Sturgis Regional Hospital.