Funeral services for Wayne Maier age 57 of McLaughlin, SD, will be at 1 PM MT, Friday, August 28, 2015 at the United Church of Christ in McLaughlin. Burial will be in the Congregational Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Visitation will be from 4-7 PM with a prayer service at 7 PM CT Thursday at the funeral home. Wayne passed near McLaughlin on Saturday, August 22, 2015.

Wayne Albert Maier, 57, was born May 19th 1958 to Audrey (Plunkett) and Albert Maier. He lived in McLaughlin until 1975; this is when he left for school. He was in the culinary arts program at Mitchell Vo-Tech and it is also where he met the love of his life Mary Jo Nuehse; she was in the same program. They got married on July 24, 1976 and they had 39 wonderful years together. During this time they had three children Nathan, Justin and Heather.


Wayne and Mary moved back to McLaughlin, SD in 1978 to manage The Jo Dee Café until it closed in 1992. After the café closed, Wayne worked as a cook at the Dew Drop Inn, as a truck driver at the SD Wheat Growers, and at Cenex. He became a bus driver at the Standing Rock Headstart, in Bullhead, SD, in 2007. He enjoyed working there very much. He also volunteered at the movie theater that his father built. He ran the movies when he was in his teens and again when it had reopened. He enjoyed working at the theater; it made him feel good knowing a Maier was working in the building.


Wayne was a very loving and kind person. He had a strength of will and stubbornness about him that could rarely be matched. He loved his children, siblings, grandchild, and nieces and nephews very much. When he was younger he played the guitar and accordion with his father. They would have jam sessions all the time. He loved playing and listening to music. He also enjoyed watching TV he was the guardian of the remote you know, watching movies, and listening to news commentators on the computer. He really enjoyed fishing, but wouldn't eat the fish, and did a little bit of hunting when his boys were growing up. He loved jet skiing and the family vacations we would take. He loved grilling steaks and burgers and making salads, mostly potato and spaghetti, when family came to visit us. He also loved his animals, but he would have preferred them to be hairless so he wouldn't have to clean up all of the hair. He took pride in the lush green grass and garden that he kept, and oh man, did he love his rhubarb.


He is survived by his wife Mary Maier, his children Nathan (Janel) Maier, Rapid City, SD, Justin Maier, Rapid City, SD, and Heather Maier, McLaughlin, SD. His siblings Lesley Szczepaniak, Clarksville, TN, Glenda (Craig) Redding, Sioux Falls, SD, and Donna (Jack) Sine, Aurora, NE. He is also survived by one grandchild Dorian Maier, Rapid City, SD, one Aunt Donna (Plunkett) Poach, Pelican Rapids, MN, and many nieces and nephews.


He is preceded in death by his great aunt, Sarah Gullickson, sister, Lynne Maier, mother, Audrey Maier, and father, Albert Maier, and his uncles Leo (Fran) Maier and Roy (Thelma) Maier, and James (Barbara) Plunkett and Charles Plunkett.