Renate Blankenfeld, age 87, of rural Trent, S.D., died on August 20, 2017, at Avera Dells Area Hospital.

Renate Pavlovics was born on June 22, 1930, in Riga, Latvia. As a child, she and her family fled to Germany during World War II, and six years later immigrated to the United States. She became a U.S. citizen in March 1956. S

he married Harold Blankenfeld in 1950. This union was blessed with four children. Harold died on January 10, 2004. Renate was a longtime member of Messiah Lutheran Church in rural Flandreau.

Renate is survived by her children, Judy and Jay Lucas, Rebecca and Richard McClaflin, Peggy and William Reynolds and Alan and Diane Blankenfeld; grandchildren, Daniel Tyler, Erin McClaflin Siler, Lynsey Tyler, Peter Blankenfeld, Adam Blankenfeld, Meredith Reynolds, Carly Hanson and Will Reynolds; and great-grandchildren, Nola and Stella Siler, Taelor and M’Kinleigh Blankenfeld, Jakob Blankenfeld and Vianne Hanson; her sister, Brigita Emigh and her brother, Roland Pavlovics.

Renate was preceded in death by her husband, Harold, and her sister, Lillian Tiller.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday, August 24  at Messiah Lutheran Church in rural Flandreau, with burial in Bethania Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Skroch Funeral Chapel in Flandreau, with a Prayer Service beginning at 7 p.m.  

www.skrochfc.com