Darlene "Dee" Williams

Darlene “Dee” Williams, age 74, of Mission Hill, South Dakota, died on Friday, January 7, 2022 at Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Funeral services are 10:30 AM, on Thursday, January 13, 2022 at Discovery Church in Yankton, South Dakota with Reverend Cory Kitch officiating.  Burial will be in the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Yankton.  Visitation is from 4:00 to 7:00 PM, on Wednesday, January 12 at Wintz & Ray Funeral Home in Yankton with a video tribute and time of sharing at 6:00 PM.  Visitation will continue one hour prior to the funeral at the church. Pallbearers are Bradley Williams, Brian Williams, Shawn Williams, Kory Bierle, Tom Slowey, and John Yaggie.  Honorary pallbearers will be her grandchildren. Darlene was born January 31, 1947 in Yankton, South Dakota to Everett E. and Alberta Mae (Johnson) Dilts.  She grew up in Elkader, Iowa and Yankton, graduating from Yankton High School in 1965.  After school, she attended Sioux Valley Nursing School in Sioux Falls.  She met Keith Williams while doing volunteer work in high school at the Human Services Center and on July 7, 1967, they were married in Yankton.  After their marriage, Dee finished nursing school and they moved back to the Williams family farm at Yankton and then to Mission Hill in 1976.  She worked as a nurse her entire life.  Dee spent 27 years working at the Human Services Center in Yankton.  She then worked at various nursing homes in the area, including Freeman, Menno, Irene, and Wakonda.  Finally, Dee spent the last 12 years working at the Infirmary at Sacred Heart Monastery.  She referred to the sisters as her extended family, retiring on June 29, 2020.  Dee was a faithful member of Discovery Church and enjoyed the fellowship of her church family.  She was also very active in 4-H when her children were younger.  Family was everything to Dee.  She adored her husband, Keith, and they were always together.  She loved riding on the motorcycle with him, enjoyed off-road trail driving/racing, camping, hunting, seeing our beautiful country on horseback, and working with wildlife conservation groups. Dee is survived by two children: Dawn (Rick) Sawtell of Mission Hill and Ryan (Jennifer) Williams of Yankton; nine grandchildren: Erik (Rose), Shaun, Chris (Chelsie), Brandon, Dalton, Nathan, Samantha, Ellison, and Kinsley; eight great grandchildren: Gavin, Cooper, Cambrie, Carson, Lily, Tora, Oakley, and Marley; brother, Jackie (Shirley) Dilts of Florida; brother-in-law, Clifton (Lindy) Williams of Irene; and several nieces and nephews. Dee was preceded in death by her parents; husband of 48 years, Keith, on October 7, 2015; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Kenneth and Mary Williams; and sister-in-law, Linda Dilts.  

VIDEO TRIBUTE

 

FUNERAL SERVICE:

The live stream of Dee's funeral can be found on our Facebook page which will be available to watch approximately five minutes before the service begins.  Click the link to our page: https://www.facebook.com/WintzRay