Anne Rosealita Evinger, 74, Halliday, died on Friday, January 17, 2025 at CHI St. Alexius Dickinson after a year of declining health. Anne’s Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m., Tuesday, January 21, 2025 at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Dickinson, with Fr. Joseph Evinger as celebrant. Interment will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Richardton. Visitation will be on Monday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson with a Rosary and Vigil at 7 p.m. with Deacon Dan Tuhy presiding. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the Mass on Tuesday.
Anne was born November 15, 1950 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Dickinson to Philip and Kathryn (Messer) Reisenauer. She grew up on the family farm southeast of Dickinson, the fourth of six children. Having spoken German as her first language till she was five, she went to St. Joseph’s Grade School in Dickinson and graduated from Trinity High School in 1968.
Her first job was working at Woolworth’s Department Store to raise money for college and to pay for her apartment. She attended college for two years at Dickinson State. Following college, she worked as a telephone operator at Northwestern Bell.
Anne met Linus Evinger on a blind date set up by her brother Phil and Linus’ first cousin, Jerome Haich. They got engaged on October 11, 1972 about three weeks after having met. Anne said she knew by the second date that Linus was the one. They got married at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Dickinson on April 28, 1973. It was springtime and the planting season made for a quick honeymoon in Rapid City. She then moved southwest of Halliday to the family farm that Linus grew up on.
Of the many things Anne loved, gardening, reading, and making meals for a large family were at the top of her list. Her fried chicken and deep-fried turkey particularly were enjoyed by her children. She also passed on to them her mother’s poppyseed bread recipe, which became an Evinger Family Christmas tradition. Anne even attempted to make wine; some turned out, some did not. She made cheese, yogurt, butter, and ice-cream from the milk cows that Linus and the boys milked.
After the two oldest daughters Michelle and Lynette moved away, Anne continued the farmers market they had been in. It was a large garden to say the least, and there were many drives to Dickinson to sell the produce.
One of the biggest successes and challenges Anne did was to homeschool all ten of her children. When she started, it was quite challenging. Homeschooling in the early 1980s was hardly a thing, the internet wasn’t a thing around here yet, good schoolbooks were hard to come by, and most people had never heard of homeschooling. All ten children are utterly grateful for this big sacrifice she and Linus made.
One must not forget the most important and obvious thing about Anne. She was a woman of prayer, a Catholic Christian, and a holy example to many. The daily rosary was a must. She had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. Anthony, St. Anne, and her guardian angel. But most of all, an adoration and love for her Creator, Savior, and Lord, Jesus Christ, particularly to Him in the Blessed Sacrament. Attending Mass and receiving Him in Holy Communion was the food that sustained her through the trials of earthly living.
She was a homemaker to the core. And that is what she did. She was the heart of the Evinger home, and half of what made a legacy of faith-filled children and grandchildren. We will not see the full impact her life has had on many until we see her again with all the angels and saints of God.
She is survived by her husband: Linus of 51 years of marriage; ten children: Sister Michelle Marie of the Community of St. John, Michael (Amanda), Lynette (Andrzej) Noyszewska, John, Gregory (Molly), Jacinta a consecrated virgin of the Diocese of Bismarck, Father Joseph a diocesan priest of the Diocese of Bismarck, Anthony (Colene), Mary (Joseph) Minwegen, and Benjamin (Andrea); grandchildren: Mariam, Matthias, Marella, Marshall, Mariah, Maria, Miles, Isidore, Matilda, Rozalea, Bernadino, Philip, Joan, Andrew, Daniel, Fulton, Giorgio, Jesse, Rachel, and Joshua; her siblings: Marie (Pete) Betchner, Jim Reisenauer, Don (Marlene) Reisenauer, Phil (Debbie) Reisenauer, and Franny (Mary) Reisenauer; in-laws: Ernest (Diane) Evinger, Don (Jean) Evinger, JoAnn Buttler, and Elaine (Tom) Stromswold; many nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents; Linus’ parents, Mathias and Anna Evinger; three miscarriages: Faith, Hope, and Charity; grandchildren: Michaela and Marina Evinger; in-laws: Mathias Evinger Jr., Mary Reisenauer, Modest and Rosemary Ficek, Matt Buttler; and nephew Daniel Betchner.
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