Obituary of Shirley M. Weisser

Tripp – Shirley Mae Schelling Weisser, 85, went to her heavenly home Tuesday, January 14, 2025 under hospice care at her home in Tripp.  Funeral service will be Saturday, January 18 at 10:30 am at Zion Lutheran Church in Delmont with burial to follow at 1:00 pm at Graceland Cemetery in Corsica.  Visitation will be Friday, January 17 from 5 to 7 pm, with a 7:00 pm prayer service, at Zion Lutheran Church in Delmont.  Arrangements by Koehn Bros. Funeral Home in Parkston.

Shirley was born November 8, 1939, the oldest of 5 daughters, to John T. and Maybell (Buck) Vander Heiden on the farm near Joubert.  She was united in marriage to Lambert Schelling on January 8, 1960 in Harrison.  To this union, 5 children, Lee, Sheryl, Sheila, Loren and Sarah, were born.  The couple farmed, milked cows and raised their children in the Armour, Delmont and Lake Andes areas.  Even after Lambert’s passing in 1991, Shirley kept the farm going in hopes her son, Loren, would eventually take it over.  Unfortunately, that wasn’t God’s plan as Loren was killed in an automobile accident.  She married LeRoy Weisser on February 28, 1998 and moved onto his farm near Delmont.

Shirley loved her role as a farmwife and homemaker, instilling her hard working work ethic to her children and grandchildren.  She was an avid animal lover who took in numerous strays and fulfilled her grandchildren’s wishes of having horses, goats, lambs, donkeys, dogs and cats.  Her grandchildren have many fond memories of riding the 4 wheeler, horseback riding, gathering eggs, learning how to drive back and forth to the fields and feeding the animals with Grandma.  Shirley spent many hours preparing home cooked meals for her family, friends and the occasional hired help.  Many will remember “you never left Shirley’s house hungry”.  With her generous heart, she shared her homemade pies, bars, breads, soups and fresh garden produce with neighbors and community members.  A yearly tradition was gathering at the farm and freezing sweet corn.  Many relatives and friends received cards for every occasion, which always included a newsy, lengthy letter.  Another passion of Shirleys was visiting relatives and friends in person or with a phone call.  Many were lucky to have received a daily phone call from her.  Shirley treasured her family and faith above all else.  She was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Delmont where she enjoyed singing the hymns.  

Grateful for having shared her life are her 3 children: Lee (Rhonda) Schelling of Brandon; Sheila (Mike) Samsel of Brandon; and Sarah Neugebauer of Parkston; 6 grandchildren: Crystal (Stuart) Stein, Michael (Dana) Schelling, Ashley (Farzin) Farajzadeh, Ryan Samsel, Kayla (special friend, Chase) Neugebauer, and Cole (special friend, Katelyn) Neugebauer; 2 step-grandchildren: Carlee Dather and Oliver Hanson; 6 great-grandchildren: Maci, Madden, Andrew, and Ethan Stein; Ariana and Armin Farajzadeh; 4 sisters:  Dorothy Einerwald of Sioux Falls, Arlene (Piet) den Hoed of San Antonio, Rose Weekly of Platte, and Gladys (Jim) Wells of Pukwana; 2 sisters-in-law, Jean Schelling of Corsica and Betty Powell of Sioux City; a brother-in-law, Ivan Vander Werff of Armour; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Lambert and LeRoy; a son, Loren Schelling; and a daughter, Sheryl Schelling.