Virginia “Ginnie” Waxdahl, age 77, of Sioux Falls, passed away on Thursday, April 20, 2023 at Avantara Norton in Sioux Falls.
Funeral services will be held 10:00 AM, Saturday, April 29 at Messiah Lutheran Church in rural Flandreau. Visitation will be held from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Friday, April 28 at Skroch Funeral Chapel in Flandreau.
Ginnie was born March 22, 1946 in Vernon, TX to her parents, Phyllis (Lenehan) and Frederick Donovan. At a young age her parents divorced and Ginnie moved to her grandparents’ ranch near Hulett, WY, while her mother was a teacher in and around Belle Fourche, SD. She returned to live with her mother when Ginnie attended country school near Nisland and Newell, SD. Her mother soon after married William Waring and they moved to Belle Fourche, where Ginnie attended school graduating in 1964. She then attended SDSU where she met the love of her life, Gordon Waxdahl through both of their involvement with Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band. After marrying in 1966, the couple moved to Endicott, NY where both were employed at General Electric. In 1968 they brought forth onto this world a fine strapping lad they named Tyler. In 1971 they had a daughter and named her Tricia. Having had enough of New York life the couple moved to New Hope, MN in 1973 where Gordon was an electrical engineer at Honeywell and Ginnie worked odd jobs to make ends meet and for a time ran a daycare out of their home.
In 1976 they moved to a farm near Flandreau, SD, near where Gordon was raised to become poor dirt farmers.  While Gordon did field work, Ginnie helped tending with hogs and horses. Ginnie perfected her skills as a fabulous family chef and cleaned once every April. Maybe.
She became a bookkeeper at Cargill Elevator in Pipestone in 1981. In 1987 she moved on to become the Moody County Director of Equalization. She made a lot of new friends during her nine year stay at the courthouse in Flandreau. She finished her working career in 2001 after a two year stay at Qwest in Sioux Falls. Her physical disabilities were such by then she could no longer work.
Ginnie spent her remaining years enjoying the company of friends and family. She spent as much time as she could with her grandchildren. She was known for fleecing her friends’ pocketbooks in card games of Bridge. One of Ginnie’s pallbearers is pretty sure Ginnie and Gordon cheated at Cribbage against him and his wife. He can be reassured that he and his wife were just nowhere as good at Cribbage as his aunt and uncle. LIKE NOT EVEN CLOSE.
Ginnie is survived by her son: Tyler (Myra) Waxdahl, Brandon, SD; her daughter: Tricia Warner, Sioux Falls, SD; three grandchildren: Nathan Waxdahl (Taylor Culton) Omaha, NE, Erika Waxdahl, Brandon, SD, and Caitlin Warner, Brandon, SD; sister-in-law: Kathy Donovan, Carlsbad, NM; brother: Bill (Diana) Waring, Indianapolis, IN; sister: Donna (Luke) Dixon, Emory, TX;  brother: Mike Donovan, Concord, NC; sister-in-law: Florence (Del) Smallfield, Bloomington, MN; brother-in-law: Don (Roseanne) Waxdahl, Flandreau, SD; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Gordon Waxdahl, her mother, Phyllis Waring, step-father, William Waring, father, Frederick Donovan, and parents-in-law, Irma Grace and Orville Waxdahl.
No ceramic chickens were damaged during the crafting of this obituary. In Lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Almost Home Canine Rescue.
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