Nancy Comp

Dates

Obituary

Nancy Comp, 82, of Mitchell, SD, passed away Thursday, June 9, 2025, at Firesteel Healthcare Center in Mitchell. Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 AM Thursday, July 3, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Mitchell with reception to follow. Private family graveside services will be held at Graceland Cemetery in Mitchell.

Nancy Theresa Kippes Comp spent her youth on a watermelon farm just outside Mitchell, South Dakota. She was raised by her parents, Hubert and Leona (Friedrich) Kippes, and, following Leona’s untimely death, by her eldest sister Mary Kippes Oleson. The Mother’s Day after Leona passed, Nancy gave Mary a card that read, “Happy Mary’s Day”—a small gesture that captured her wit, tenderness, and a lifelong closeness with her siblings. Nancy is survived by her siblings Ruth Kippes Thomas and John Kippes, and preceded in death by her siblings Linda Kippes Machner, Kay Kippes Jasper, Joe Kippes, Louann Kippes Trabing, Mary Kippes Oleson, and Fred Kippes whose wife, Betty, became like a sister to Nancy and remained a cherished part of her life.

When Hubert later married Amelia (Millie) Neuberger, Nancy gained more than a stepmother—she gained a teacher. From Millie, she learned to cook, sew, and can preserves, planting the seeds of skills that would later blossom into lifelong passions.

Nancy married Dennis (Denny) Comp in 1960. Together they raised seven children—Sam (deceased), Susie (Tom) Schneider, Sandy (Jim) Lynch, Scott, Sarah, Stacy, and Mike (Sarah)—in homes across California, Mitchell, Plankinton, and Carthage. She was the proud grandmother of eight grandchildren: Dennis, Duane, April, Aaron, Emily, AJ, Ada, and Sam, and “Great” to two great-grandsons Matthew and Thomas.

A loving mother, grandmother, and friend, Nancy was also a force of creativity and energy. Her talents were vast: she painted, quilted, sewed, gardened, crafted, canned, and even dabbled in woodworking. Every summer, she preserved jars upon jars of homegrown goodness. Many of her children and grandchildren still carry on her traditions—some with her cooking skills, others with her pickling recipes, and a few who can even sew a stitch or two.

Nancy infused everyday life with imagination. A Sunday drive wasn’t just a ride—it was an adventure. She traveled extensively, visiting nearly every U.S. state (including Hawaii and Alaska), along with Washington D.C., Canada, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Egypt, and Greece—where she delighted in saying, “It’s all Greek to me!”

After raising her family (no easy feat) Nancy reinvented herself. Following in her mother Leona’s footsteps, she pursued a nursing career, graduating from the University of South Dakota in 1996 at the age of 53.

We are deeply grateful for the excellent care and companionship Nancy received from Home Instead caregivers. Amaryllis Burkhart, Norma Schranck, and Deb Lunder offered not just compassionate care, but genuine friendship, becoming a meaningful part of her final years.

Nancy’s life was rich in love, humor, friends, and family. She was one of a kind—and she made sure each of us felt the same way.

Service

Cemetery