Mary Lou Winter, age 73, of Miller, SD, and formerly of rural Wessington, died Thursday, September 2, 2004, at Sioux Valley Hospital at Sioux Falls after a valiant battle with cancer. Her funeral service will be at 10:00 AM Monday, September 6, at the First Presbyterian Church at Wessington with Rev. Allen Sager officiating. Burial will be at Restlawn Memory Gardens Cemetery. Friends may call Sunday afternoon and evening at the Welter funeral Home or prior to the service at the church Monday morning. There will be a Prayer Service at 7:30 PM Sunday evening at the funeral home with the family present from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Mary Lou Winter was born Mary Lou Woelpert on March 27, 1931, to Fred and Rosa (Vogelman) Woelpert at Wessington. She grew up in the Wessington and Virgil area where she attended rural school and graduated from Virgil High School. She was employed at Northwestern National Bank in Huron. On September 7, 1952, Mary Lou married Vernon Winter at Alpena. They lived and farmed in southeast Hand County. They moved to Miller in October of 1999. She was a member of Rose Hill Presbyterian Church, Rose Hill U.P.W., TOPS No. 371 of St. Lawrence, and for a number of years a member of the Busy Women Extension Club. Mary enjoyed flowers, gardening, and various crafts. Thankful for being a part of her life are her husband, Vernon of Miller; 1 daughter, Patricia (Doug) Hintz of Bismarck, ND; 1 son, Brian (Jan) Winter of Wessington; 7 grandsons, Vance (Tanya) Winter, Brant Winter, Jay Winter, Jon Winter, Laith (Kristi) Hintz, Kadon (Michelle) Hintz, and Trenton Hintz; 3 sisters, Alice Schroeder of Aberdeen, Sandra Hagerty-VandeWalle and her husband Clark of Yankton, Judy Boetel and her husband Benny of Yale; several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; and 1 brother-in-law, Richard Hagerty.