Peever: Funeral service for the Hon. Judge Mildred D. Ramynke, 96 of Peever will be held on Monday, Sept. 16, 2013, at 10:30 a.m. at Peever Lutheran Church, Peever, with the Rev. Sheila Pohl. Organist will be Estelle Pearson, with special music by the Rev. James Reeb. Pallbearers will be Owen Dean German, Dennis Schulz, Everett Schulz, Mike Currence, Kenneth Currence and Scott Syverson. Interment will be in the Peever Cemetery, Peever, with military rites by the Otto-Quande-Renville American Legion Post #50 and Fort Sisseton No. #3342. There will be visitation at the Cahill Funeral Home in Sisseton on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. with family present from 5 to 7 p.m. There will be visitation on Monday, one hour prior to the funeral service at the Church. The Cahill Funeral Chapel, Sisseton, is in charge of arrangements.
Mildred DeWolfe Davis was born on Feb. 6, 1917, in Morristown, to Harrison and Alta (DeWolfe) Davis. She attended school in Watertown and graduated from Watertown High School. During the summers while she was in college, Mildred performed exhibition trick roping with the Whipple Rodeo. She also performed at SDSU Little International in 1936 and at the S.D. State Fair in 1939. Mildred graduated from USD law school and was admitted to the Bar in 1939 at the age of 22. She earned her commercial pilot's license, flight instructors rating, sea plane rating and ground school ratings to teach navigation and meteorology. She taught Army cadets flight training at Iowa Wesleyan University for two years. She was united in marriage to Clifford Ramynke in Peever on Mar. 2, 1941. She enlisted in the Navy WAVES program and served from Sept. 7, 1944 until Oct. 27, 1945, the end of World War II as a meteorologist (aerographer) 2nd class in Washington, D.C., and Key West, Fla., and she received the American Campaign ribbon.
After her discharge, she and Clifford returned to Roberts County. They farmed and raised registered cattle near Peever. Three daughters were born to them: Sandra, Gail and Kay. Mildred ran for office as county judge for Roberts County and was elected in 1958. She served as county and district judge until 1974 and was then elected circuit judge until retirement in 1985.
From the time of her first election as judge in 1958 until her retirement in 1985, she was the first and only woman judge in South Dakota. From 1982 until 1985, she was presiding judge of the 5th Judicial Circuit. She received the McKusic Award at the state Bar meeting in Sioux Falls in 2006. She was honored by the Law Review Committee at the USD law school in 2008 by receiving the dedication of Volume 53 of the law school law review. Judge Ramynke's public service consisted of serving on the South Dakota State Criminal Justice Commission, South Dakota State Commission of Juvenile Justice, President of South Dakota Judges Association, Board of Directors of Dakota Plains Legal Services Corporation, and the Board of Directors of Nyoda Council of Girl Scouts.
Judge Ramynke received the following awards. She was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 1987. She was the recipient of the Women in Law Award in 1983, the I.M Risk Distinguished Service to Children Award in 1986, the University of South Dakota Alumni Achievement Award in 1986 and the South Dakota State University Alumni Achievement Award in 1987.
Judge Mildred D. Ramynke passed away on Sept. 7, 2013, at Sanford Hospital, Fargo, N.D.
Mildred is survived by three daughters: Rev. Kay and Rev. James Reeb of Williston, N.D., Sandra Harris of Fargo, N.D., and Gail Ramynke of Watertown; three grandchildren: Jessica Harris of New York, N.Y., Delbert Harris of Shakopee, Minn. and Daniel Reeb of Williston, N.D.; and two great-grandchildren Tim Harris and Paige Harris, both of Shakopee, Minn.
Mildred was preceded in death by her parents, and her husband, Clifford.
For Judge Mildred D. Ramynke's obituary and online registry, visit cahillfuneralchapel.com.