Delores Gronke

Delores Gronke, 84, of Waubay, passed away Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at Bethesda Home in Webster.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30am Saturday, November 8, 2025, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Waubay. Burial will be at the church cemetery.

Visitation will be 5-7pm Friday, November 7, 2025, at Fiksdal Funeral Service.

Delores Frances Gaikowski was born on September 14, 1941, at Waubay to Joseph and Mary (Lewno) Gaikowski. She was baptized and confirmed at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Waubay. She attended country school #206 near the family farm.

On June 26, 1962, she married Ernest Gronke Sr. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Grenville. To this union, three children were born, Ernest Jr., Randall, and Jodi. Delores worked alongside her husband with the farming operation, including milking cows and farming the land. She enjoyed gardening, flowers, playing cards and bingo, but most of all she cherished time spent with her grandkids and great grandkids.

Delores passed away November 4, 2025, at Webster, South Dakota at the age of 84 years, 1 month, and 21 days.

She will be forever missed by her children Ernest (Marilyn) Gronke Jr. of Waubay, SD, Randall Gronke of Waubay, SD, and Jodi (Dari) Schlotte of Webster, SD, nine grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. She is also survived by one brother-in-law and five sisters-in-law. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Ernest Sr. in 2018, four brothers and three sisters.