Alta Janet (Holte) Roesch, age79, died on Sunday, August 18, 2013 at the Johnson Memorial Hospital in Dawson following a brief illness. She is lovingly remembered by her family as a nurturing wife and mother who taught her children that there was no limit to the good they could do in life and that they would never be alone if they kept a good book at their side.
Alta was born September 2, 1933 the daughter of Roy Severin and Clara Emmeline (Clemensen) Holte. She enjoyed growing up as a farm girl with all the benefits of close family and friends and often told stories of all the guests her parents welcomed into their home. After graduating high school in 1951, she completed nursing school in Watertown, SD. It was here that she met the love of her life, Dwight. They were married on June, 8, 1954. Alta and Dwight had five children, Kathe (Jim) Miranowski; Dwain Roesch; Janet (Jeff) Liebl; Kristin (Dale) Kruger and Jon (Julie) Roesch.
Dwight’s career in the U.S. Air Force led to them being stationed at military bases in Biloxi, MS; Minneapolis, MN; Willmar, MN; Belton, MO; Superior, WI; the Azores Islands; Dayton, OH and Rapid City, SD. When Dwight retired from the Air Force, they settled in Dawson to be near family. Alta enjoyed working with her hands, as did her father, Roy. She was a talented artist and taught herself to create Corn Husk Dolls and Old World Kringles (Santa’s). Each Kringle had a unique face and hands she so tediously sculpted. She would say that each one took on a personality of its own. She sewed, quilted, painted, gardened and enjoyed cooking and baking for her family and friends. She always had bars, cookies, cake or pie and coffee ready for visitors. Her dry wit was well known to anyone who came to visit. While in Dawson, she worked as the head librarian at the Dawson Public Library and for Dawson-Boyd School as a paraprofessional. Alta, along with her sister Ruth, created and brought to life the legend of the Gnomes and their stories giving Dawson a unique identity that will last forever. She wrote several poems and short stories throughout her life. After their retirement Alta and Dwight moved to Watertown, SD and finally, to Montevideo.
Alta is survived by her husband of 59 years, Dwight; four of her children, Kathe, Janet, Kristin and Jon; her sister, Ruth (Harold) Solem; nine grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Roy and Emmeline, brother, Roy Jr., her infant son Dwain, and grandson Sutton. She valued family, friendships and simplicity in life and asked that family remember her in a small, private, memorial ceremony following the cremation of her body. In lieu of flowers, she asked that any memorial donations be made to the Johnson Memorial Hospital & Health Services, the Dawson Public Library or a charitable children’s organization. Alta’s husband, Dwight and her children wish to thank the numerous extended family and friends that brightened her days and kept her in their thoughts and prayers as her body began to fail her in these last years, limiting her ability to get out of her home and to work with her hands. Alta has given us lasting lessons and memories leaving her to continue to influence our world for years to come.