Roana Jo Ostrom, 74, has gone home, leaving behind a circle of those who loved her.
These few paragraphs cannot hold a life, but they may carry a memory.
Roana's story began in 1941, and unfolded across the years that followed.
Quiet kindness echoes longest.
Roana Jo (Merritt) Ostrom, 74, died, with family by her side, on Friday, November 20, 2015 in Las Cruces, NM. At her request, a private family event, celebrating her life, will be held at a later date in the Black Hills of SD. Born on May 15, 1941 in Deadwood, SD to Joseph Edward and Linnie Mae (Alexander) Merritt. Upon graduating from high school, she married Donald H. Ostrom on May 31, 1959. Together they raised five beautiful and talented daughters in Parker, SD. Roana enjoyed several professions, most importantly the one of homemaker and mother to her daughters, later loving the grandbabies as they arrived. She wrote a column for the Parker New Era, a weekly paper for which she later served as editor, where she shared family recipes and stories. She self-published and shared the collection, "Mother Cooking." She also fondly remembered her time traveling and driving as an over-the-road truck driver and as a departmental secretary at The University of South Dakota, where she retired in December 2006. While living and working in Vermillion, SD, she met her dear friend, Eugene Welch, and upon retirement, they set out on their cross-country RV adventures. Settling in Deming, NM, they enjoyed desert gardening, feeding the quail and deer, and rock hunting on four-wheelers. She recently built a "she shed," where she enjoyed stamping, fiber arts and beading. Her friends and loved ones will forever cherish the many hand-made holiday and birthday cards sent over the years. Always original, stylish and creative, her quick wit endured throughout her lifetime. Thankful for sharing her life are her five daughters Kathy (Terry) Nelson, Vermillion, SD; Kelly (Larry) Alexander, Ft. Myers, FL; Kristy (Jim) Butcher, Kaneohe, HI; Kerry Ostrom, Spearfish, SD; Kammy (Carter) Krumbach, Sleepy Eye, MN; 15 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren, with two more on the way; partner Eugene Welch; sister Linda Matzen; and cousin Glenda Bowens. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother James, and a great-granddaughter.
