Barbara (Bobby) Louise Wiest Staton

Barbara (Bobby) Louise Wiest Staton was born on February 10, 1923 in Camp Crook SD. Mom died May 19, 2016 while in Rapid City Regional Hospice House surrounded by her family. Mom was the second of five children born to Paul A. Wiest and Barbara Martin Wiest.

Mom was delivered by a Doctor that traveled to Camp Crook in a Model T Ford from Newell during a snow storm. Roadways in those days were a mere dirt trail across the prairie. The Doctor had a successful delivery even though he had a broken arm. She was quite proud of the historic beginning of her wonderful life in the western South Dakota plains. She was quite young when her Father moved the family to Newell where he became the US Post Master. She graduated Valedictorian from Newell High School and went on to attend Business School in Rapid City. Not long after Business School she went to work for what eventually became First Federal Savings & Loan where she worked until her retirement in 1985.

Mother and Dad (William H. Staton) were married in 1943 and lived for a brief time in Denver Colorado. They returned to Rapid City as Dad went to work for Ivan Landstrom selling Black Hills Gold Jewelry on the road. Sometime later Dad accepted a job as manager of the appliance department for Sears & Roebuck in Rapid City. Not many years later, life changed immensely as Dad was diagnosed with polio and was taken during a winter blizzard to the hospital in Hot Springs where he stayed for a year and a half. Mom traveled to visit him each weekend. We kids had a hard time understanding the full impact to our family life – Mom now had vastly expanded roles to fulfill. She did just as the wedding vows state "hang in there thru thick and thin" or something close to that. She became Dads life-long support helping him with many daily requirements. Over time Dad regained some mobility, then with her support he graduated from college and went on to have a successful career in the life insurance field. During these times Mom continued to work at First Fed Savings as well as help with Dad's care and raise 4 children. She never complained, even when Dad would turn her into his carpenter or plumber. Prior to Polio, Dad was quite handy (He and his Dad built our first house). There were numerous projects that Dad would dream up and elicit Mom to build.

Mom & Dad very much enjoyed their monthly bridge club meetings and also their involvement in the React Communication unit of the Shrine Club.

Dad passed on in 2001 and Mom has carried forward their basic premise for a good life – that above all, a close Family is most important. They both taught us quite well and we will carry that forward to the following generations.

Mom was very active in the Congregational Church women's groups, cooking and serving meals during church bazaars, knitting and crocheting items to be sold, knitting prayer shawls, baking for funerals and working in the kitchen. She developed many very dear friends during the many active years at the church. During her working career she belonged to BPW (Business and Professional Women) and the Zonta Club.

Being a business graduate, she was a stickler for proper English and sentence structure. Very often she would comment about the unfortunate lack of review and correction prior to publication of numerous articles that would show up in our local paper. Just in the last month she repeated the threat that she may offer to volunteer at the Journal proofing all articles prior to printing, then she would acknowledge that perhaps someone younger should take on that chore.

Mom is survived by son Dan Staton (Kathy), daughter Peggy Eckholm (Roger), Daughter Janelle Pompy (Roy Wells), daughter Valerie Staton, 12 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren. She is also survived by numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins.

A visitation will be held from 5:00pm until 7:00pm, Wednesday, June 1, 2016 at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home.
A funeral service will be held at 2:00pm on Thursday, June 2 at the First Congregational United Church of Christ.
Entombment will be at Pine Lawn Memorial Park.