DeVona Fae Engebretson

DeVona Fae Engebretson passed away on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at Good Samaritan Luther Manor in Sioux Falls. She was born on May 11, 1933 in Sherman, South Dakota, to Oscar and Lucile (Hollister) Nesheim. When she was a young child, the family lost their small trucking business in Sherman to fire and moved to the Hollister farm in Highland Township for several years before settling on a farm of their own a few miles away. She was confirmed at Highland Lutheran Church, Highland Township and graduated from Jasper High School, Japser, Minnesota in 1951. She lived and worked in Sioux Falls for several years after high school. DeVona and Roger Engebretson were married in 1956. They attended the same country grade school in Logan Township and reconnected as young adults at the Arkota Ballroom in Sioux Falls where they shared a love of music and ballroom dancing. They lived and farmed on the Engebretson family farm in Highland Township and raised five children: Cheryl (Steven) Holzapfel, Warren, Beth (James) Plahn, Gary, and Cathy (Daniel Rux) Engebretson.

DeVona will be remembered for her lifelong passion for community service and learning; she especially enjoyed teaching and mentoring kids. She taught hands-on science to over 2000 kids in Sioux Falls through a summer program of the Minnehaha County Extension service and was a 4-H Club Leader for over 20 years. She was active at Zion Lutheran Church in Garretson where she represented the congregation at the regional conference of Women of the ELCA, was an officer in the Zion Lutheran Church Women organization and taught Sunday School. She was an officer in the Garretson American Legion Auxiliary and was twice named Legionette of the Year.

DeVona had a green thumb and loved tending to tropical houseplants and her favorite rose bush. She also raised a massive vegetable and fruit garden and enjoyed watercolor painting.

She leaves 4 children, 6 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild, as well as her brother and sister-in-law, Dale and Bobi Nesheim. She was preceded in death by her husband, Roger, son Warren, and brother and sister-in-law Larry and Mary Nesheim.

Funeral services will begin at 10:30 AM Friday, May 1, 2026, at Zion Lutheran Church in Garretson. Interment will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 5-7:00 PM Thursday at the Minnehaha Funeral Home, Garretson. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Zion Lutheran Church building fund.