A funeral service for Beth Noreen Raschke, age 73, of Gregory, South Dakota, was held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at United Methodist Church in Gregory.
Pastor Royal Archer officiated. Carol Feyereisen and Lori Whitney were in charge of registration.
Sam Feyereisen, Josh Feyereisen, Joe Feyereisen, Seth Feyereisen, Zane Whitney, and Tucker Whitney were casket bearers. Dave Borszich and Jake Feyereisen were honorary casket bearers.
Interment was at IOOF Cemetery in Gregory. Kotrba-Smith Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Beth Noreen was born August 25, 1953, to Vance and Lucille (Tagtow) Feyereisen, the eighth of nine children. The family farm was located near Iona, South Dakota, but the family moved into Gregory in 1961 in order for the children to attend school.
In her younger years, Beth had various jobs. She worked at Goodwill in Omaha, Nebraska, where she was head of the donations department and was a secretary in the office of the Armed Forces in Winner, South Dakota.
On February 14, 1981, Beth married John Raschke. They lived in town, raising Mark and Matthew, until moving out to the Raschke family farm north of Gregory.
Beth worked hard, and her determination shone through in all she did. She started a second hand store with her mother and cooked at the Cove Café for many years. She later started her own cleaning business and cleaned many homes and businesses over the years. During that time, she also studied for and proudly, but quietly, obtained her GED.
Beth was incredibly kind and thoughtful. She would go out of her way to help others with the many little things in life and found great joy in spending time with her family. Beth’s love for her family was evident. She cared for her parents during their later years. During holidays she spent several years cooking for and hosting family dinners. Her macaroni salad was always a hit. She was also known to snatch a chocolate pie or two from some of those holiday family gatherings.
Beth never knew a stranger and made friends wherever she went. It seemed there was always someone waving to her from across the street or stopping to visit whenever she was out and about.
Aside from her family and friends, her dogs were a source of great joy in Beth’s life. She could often be found sitting in her home with any number of her fur babies: Sassy, Tootsie, Coco, or Rocky, just to name a few.
Beth passed away August 26, 2026, in Gregory. She is survived by her husband John of Gregory; sons Mark of Gregory, Matt (Kristi) of Mitchell, John Wesley, Jay, and Justin; two sisters Carolynne (Cookie) Feyereisen of Omaha and Denice Zeisler of Gregory; brother Bradley (Tennae) of Gregory; and many nieces, nephews, friends, and family.
She is preceded in death by her parents; sisters Ruth Borszich and Robin Vavra; and brothers Vance (Sonny), Verlynn (Pat), and Gary.
