Linda Lu Veen

Linda Lu Veen, age 82, of Milbank, SD, passed away on Monday, April 10, 2023, at Avantara in Milbank.

Memorial services will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Milbank, SD. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Inurnment will be in the Milbank City Cemetery.

The service will be livestreamed and recorded and viewable below this obituary.

Linda Lu Veen, daughter of Ted and Marie (Borchers) Menze, was born in Ottertail, MN, on February 3, 1941. She was baptized at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Ottertail, MN, on March 2, 1941.

Dayle Veen and Linda were childhood neighbors, friends and playmates. There were confirmed together in 1955 at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Milbank, and graduated from Milbank High School with the Class of 1959. They had then gone their separate ways. They reconnected many years later and were married on August 15, 1998.

After graduation Linda moved to Minneapolis, MN, and worked in the astronautical division of Honeywell. She worked on the Mercury Apollo and SR71 Blackbird before becoming a “stay at home mom” in 1967. She moved back to Milbank in 1973 and opened an “in home” daycare/preschool that she operated until she retired in 2003. In that period of time, she raised over 100 children, working with some families for a period of over 10 years, raising children of their children, becoming a “second Mom” to many.

She was active in church organizations, was a Sunday School Teacher, sang in the church choir, was a Boy Scout Den Leader.

In retirement she and Dayle enjoyed traveling, fishing, gardening, and especially enjoyed time together. She loved spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandson.

Linda is survived by her husband, Dayle; children: Jim Vipond of Milbank, SD; Reenie (Bo) Ivers of Milbank, SD; Tyson Veen of Red Rock, AZ; Talia (Wade) Wacek of Redwood Falls, MN; grandchildren: Miranda ( Leo) Ivers, Corah (Carlos) Ivers, Mason Ivers, Michaela (Michael) Jimenez, James McBride, Xander McBride, Derek Wacek, and Dustin Wacek; great grandson, Malakhi Ivers de Santiago; sister, Joan Smith of Milbank, SD; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Dan Veen of Beaumont, TX; Albert (Terri) Veen of Brookings, SD; Anita Veen of Seattle Washington; nieces, nephews and many cousins.

Linda was preceded in death by her parents, Ted and Marie (Borchers) Menze; father and mother-in-law, George and Esther Veen; first husband, Jerry Vipond; brother and sister-in-law, Jerry and Jan Menze; and brothers-in-law, Donald Smith; and Donald Veen.