Krista Lynne Cerny (1966-2026)

Krista was a fiercely loving wife, mother, and grandmother. You would be hard-pressed to find her without a good book, or her famous purple nails. Krista Lynne Cerny, 59, of Rapid City, South Dakota, passed away on March 7th, 2026 in Rochester Minnesota due to complications from a procedure.

She was born in Gregory, South Dakota on August 7th, 1966 to Naven and Opal Boes. The 5th of 7 children, Krista came into this world knowing nothing but love. Growing up on a farm meant everyone had a job to do. One of her jobs was to clean the milk tanks. Life on the farm taught her the importance of hard work, which she passed on to her children later in life. Krista attended Burke high school. After high school, she attended Mitchell Vocational Technical College where she majored in secretarial studies. While attending school, she met the love of her life, Steven Cerny.

Krista and Steve were married on July 26th, 1986. A few short years later, on January 8th, 1989, they welcomed their first son, Jeremy. A year later, on August 21st, 1990, they welcomed their second son, Jason. Shortly after, Krista and the family moved to Rapid City, South Dakota, where they still reside today.

Krista spent the majority of her years in Rapid City, being the absolute best wife and mother imaginable. After her sons had grown up and moved out of the house, Krista knew she had a passion for kids and teaching. She became a manager at a local pre-school where she worked for about 7 years. During that time, she forged lifelong friendships with staff, and showed her passion for teaching and caring to hundreds of kids and their families. She even got the opportunity to teach five of her grandchildren.

Krista had a passion for life. Her laugh and smile were infectious and could light up any room she was in. Often referred to as the life of the party, there was never a dull moment when Krista was around. She was incredibly generous and loved her family intensely. She left a mark on everyone that knew here and will be deeply missed for generations to come.

Krista was preceded in death by her sister, Joyce Wilsey; nephew, Steven Wilsey; mother, Opal Boes; father, Naven Boes; grandson, Stetson Cerny, and brother in law, Kenneth Combs,

Krista is survived by her husband, Steve Cerny; son, Jeremy and daughter in law, Jessie Cerny; son, Jason Cerny; sisters, Twila Combs and Lorna Whiting; brothers, Brad Boes, Doug Boes, and Tim Boes; and grandchildren, Nicolas, Jayden, Jack, Scarlett, Aven, and Grayli.

Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, March 19, 2026 at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home. 

Her funeral service will be at 10:00 a.m. Friday, March 20, 2026 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church (1630 Rushmore St.).

Burial will follow at 12:30 p.m. at Black Hills National Cemetery.