Doreen (Schmidt) Bolander, 82, passed away on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, at the Winner Regional Healthcare Center in Winner, South Dakota, surrounded by her family.  Funeral services will be held on Friday, September 6, 2024, at 2:00PM at the Winner Methodist Church in Winner, South Dakota.  Burial will follow in the Winner City Cemetery. A visitation will be held at the church one hour prior to the funeral.

Doreen was born in Winner, South Dakota, on July 26, 1942, to Cornelius and Pauline Schmidt. Doreen grew up in the Winner area and attended Winner school through the 8th grade.  She married Daniel Bolander on July 26, 1958, and they were blessed with three children, Kris, LaWaynie, and Danny, Jr.  Daniel was in the service and Doreen joined him for a few months while he was stationed in Texas.

Doreen was a member of the American Legion and attended the Winner Methodist Church.

She was a cook with the Winner School District for many years.  She also waitressed at a truck stop in Pierre and cooked at the Pierre Indian School.  Throughout the years she held many other jobs cooking and waitressing, and she was most recently employed at the Winner Elk's Club.

In her younger years, Doreen enjoyed roller-skating and she played softball in the summer.  She and her siblings spent a lot of time during the winter playing games in an empty lot by their house. She also babysat for Gene and Lawayna Grossenburg for a few months.

Doreen was baptized in the Lutheran Church.  To those who knew Doreen, it will come as no surprise that she was a bit mischievous.  As a result of her mischievous nature, she and her sisters ended up whizzing right through Confirmation class in one year, instead of the two years that it was intended to be.

She was on a bowling league, and had many good times on her camping and fishing trips with her husband, Daniel, and with Darrell and Darlene Foss.  Doreen had a very special bond with her twin sister, Darlene Foss, and they spent many happy times together.

Doreen enjoyed playing cards, and really loved to win.  Every year on Labor Day, she looked forward to her sister, Carol, bringing her family to her and Daniel's house to play cards.

She was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.  Her family was important to her and she attended her children's and grandchildren's events every time she could.  She was their best cheerleader.

Doreen had many friends and was a very social person.  You always knew exactly what she was thinking, because whatever she was thinking came right out of her mouth.

She would do anything for anyone. One example of this is that she loved to cook and bake things, so she could give it to her neighbors that lived in her apartment building.

Doreen will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all of her family and friends.

She is survived by her sisters, Shirley Van Matre and Carol Hedlund, her brother, Merle (Betty) Schmidt, children, Kris (Jeff) Sampson, LaWaynie (Ron) Hossle, and Danny (Michelle) Bolander, grandchildren, Justin (Ashley) Sampson, Tyler (Rhianon) Sampson, Ryan (Kristin) Sampson, Jack (Sarah) Hossle, SaLes (Colton) Peterson, LaTora (Taylor) Becker, Kamber (Brady) Brockel, Nickales (Lexi) Hossle, Devon Bolander, Brindy Bolander, and numerous great-grandchildren.

Doreen is preceded in death by her husband, Daniel Bolander, Sr., parents, Cornelius and Pauline Schmidt, brothers, Lyle Schmidt, Dale Schmidt, Orville Schmidt, sister, Delores Brunmeier, twin sister, Darlene Foss, and her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.