Gloria Allison

WAUBAY- Gloria Allison, 68 of Waubay died on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at her home in Waubay. Her funeral will be at 10:30 A.M. Wednesday, November 25, 2009 at the Enemy Swim Cultural Center, 13495 446th Ave., Enemy Swim, SD. Burial will be at Lakewood Cemetery, Waubay. Visitation will be at Fiksdal Funeral Service, 122 W. 5th Ave., Webster on Tuesday, 5-8 P.M. with a 7 P.M. prayer service, visitation will continue prior to services on Wednesday. fiksdalfuneral.com. Gloria Faye Barse was born on Saturday, July 26, 1941 to Arthur M. and Edith E. (Schmig) Barse at Webster, South Dakota. The family made their home in Waubay. She was baptized at St. James Episcopal Church at Enemy Swim. She attended school in Waubay and graduated from Waubay High School in 1959. She married Wallace Welch on June 7, 1959. After their marriage they made their home in Waubay where she worked with her father in road construction until 1965 and then, a few years later, began working at Bethesda Home in Webster. Gloria attended Lake Area Vocational School in Watertown and received her L.P.N. in 1979 and continued working at Bethesda Home. She worked with the Sisseton Wahpeton Tribe where she served as Cattleman’s Co-ordinator, C.H.R. driver and various other positions. Then she attended Northern State College in Aberdeen and received her B.S. Degree in Speech and Special Education and taught special education at Tiospa Zina Tribal School. On June 30, 1990 she was united in marriage to Marv Allison at her home. They continued to live in Waubay and continued teaching until failing health forced her retirement in 1992. During her lifetime she was a foster parent to over 65 children, which she considered them as part of her family. She served as an Enemy Swim Council Person, Enemy Swim School Board for over 20 years and many years on the J.O.M. Board. During high school she was the first Day County Snow Queen. She was active in the Waubay Legion Auxiliary and the Ortley Free Lutheran Church. Gloria passed away on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at her home in Waubay, South Dakota at the age of 68 years, 3 months and 26 days. Survivors include her husband, Marv Allison of Waubay; her children, Janet Welch of Brookings, SD, Loris (Charlotte) Welch and Loren (Dolores) Welch both of Waubay, SD, James (Lisa) Welch, Jon (Tina) Welch and Alexis Douville all of Sioux Falls, SD, Daryl (Rae) Lufkins of Watertown, SD, Jason (Georgia) Lufkins of North Bend, WA and Joy (Harvey) Renville of Agency Village, SD; one sister, Erma Lou Grothaus of Waubay, SD; four sisters-in-law, Grace Barse of Watertown, SD, Delores “Dutchie” Barse of Waubay, SD, Violet Barse of Agency Village and Mary (Ed) Yonan of Claremont, CA; a half-sister, May (Galen) Gibson of Webster, SD; 31 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, 10 brothers and sisters and 2 grandchildren.