1916
Stanley
2009
Stanley Heath
October 25, 1916 — June 11, 2009
Funeral services for Stanley V. Heath, age 92, of Milbank, and formerly of Sisseton, SD, will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, 2009, at the Central United Methodist Church in Milbank. The Reverend Mark Phillips will officiate. Stan died on Thursday, June 11, 2009, at the Golden Living Center in Milbank. Family members are asked to meet in the new church parlor by 12:30 p.m. Saturday to attend services. Visitation will be from 4-6 p.m. Friday at Emanuel-Patterson Funeral Home, and at the church Saturday one hour before the service. The organist will be Carol Ydstie, and special music will be presented by Jonathan and Carol Ydstie. Honorary pallbearers will be his coffee buddies and members of the Milbank Kiwanis Club. Active pallbearers will be Daryl Halvorson, Tom Goetz, Gary Lindeman, Marvin Hopewell, Doug Fraasch, and Norm Patterson. Burial with graveside military rites will be in the Valley View Cemetery at Browns Valley, MN.
Stanley was born on October 25, 1916, at Sisseton, SD, to Floyd and Pearl (Toftum) Heath. He attended grade school in Sisseton and graduated from Sisseton High School in 1934. As a young boy, he worked odd jobs such as mowing yards and cleaning basements.
He started working for J.C. Penney in 1929, cleaning store windows, sweeping the walk, and marking goods. In 1930 he was given a sales book and went to work on the sales floor. He worked there during his high school years.
After his high school graduation, he went to the Black Hills into a Civilian Conservation Corps (C. C. C.) Camp, named Camp Narrows, at Blue Bell, SD, where he worked for six months. He returned to Sisseton and worked part-time for J.C. Penney during the remainder of the 1930s and also worked at WNAX gas station. He also worked at P.L. Stavig's Clothing Store, at the cream station washing cream cans for Wes Laing, and drove the drying cleaning route for Bob Krogstad.
Stan was united in marriage to Willda Weeks on March 13, 1942, at her parent's farm home near Browns Valley. The couple then went to the east coast where Stanley was stationed until he went overseas. Willda returned to Ortonville, MN, where she worked as a nurse.
He served his country in the United States Army from April 7, 1942, until his honorable discharge on November 18, 1945. Stan served in the following battles and campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, the Ardennes, the Rhineland, and Central Europe, i.e., the Battle of the Bulge. He received the Good Conduct medal in 1943, the American Theater Service medal, the European African Middle Eastern Theater Service medal, and three overseas service bars. He was chief clerk in the personnel section where he prepared payrolls, enlisted member service records, and wrote company history. The last two weeks of his service, he worked as a clerk in General Patton's office.
Upon returning to Sisseton, he opened Woodward Store on December 12, 1947. It was a men's, ladies', and children's store with a shoe department. It was consolidated in 1955 with C.R. Anthony Company of Oklahoma City. Stanley and his wife managed the store until their retirement on December 30, 1978. They moved to Milbank in 1982.
Willda died on August 18, 1991.
Stanley was a member of the Central United Methodist Church in Milbank. He was a past vice-president and president of the Sisseton Kiwanis Club. He was especially proud of his fifty year plus perfect weekly attendance at Kiwanis meetings. He had been a member of the Milbank Kiwanis Club since 1982 where he was chairman of several Kiwanis committees. He enjoyed attending the weekly meetings of Kiwanis Clubs in the area. In Milbank, Stan was "Mr. Kiwanis!" During the annual calendar sale, he was always the top salesman while his health permitted. He "lived and breathed" Kiwanis.
He is survived by two sisters, Mona Gravdal and Doris Knutson, both of New Effington, SD; and three nieces, Marlys Ercink and husband John of Lake City, SD; Jayne Nissen and husband Ronald of New Effington, SD; and Gayle Bruyere and husband Randy of Eau Claire, WI.
Stan was preceded in death by his parents and wife Willda.
Stanley was born on October 25, 1916, at Sisseton, SD, to Floyd and Pearl (Toftum) Heath. He attended grade school in Sisseton and graduated from Sisseton High School in 1934. As a young boy, he worked odd jobs such as mowing yards and cleaning basements.
He started working for J.C. Penney in 1929, cleaning store windows, sweeping the walk, and marking goods. In 1930 he was given a sales book and went to work on the sales floor. He worked there during his high school years.
After his high school graduation, he went to the Black Hills into a Civilian Conservation Corps (C. C. C.) Camp, named Camp Narrows, at Blue Bell, SD, where he worked for six months. He returned to Sisseton and worked part-time for J.C. Penney during the remainder of the 1930s and also worked at WNAX gas station. He also worked at P.L. Stavig's Clothing Store, at the cream station washing cream cans for Wes Laing, and drove the drying cleaning route for Bob Krogstad.
Stan was united in marriage to Willda Weeks on March 13, 1942, at her parent's farm home near Browns Valley. The couple then went to the east coast where Stanley was stationed until he went overseas. Willda returned to Ortonville, MN, where she worked as a nurse.
He served his country in the United States Army from April 7, 1942, until his honorable discharge on November 18, 1945. Stan served in the following battles and campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, the Ardennes, the Rhineland, and Central Europe, i.e., the Battle of the Bulge. He received the Good Conduct medal in 1943, the American Theater Service medal, the European African Middle Eastern Theater Service medal, and three overseas service bars. He was chief clerk in the personnel section where he prepared payrolls, enlisted member service records, and wrote company history. The last two weeks of his service, he worked as a clerk in General Patton's office.
Upon returning to Sisseton, he opened Woodward Store on December 12, 1947. It was a men's, ladies', and children's store with a shoe department. It was consolidated in 1955 with C.R. Anthony Company of Oklahoma City. Stanley and his wife managed the store until their retirement on December 30, 1978. They moved to Milbank in 1982.
Willda died on August 18, 1991.
Stanley was a member of the Central United Methodist Church in Milbank. He was a past vice-president and president of the Sisseton Kiwanis Club. He was especially proud of his fifty year plus perfect weekly attendance at Kiwanis meetings. He had been a member of the Milbank Kiwanis Club since 1982 where he was chairman of several Kiwanis committees. He enjoyed attending the weekly meetings of Kiwanis Clubs in the area. In Milbank, Stan was "Mr. Kiwanis!" During the annual calendar sale, he was always the top salesman while his health permitted. He "lived and breathed" Kiwanis.
He is survived by two sisters, Mona Gravdal and Doris Knutson, both of New Effington, SD; and three nieces, Marlys Ercink and husband John of Lake City, SD; Jayne Nissen and husband Ronald of New Effington, SD; and Gayle Bruyere and husband Randy of Eau Claire, WI.
Stan was preceded in death by his parents and wife Willda.