Avis Ferwerda Obituary

Avis Ann Ferwerda, 85, of Winner, South Dakota, went to be with the Lord at the Winner Regional Long-Term Care on September 26th, 2024. She passed peacefully of natural causes, surrounded by her family. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, October 3rd, 2024 at 11:00AM at the Winner Methodist Church in Winner, SD. Visitation will be held one hour prior to memorial service. Burial will be held at a later date.
Avis was born in Winner, SD, to Charles and Frances (Devish) Adams, who operated the Adams family farm west of Keyapaha. When Avis was 13, the Adams family farm was featured in Time Magazine (1952) after a large blizzard struck the area. Those photos are still cherished today. Avis completed her schooling in Winner, before furthering her education in Rapid City, SD. Avis was employed at the Agriculture Service Center for 30 years. She made many good friends and memories during her time there.
Avis met the love of her life, Alvin Ferwerda, on the street in front of Dicks Bar where she worked in the evenings. As Grandpa Al tells it "I saw her across the street and thought 'Hell, that's a pretty good-looking Chick!' and the rest is history." They married in October of 1972 in Parker, SD. They found an old preacher's house and asked him to marry them, at the cost of twenty dollars. Al and Avis enjoyed several things together, including but not limited to, dancing at the Carlock, attending the Mollie B Polka Parties when they were in the area, and watching "The Wheel" together every evening.
Al and Avis welcomed one biological son, Jeff, and Al brought his older son Dan to the union. Avis enjoyed caring for her grandkids Derek and Macie after school and in the summers. The best after-school snack at her house was a diet Coke float, cookies, and the ever-constant, even to this day, cosmic or baked brownie. In the last year and a half of her life, her biggest joy and person she looked forward to seeing more than anyone was "the Baaaaaby," one of her great-granddaughters, Charlotte.
Hot toddies at Christmas won't be like they were in the past, but we will share them together all the same.
Avis is survived by her husband Alvin Ferwerda of Winner, SD, as well as her sister Susan O'Donnell of Winner SD, and brother Monte (Kelly) Adams of Hermosa, SD. She is also survived by her two sons, Jeff Ferwerda of Winner, SD, and Dan Ferwerda of Gilbert, AZ. Grandchildren Brittney (Matthew) Bury of Rapid City, SD, Derek (Dusti) Ferwerda of Pierre, SD, Hayden (Riley) Goodwin of Rapid City, SD, Macie Ferwerda (Alex Till) of Winner, SD, Hannah Goodwin of Rapid City, SD, and her great-granddaughters, Blaire and Charlotte, nephews Tommy O'Donnell of Winner,SD, and Tomas (Pam) Lindsey of Warner Robins, GA. This is by no means a comprehensive list of all the people who will dearly miss Avis and carry on her memory.
Avis was preceded in death by her parents Charles and Frances Adams as well as her sister Sharon Lindsey
The family would like to extend a thank you to the amazing staff at the Winner Regional Long Term Care and Winner Regional Health for all the care they provided Avis.