Alyce Lenore Mariner

Alyce Lenore (Keffeler) Mariner, 96, died on March 7, 2016 in Rapid City, SD. She was born on November 9, 1919 in Sturgis, SD to Frank and Minnie (Hale) Keffeler. She was a 1937 graduate of Brown High School in Sturgis, graduating as valedictorian and went on to graduate from the National College of Business in Rapid City. She met her husband, Burton Royal Mariner, when he took a room at her parents’ home in Sturgis. Alyce was one of the first civilians to work at Ellsworth Air Force Base and then she worked for the Attorney General in Pierre, SD. They were married on March 2, 1946 and celebrated almost 64 years of marriage before his death in 2009. As a young woman she was a skilled horsewoman and played basketball for the Sturgis Scoopers. She was an avid gardener, sports enthusiast as well as a cat lover and had a special Yorkie named Brandi. Her days were spent in the garden in the summer time and tending to house plants in the winter. When her children were young she spent hours on the baseball fields as the official scorekeeper for games and bowled for years with a group of women she considered part of her family. She was a huge Cubs fan and was thrilled to see Harry Carey up close and personal, she also enjoyed the Colorado Rockies, the Denver Broncos and the Denver Nuggets. She is preceded in death by her husband, Burton R. Mariner, her parents, and sisters Anna Wahnita Keffeler and Carrie Melvina Lamberton. She is survived by her five children Pamela Cranfill, Whitewood, SD, granddaughters; Marta Meraz (Omar) and Jennifer Fry, Colorado; John Mariner (Debra) Senoia, GA, grandchildren, Collin Mariner (Meghan) Colorado and Jaclyn Blair (Brandon) Georgia; Peggy Moller (Lynn) Newcastle, WY, grandchildren, Christopher Henrickson, Michael Henrickson (Carrie) and Carolyn Deal (Brian) of South Dakota, Daniel Henrickson, Colorado; Sandra Rusinak (Stanley) Bozeman, MT, grandson John Thomas South Dakota; Joan Klein (Kent) Phoenix, AZ, grandchildren; Adam Klein, Jon-Paul Klein (Alison) and Elizabeth Coleman (Jillian) of Arizona. She was blessed with great grandchildren: Johnny, Shayla, Courtney, Conner, Grace, Hayden, Laini, Kinli, Mia, Chloe, Hannah, Sophie, Celia, Gage, Zac, Nicholas, Adrian, Evan, Baby K, and one great-great grandchild Gabriel. She is also survived by her nephew Gary Lamberton (Kathy) of Pompano Beach, FL.