LeAnn Kuper

LeAnn Kuper, age 62, of Milbank, SD, passed away on March 7, 2021, at her residence.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 13, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. at American Lutheran Church in Milbank. Visitation will be held on Friday, March 12, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the church with a prayer service beginning at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will continue on Saturday, one hour prior to the funeral. Rev. Thom Bowsher, Rev. Barry Whipkey, Dr. Peter Reynen, Rev. DeVern Schwenn, and Brett Kuper will officiate. Burial will be at Milbank City Cemetery.

While maintaining social distancing guidelines, we are now able to gather for visitations and services. The use of face masks by attendees is recommended, and we will continue taking the necessary steps to keep our facility clean. For those who prefer or require continued precautions, webcasting and/or livestreaming will be viewable on this webpage.

LeAnn Kay Hofer was born on April 25, 1958, to Joseph and Donna Hofer in Huron, SD. She grew up 30 miles northeast of Huron, near Carpenter, SD, where her and her four sisters helped run the family farm.

She graduated from Doland High School in 1976 and went on to pursue a degree in interior design at South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD. While at SDSU, she met Jody Kuper. They dated for three years, before getting married on March 22, 1980. The newlyweds moved to Green Bay, WI, where they lived until 1983.

In the Spring of 1983, Jody accepted a job at Valley Queen Cheese and they moved to Milbank, SD, where they would build a life together. While in Milbank, they were blessed with three sons: Brett, Mitchell, and Grant. LeAnn worked for Emanuel Furniture for many years. In 2001, the business was sold, and LeAnn began her next adventure as a business owner. For the next 20 years, LeAnn owned and operated “Window World,” where she got to use her passion to serve people and her gift to help people decorate their house to make it feel like a home.

LeAnn’s clients weren’t the only people that benefited from her creativity. She loved creating homemade gifts for her friends: embroidered table runners, blankets, and towels to name a few. She was always willing to tackle most anything from re-finishing and reupholstering furniture to painting and wallpapering. LeAnn was also a very talented seamstress. One of the most appreciated use of her skills were all of the handmade outfits the boys got to sport growing up. As you can see, LeAnn loved to keep busy in her “spare time.”

LeAnn was a faithful member and servant of her community and home church, Central United Methodist Church. She offered her service and expertise to numerous boards and committees over the years: Christian Service Council, Feeding South Dakota, Fine Arts Council and the design committee for the new Milbank Avera Hospital. She also coordinated the Missoula Children’s Theater Production in Milbank for many years and was co-founder of Parents Promoting Education (PPE) at Koch School Elementary with efforts to support the teaching staff. She also took her skills abroad to serve on mission trips in Honduras and Zimbabwe.

LeAnn loved to serve her friends, her community, and her church, but even more so LeAnn enjoyed caring for her family. Her sons have moved her grandchildren as far north as Minnesota, as far south as Hawaii, and to Kansas in the middle. The distance didn’t stop her from being an involved Grandma to her six grandchildren. She loved to mail them care packages and read them stories via Facetime. Any visit to Grandma’s house was packed with fun crafts and activities. She created memories for her grandchildren that they will cherish for years. LeAnn maximized any opportunity to gather the whole family for a holiday or vacation. From morning until bed time, she didn’t want to waste a minute of their time together.

LeAnn and Jody made a great team. They loved to plant their garden together in the spring and enjoy long motorcycle rides with good friends for as many days as the weather allowed it, all in an effort to enjoy God’s creation. They have enjoyed nearly 41 years of marriage, filled with both trials and joy. Over the past two plus years, they have endured one of the most challenging tests of their faith. LeAnn was diagnosed with cancer in the Fall of 2018. The last couple of years have been full of moments of sadness and grief, but the moments of joy are far greater. LeAnn fought with great joy, grit, strength, and an unfathomable amount of grace. Their attitude has remained the same: if this is the Lord’s will, then we will do our best to put our trust in Him and be witnesses to His Kingdom through our example.

LeAnn has passed along an insurmountable number of gifts, shared many words of wisdom, and baked way too many goodies for all to share.  But the most important legacy she is leaving behind is her witness to the unconditional love of Christ and the hope of anticipating our eternal home in Heaven.

LeAnn is survived by her husband, Jody Kuper; sons: Brett (Mindi) Kuper of Spring Hill, KS; Mitchell (Molly) Kuper of Honolulu, HI; and Grant (Brittany) Kuper of Moorhead, MN; grandchildren: Jordan, Karly, Ellie, Claire, William, and Esther; mother, Donna Hofer of Huron, SD; sisters: Gerri (Gene) Leach of Fargo, ND; Cora (Doug) Person of Seattle, WA; Georgia (Steve) Langbehn of Huron, SD; and Dawn (Brent) Kleinsasser of Huron, SD; mother-in-law, Esther Kuper of Sioux Falls, SD; and many nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

She was preceded in death by her father, Joe P. Hofer; and father-in-law, Norman Kuper.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donation to Milbank Avera Hospital Foundation, Ronald McDonald House – Minneapolis Branch, or the Christian Service Council.

Please see our Resources page for a list of our local florists.