Danita Whitmer, age 74, of Huron, passed away on Sunday, July 26, 2026 at her daughter’s home in Sioux Falls. Her funeral service will be held at 10 a.m., on Friday, July 31, 2026 at Welter Funeral Home in Huron with burial to follow at Restlawn Memory Gardens Cemetery in Huron. Visitation, with her family present, will be from 5-7 on Thursday, July 30, 2026 at Welter Funeral Home. 

Danita Mae Hvam on August 18, 1951 in Mitchell, South Dakota to parents Vernon and Darlene (Carlson) Hvam. She lived her first 6 years on a farm in rural Artesian, the family moved into Artesian and brought the Longhorn Bar and lived above the bar for 9 years. She graduated from Artesian High School in May of 1969. She then moved to Mitchell to attend Vo-Tech for Steno-Secretarial, graduating in May of 1970.

She married her first husband Virgil Determan and they moved to Omaha, then Yankton, then Illinois. She then married her second husband Richard Rowe, Jr and they had a child, Brandon. Danita married a third time to Gary Whitmer and they returned to South Dakota where three more children were born, Rachal, Robyn, and Tony. She worked at the music center and then opened a daycare in her home after her daughter Rachal died of heart complications. She then attended Huron College part-time, graduating Cum Laude with her BS and BA degree in May of 1992. She went to work as a Child Protection Social Worker for the next eight and a half years. During this time, she started a support group, “Compassionate Friends.” She also helped fundraise for child respirators for Huron Hospital.

After divorcing in 1999, she moved to Sioux Falls to work at Wal-Mart and continued her education at Colorado Tech, graduating in 2002 with two Master’s Degrees in Criminal Justice and Human Resource Management. She returned to the Huron area and worked for three years at LSI as Assistant Safety Director, then moved to the postal service where she retired October 1, 2019 after 18 years of service. During her time at USPS, she worked several jobs, 204B, Safety Specialist in Sioux Falls, then returning to Huron as Maintenance Manager at Dakota Central.

Happy to have shared her life for the better part of two decades, Ron Lunder of Mitchell; her three children, Brandon, Robyn (TJ) and Tony (Meagon); her step-daughters, Nonie and Dara; her five brothers, Kerry, Kevin (Joni), Kenny, Kirk (Virginia) and Kyle (Shalley) Hvam; her seven grandchildren, Hannah (Caden), Jordyn, Taylor, Kiera, Maleya, Savannah, and Collyn; great-grandchildren, Bennett and Bentley; her nephews and nieces, Chad (Dawn) Hvam, Crystal (Ryan) Wilson, Kristen (Brandon) Schlepp, Saun Hvam, Chelsea (Alex) Scheffer, Chayse Hvam, Alex Hvam, Jakobe Hvam, Kole Hvam; and many great nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents Vern and Darlene (Carlson) Hvam, her daughter Rachal, and her step-son Trey.