Mary Ann Strand

Dates

Obituary

Mary Ann Strand, 66, of Mitchell, SD, passed away Monday, June 1, 2026, at her home. Funeral services will be at 10:00 AM Tuesday, June 9, at First Lutheran Church in Mitchell. Burial will be at Graceland Cemetery in Mitchell. Visitation will be Monday from 5-6:30 PM at the church. Arrangements by Bittner Funeral Chapel.

Mary Ann Strand was born on December 9, 1959, in Mitchell, SD, to Robert and Marilyn (Kramer) Strand.  When she was about 1 year old, she was diagnosed with Down syndrome.  She lived on the family farm with her Mom, Daddy, and three siblings, which was somewhat unusual at that time.

Mary Ann attended Special Education classes at Longfellow School in Mitchell with her beloved teacher, Mrs. Test, for all of her formal education. When she was about 17 years old, she attended the Mitchell Area Adjustment Training Center. The Training Center has had several changes in names and programs during its lifetime. It is currently called LifeQuest, but Mary Ann always referred to it as The Workshop. The Workshop was one of Mary’s favorite places to be. When she was not there on weekends, she talked about going back to work. With guidance from the LifeQuest staff, Mary Ann worked at Pizza Ranch for about 13 years, washing tables and chairs before the restaurant opened. She enjoyed working at other jobs at LifeQuest, such as stuffing envelopes for mass mailings and assembling fishing lures.

Mary Ann was a Special Olympics bowler for about 20 years. She traveled each year to the State Bowling tournament in Aberdeen, where she won many medals. When she could no longer bowl competitively, she continued to enjoy bowling as a hobby. After each bowling tournament, there was a banquet and a dance. Mary Ann loved to dance!

“Go” was one of her favorite words, because she looked forward to going somewhere. She took many family trips to Wisconsin, Florida, Colorado, and New Mexico, as well as numerous places in South Dakota and Minnesota. She enjoyed vacations to the Black Hills, Sioux Falls, and Omaha with her friends and the staff from LifeQuest.

Mary Ann was a lifelong member of First Lutheran Church, where she worshipped, and liked helping the sewing ladies assemble kits. She was known by many members of the church and the Mitchell community for her outgoing personality and frequent hugs.

In 2022, Mary Ann moved to Gamble Street Apartments after having lived with her family for more than 60 years. The staff at Gamble Street provided excellent care for her, along with many wonderful activities. She enjoyed movies, shopping, bowling, bingo, karaoke, parties, and frequent visits with Mom. Later in life, Mary Ann endured numerous hospitalizations.  On June 1, 2026, she passed away at her home at Gamble Street Apartments. Mary Ann believed that when you die, you “go to Jesus.”  We now entrust her to the care of her Lord and Savior, Jesus. We will miss her.

Mary Ann is survived by her mother, Marilyn Strand of Mitchell; siblings: Bonnie (Dale) Freberg of Menomonie, WI; Denise (Mark) Steiner of Pierre, SD; and Wade (Jody) Strand of Mitchell, SD. Along with eight nieces and nephews, and 13 great nieces and nephews. 

She was preceded in death by her father, Robert Strand. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to First Lutheran Church of Mitchell or LifeQuest.

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