Barbara Louise Bixler

Barbara Louise (Lilly) Bixler, 68 of Yankton South Dakota, died at her home under hospice care on December 9, 2020. Graveside services will be held at a later date at Riverside Cemetery in Aberdeen, South Dakota.  Arrangements are under the direction of the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home in Yankton, South Dakota. Barbara Louise Bixler was born on February 5, 1952 in Aberdeen, South Dakota to Robert R Lilly and Vera (Grosz) Lilly.  She moved with her family to Albert Lea, Minnesota, Mandan, North Dakota, and Mobridge, South Dakota. They returned to Aberdeen, where she graduated from Aberdeen Central High School in 1970.  She received her Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education in 1973 and Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies in 2004, both from the University of South Dakota.  In 1973, she married Paul Bixler and to this union three children were born:  Sarah, Matthew, and Thomas. They lived on a family farm in Centerville South Dakota, and relocated several times, before settling in Yankton in 1990. Barbara was a lifelong educator. She taught 20 years at Springfield Academy, from 1990 to 2011, where she received numerous awards and recognition for her work with at-risk youth.  Prior to retiring, she worked at Walmart in Yankton, where she was known for her customer relations skills.  She was a lifelong member of the Republican Party, serving in a volunteer capacity in the Yankton office when able.  She was also a champion for issues related to children and adults with disabilities. Grateful for sharing her life are her daughter, Sarah Bixler, of Minneapolis Minnesota; sons Matthew and Thomas Bixler, both of Yankton South Dakota; her mother Vera Lilly of Mitchell South Dakota and formerly of Aberdeen South Dakota; one sister, Bobbie-Ann (Pat) Clark of Mitchell South Dakota, niece; Hilary (Will) Eidsness of Yankton; and nephew, Jordan Clark, of Dallas, Texas. She was preceded in death by her father, Robert R. Lilly, and her former husband, Paul Bixler.

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