Florence Beier, 89
Florence (Sulack) Beier, 89, passed away Nov. 28, 2024 at Oakview Terrace in Freeman, S.D. A funeral was held Friday, Dec. 6 at Bethany Mennonite Church in Freeman, with Pastor Shane VanMeveren officiating. Burial was at the Freeman Cemetery.
Florence was born on Jan. 10, 1935 in Winona, Minn. to Stephen and Glee Sulack. She joined siblings William, Charles, Anna, Stephen Jr., Roy and John. Richard and Mary eventually completed the family. During her childhood years, Florence was taught to help run the household by gardening, canning produce, cooking, baking, cleaning and doing laundry. She also learned the art of sewing and enjoyed making clothes for herself. Florence graduated from Winona High School in 1953 and soon began her employment as a bookkeeper at the Watkin’s Corporation office.
Attending church and having a faith in Christ was important to Florence. She enjoyed singing in the choir and in a quartet with her sister Mary at the 1st Baptist Church where she was a member. A new pharmacist, Bruce, moved to town and began attending 1st Baptist Church. Bruce and Florence became acquainted, fell in love, and were married on Feb. 16, 1957 in Winona. Through this union they were blessed with three sons: Scott, Donald and John.
Florence was a devoted wife and mother. She raised these three little boys while they moved to Minneapolis so that Bruce could continue his education to become a dentist at the University of Minnesota. In 1965, Bruce and Florence moved their family to Freeman to be close to Bruce’s mother and to open his private dental practice. Florence took care of the boys and helped with the dental office as much as she could.
Raising three boys that were athletic and involved in many sports helped influence Florence to love sports. She would make steak and potatoes for the boys to eat before each of their games. She was faithful at attending all of her son’s games, sporting events, and music concerts.
Florence loved to entertain guests and family at their home. She loved to bake … especially at Christmas time and would share her goodies with neighbors and family. She loved chocolate and hid it in various places in the house so that it wasn’t a temptation to her husband. She loved to decorate for every season. She loved to watch and listen to birds. She loved playing board games with her granddaughters and taking them shopping. Florence was kind, selfless, and never complained.
Florence was a member of the Bethany Mennonite Church in Freeman where she was supportive of the many church projects and ministries within the church. She was faithful in raising her family to attend church each Sunday and on Wednesday evenings. Florence helped teach her sons to work hard, to be responsible, to show respect toward others, and to be careful to not draw attention to yourself and your accomplishments but rather to live a quiet and respectful life.
Florence was preceded in death by her husband, Bruce; her parents, Stephen and Glee Sulack; brothers, William, Charles, Stephen Jr., and Roy; and her sister, Anna.
Florence is survived by her three sons: Scott (Peggy) Beier of Sioux Falls, S.D., Donald (Deb) Beier of Freeman, John (Donna) Beier of Cherokee, Iowa; six grandchildren: Garrett (Kara) Beier of Crystal Lake, Ill., Darcie (Austin) DuFrain of Platte, S.D., Bethany (Carlos) Soto of Cherokee, Iowa, Kristen (Ross) Peterson of Cleghorn, Iowa, Melissa (Daniel) Patterson of Nevada, Iowa, Nichole (Joshua) Anderson of Cherokee; and 12 great-grandchildren: Otis and Ivy Beier, Brenna and Benton DuFrain, Curtis, Moses, and Bruce Soto, Elias, Emma, and Rosalyn Peterson, and Liam and Noah Patterson. She is also survived by her sister, Mary and her brothers, John and Richard.
