Lois LaVonne Schuelke, 78, Mud Butte, died Saturday May 27, 2006 at the Sturgis Regional Hospital, Hospice Suite.

Lois was born June 30, 1927 near Bixby, SD to Ira and Ethel (Hadcock) Whitford. She attended the Cottonwood Country School and graduated from Faith High School. She obtained her teaching certificate from Black Hills Normal and taught at the Cottonwood school.

Lois married Bob Schuelke on September 21, 1946 at Broadus, MT, and the couple returned to the ranch.

Lois was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Mud Butte. She was a former member of the township board and was on the election board for rural Meade County.

Survivors include her husband Bob Schuelke, Mud Butte; son Larry and his wife JoEllen Schuelke, Mud Butte; daughters, Darla Schwartz and her husband Rich, Yankton, Sherry Palmer and her husband Reid, Faith, Beth Kennedy and her husband Scott, Philip; also nine grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren; brother, Jesse Whitford and his wife Sue, Sturgis; sisters, Sharon Collins and her husband Neil, Newell, Donna Seymour, Wheatland, WY, Janice Casteel and her husband Clayton, Vale, Betty Poppen, Garden City, SD.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers, Sammy, Myron and Merle Whitford and her sister Corine Hayden.

Rosary and Christian prayer services will be at 7 p.m. today at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Monday, May 29, at the church, with the Rev. John Heying officiating. Burial will be at 3 p.m. Monday at Ben Ash Cemetery near Maurine. Memorials have been established to Mud Butte Volunteer Fire Department and St. Joseph Catholic Church in Mud Butte.