Click here to go to the First Presbyterian Church Facebook page where Mary Little's Funeral Service will be livestreamed.

Mary Lucinda (Pankey) Little was born December 6th, 1929 in the family home on Elkhead Creek on the Great Divide of northwest Colorado to Winfield Scott & Elba Pearl (Miller) Pankey. She was named after her two grandmothers, Mary Melton Miller and Lucinda Wilson Pankey. Her family roots were in Missouri, a large contingent of her family clan having headed west to homestead in Colorado about 1910. She was the 7th child of 13 born into the family.

After graduating from Hayden High in 1947 she attended secretarial school in Denver, and lived there in an apartment with her sister, Stella, and eventual sister-in-law, Helen, while working at Julius Hyman & Co on the Air Force Base.

Mary Lou was introduced to her husband-to-be in Denver, Colorado on a double blind date along with Stella, at the home of a co-worker of Stella's, Winifred Crawford. Winifred was hosting her two farmasist (pharmacist play on words) nephews, Sheldon & Donald Little, from South Dakota who had arrived in a new cherry red Pontiac convertible. Sheldon & Stella were married in November, 1949 and Don & Mary Lou were married on November 23rd, 1950 at the 1st Baptist Church of Craig, Colorado. Their engagement rings were exchanged via the US Mail. Both couples moved to farms near Watertown, SD. Stella & Mary Lou spoke on the phone nearly every day for over 60 years.

Mary Lou was welcomed into the Castlewood, SD community and joined the neighbor ladies in the Pleasant Valley Club, the Study Club, and the Presbyterian Women's group. In 1970 she was hired as the church secretary for the 1st Presbyterian Church of Castlewood and Bemis Holland Presbyterian, a job she kept for 30 years. She also appointed herself flower lady and would supply a fresh bouquet or two each Sunday she had flowers in bloom.

Through the years Don taught Mary Lou the love of trees and bird watching, her favorite being belted kingfishers and most recently cardinals. Seeing a western bluebird was always a highlight, bringing back memories of Colorado. Mary Lou taught Don about flowers and an appreciation for mountain vistas. Together they exemplified Christian love for all, encouraging awareness of injustice and inequality, both locally and around the world.

In 1977, their whole family spent 10 months building their new house that they lived in for 36 years. It was inspired by a design in The Mother Earth News, and featured a concrete back wall faced with field stones and huge wood beams on the ceiling supported on square post for the front. Many family trips that spring made detours to neighboring rock piles to fill the car's trunk with colorful rocks with a flat face for the wall and fireplace. Son-in-law Rick Jost acted as general contractor and carpentry instructor for the group of novices. Their previous home on the banks of the Big Sioux River had been frustrating because the poor sandy soil could dry out a garden in a week and often resulted in recently established trees dying. Their new home was on the location where they had started out, and thanks to the new rural water system the only flaw from 20 years previously, water for the house, was rectified.

Mary Lou planted a massive vegetable garden in the old barnyard which provided an abundance. She had strawberries and raspberries that she picked and gave away or sold to OP Skaggs grocery store for a dollar a pint. And in the backyard was her flower garden featuring her beloved iris. To protect her flowers from the cottontails she kept a single shot 22 rifle and a 20-gaugeshotgun. She was especially proud of the time she wiped out two rabbits with one shot from her patio door.

Cherished family memories involved annual treats such as the 1st peas and new potatoes from the garden, ice cream for dessert topped with a mound of fresh strawberries or raspberries, picking apricots or plums and the wonderful aroma in the kitchen as jam was prepared, shucking peas while listening to the Minnesota Twins and suet pudding at Christmas. Every Mother's Day was a picnic at Oakwood with the afternoon spent birdwatching.  Mary Lou loved watching her children and grandchildren playing sports and other activities they were involved in (rarely missing an event).  She was their number ONE fan!

Later in life, Mary Lou took up quilt making and made them as gifts for family and friends and Presbyterian Women fundraisers. She made at least one for each of her children, grandchildren and lastly for her greatgrandchildren, even those anticipated in the future.

Mary Lou passed away Saturday, July 22, 2023 at the home of her daughter, Lorna Jost, of rural Volga, SD where she had been living since November, 2020. Mary Lou is survived by three siblings, Daisy (Don) Smith and Winfield Pankey, all of Craig, Colorado, and Doris Adams of Texas; four in-laws, Larry & Janet Little of Watertown, SD, Audrey Little of Clements, MN, and Charlotte Little of California; her children, Lorna (Rick) Jost of Volga, Donnie ( Peggy) Little and Barry (Carolee) Little, all of Castlewood and Cindy (Chad) Lavin of Vermillion; 8 grandchildren, 17 greatgrandchildren and a multitude of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband and six of his siblings and nine of her own brothers and sisters.

Funeral services will be Wednesday, August 9th at 10 AM at 1st Presbyterian Church of Castlewood, SD. Pallbearers will be her eight grandchildren. Visitation will be August 8th from 5-7 PM at the church. Attendees are invited to bring any quilts in their possession that Mary Lou made for them to be displayed over the church pews. Arrangements are being made by the Geise Funeral Home of Estelline, SD. More details can be found at their website, geisefuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to Feeding South Dakota or the SDSU Native Plants Initiative

If flowers are to be ordered, the family asks they be ordered from Pixie Acres in Castlewood, South Dakota.

Memorials:

Native Plant Initiative,
Dr. Lora Perkins
McFadden Biostress Laboratory 142B, Box 2140B
Brookings, SD 57007
(605) 688-4997

Feeding South Dakota
4701 N Westport Avenue
Sioux Falls, SD 57107
or online: feedingsouthdakota.org.