Waneta Heaton

Waneta Heaton, age 81, of Big Stone City, SD, died on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, at her home after a battle with cancer. She will be dearly missed by her family, friends, and husband, who loved her unconditionally. Waneta was a fantastic grandma, mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, August 6, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at American Lutheran Church in Milbank, SD. Visitation will be held on Friday, August 5, 2022, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Mundwiler Funeral Home in Milbank. A private family inurnment will be held at Grandview Cemetery in Gary, SD.

The service will be livesteamed and recorded and will be viewable at the bottom of this page.

Waneta Ruth (Ruby) Heaton was born on December 13, 1940, in Sioux Falls, SD. She was the daughter of Myrtle (Stone) and Jay Earl Ruby. Waneta was born the fifth child of eight. She attended school at Nassau and Marietta Public Schools graduating with the Class of 1958.

On August 26, 1962, Waneta was united in marriage with Lewis Alan Heaton in Conneaut Lake, PA. They made their home in Forest Lake, MN, where they raised their four children on a 20-acre hobby farm. Waneta enjoyed gardening and canning all her vegetables each year. She loved camping and traveling throughout the United States. Waneta loved taking extra time to stop and visit with relatives and friends around the country. She loved big ships and took many cruises during her retirement.

Waneta worked for Unisys for 32 years in St. Paul, MN. After her retirement, she loved spending time with her children and grandchildren at their lake home in Rush Lake, MN. In 1999, they purchased a beautiful lake home near Big Stone City, SD, where more memories were made.

Waneta was the loving wife of Lewis Alan Heaton; an amazing mother to: Don (Margaret) Heaton of Forest Lake, MN; Lewis (Jolene) Heaton of Lindstrom, MN; Judy (JD) Drown of Porter, MN; and Lisa Heaton of Marshall, MN; and was an idolized grandmother to: Kristina Strandmark, TJ (Becky) Strandmark, Molly Strandmark, Rhonda Heaton, Ryan Reber, Tyler Reber, and Michael Heaton; and 12 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Jay Earl and Myrtle Ruby; three sisters: Margaret