A funeral service for Christie Stoops, age 63, will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, September 25, 2026, at United Methodist Church in Lavern, Minnesota. Heritage Funeral Home of Sioux Falls is incharage of arrangements. Christie Marie Stoops was born in Gregory, South Dakota, to Francis and Rhea Jean Shanahan on September 16, 1963. Christie was brought up on a farm southwest of Dallas, South Dakota. She first attended country school and later Colome School District, graduating in May 1981. After high school Christie went to Sinte Gleska University in Mission. She studied Early Child Development. After she graduated she moved to Sioux Falls, where she worked at a few different daycares. She loved being with children.
Christie met her husband Kerry Stoops, and they were married December 19, 1996, in Sioux Falls, where they lived for a few years before moving to Chester, South Dakota.
She went back to school, this time to become a licensed massage therapist. Upon graduating she worked at the YMCA and the Veterans Administration in Sioux Falls.
Christie also worked as a cashier at Sunshine Foods and Lewis Drug. She worked at Lewis, where the customers were very fond of her, for about 17 years. She had to retire when her health started to decline. She was missed by everyone.
Christie then lived at home with her husband Kerry and her motherin- law Mary Stoops until about 14 months ago at which time she moved to Good Samaritan Society — Luther Manor. She got to know the residents very well there. Even the four-legged kind, a therapy dog. Christie always could remember names very well; that was one of her traits. The residents loved that about her. Plus the staff loved her just as much. Everyone there said that she was a very special person to them. She will be missed by all.
Christie passed away on her 63rd birthday on September 16, 2026, at Luther Manor in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
She is survived by her husband Kerry Stoops, brothers Jerry (Rick) Shanahan and Paul Shanahan; sister Linda (Jerome) Heyd; motherin- law Mary Stoops; brothers-in-law Keith Stoops and Kelly (Linda) Stoops; sisters-in-law Sheri (Roger) Shanahan and Sonya (Steve) Schramm; and many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and -nephews, and one great- great one.
She is preceded in death by her parents Francis and Jean Shanahan; father-in-law Larry Stoops; many aunts and uncles; and nephews Quin Stoops, Taylor Stoops, and Nick Schramm.
