Gwen Laree Yseth passed away from an unexpected medical emergency on Dec. 31, 2023, at the Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, CO, at the age of 72. She was surrounded by her family.
Gwen Laree Walters was born on Sept. 18, 1951, in Sioux Falls, SD, to Cecil and Darlene Walters. She was united in marriage to Thomas Yseth on Aug.16, 1975 in Brookings, SD. Gwen was Tom’s “everything” and gave her all to her daughters and grandchildren. She loved her family, friends and neighbors.
Gwen is survived and greatly missed by her husband Tom; daughters, Maggie, Kelley (Kyle), and Betsy (Joe); grandchildren, Leni and Leo; sisters, Dale and Sally; brother, Kirk, and many nephews, nieces, grand nephews and nieces.
She was preceded in death by her parents and sister-in-law LeAnn Walters.
Gwen attended Lincoln High School and went on to pursue higher education at South Dakota State University. She started her career at SDSU Ag Communications before owning and operating Horatio’s with her beloved husband Tom and later The Ram and O’Hares. She also worked at and retired from the counseling office at the Brookings High School. Following retirement, she worked at the SDSU Student Union part time. Throughout her career, Gwen’s priority was her family and they always came first.
In her free time, Gwen enjoyed attending SDSU athletic and theater events, gardening, and fishing — always managing to out fish Tom when pan fishing. She was involved in various organizations, including the PTA, SDSU Alumni Association Board, and Habitat for Humanity. She supported the conservation efforts on their farm where they restored wetlands and prairie grasses. She was a member of the National Wildlife Federation. She was actually the one to recruit Tom.
A celebration of life honoring Gwen’s memory will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to any organization that supports the betterment of others or conservation. Gwen’s dedication to helping others was evident in her generous donations to organizations that are too numerous to name.
Condolences may be sent to the family through www.rudesfuneralhome.com.