View Service Folder For Mavis


Celebration of her life will be held at the All Saints Catholic Church of Eagle Butte on Saturday October 13 at 10:00. Memorial by Kesling Funeral Home. Rosary and wake services will be Friday Oct 12 @ 7pm, also at All Saints. Burial will be at the Lantry Cemetery.

Mavis Ann (Wright) Schrempp journeyed into this world on June 24, 1935 in Eagle Butte, SD, to CE and Elsie (Ruffcorn) Wright. She was born during the great depression of the 30's when the dust covered the fences and obscured the sun. She was kept alive solely by the determination of her mother Elsie, by laying wet sheets over the basinet preventing dust from settling into her infant lungs. She was the oldest of ten siblings and had the responsibility of acting as caregiver for her brothers and sisters while her mother ran the Parade post office and her dad CE worked as a farmer/rancher.

She graduated in 1953 from Eagle Butte High School and attended business college in Aberdeen that same year. She was working in Pierre at the Capitol as a secretary for the water dept., before uniting in marriage with her love, Dean Schrempp, Dupree 1955. She then moved back to Lantry area to start a family.

Mavis was a beautiful wife; and the couple was blessed with 8 children. Also taking in a nephew when his own mother passed away, whom they raised as their own son. Not only was she a wonderful pioneer mother and spouse to her high school sweetheart and soulmate, she was also an extremely talented artist and well-read world traveler. Her love of books lead her on many exotic adventures as did her love of art. To name a few of these legendary cities: Athens, Greece; Paris and Loudes France; The Vatican in Rome; Naples, Italy; Zurich, Switzerland; Munich, Germany; China and the Great Wall; and The Holylands of Jerusalem. She told stories of walking in the same footprints as the Lord, while seeing bombing in the distance. She was a brave woman not afraid to venture out on her own.

She excelled as a co-partner of a working ranch while maintaining a beautiful home filled with fresh flowers and garden grown meals, decorated with her own watercolor paintings and ceramics fired in a kiln in her art studio. She loved raising children and learned at an early age how to let the children be self-reliant and learn the responsibility of caring for one another while preforming the never-ending farm chores and caring for all the animals. She always encouraged her children to seek the most of their abilities and to follow their dreams. where ever they may lead, that your roots do not always determine where or how you blossom.

Her priority in life was her family, which was awarded Family of the Year by the Knights of Columbus in 2012. After children were raised, she volunteered at the Heritage Museum in Pierre restoring antiques while Dean was involved with state duties. She was awarded South Dakota Mother of the Year in 1998 which was presented in the rotunda of the Pierre Capitol. She declined the National position as she thought she needed to be home with the family.

Grateful for sharing her life is her husband of 63 years Dean and their children, Dakotah-John (Barb), children Jennifer, Kelly -Susan (Stacey) Roselles, children Jon – Diane Horton, children Christopher, Kalan, Heather, Brittany, Angel- Allen (Mitzi), children Eric, Shanna -David (Robin), children Bradley, Breana -Joe (Tammy), children Jeremy, Ricki, Hunter -Bob (Jodie), children Baxter -Angie Buckley, children Dawson, Alex. Along with 11 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and brother, Johnny.

Memorial funds will be donated to the Alzheimer's Foundation in honor of Mavis