Mary Elizabeth VanCleave, 88, of South Sioux City, passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, surrounded by her family. A memorial visitation will be held on Monday, Aug. 31, from 10-11 a.m. at Salem Lutheran Church in Dakota City. A celebration of life will be on Monday at 11 a.m. at Salem Lutheran Church. Burial will be in the Green Valley Cemetery near Homer. Memorials are suggested to the family for future designation. Arrangements are under the direction of Munderloh-Smith Funeral Home in Pender.
Mary was born on Aug. 16, 1938, on a farm near Emerson, the daughter of Robert and Bertha (Dyer) Pedersen. They moved from that farm to a farm near Homer at the age of five. She attended school at Rural Country School 16 from kindergarten to the eighth grade. During the second semester of her freshman year in high school, they moved to South Sioux City. She attended the rest of high school in South Sioux City. She worked after school and on Saturdays at Ben Franklin Dime Store in South Sioux City.
On Dec. 10, 1955, Mary was united in marriage to Les VanCleave at Elk Point, S.D. She worked at Pamida Warehouse until it closed in 1981. Mary and Les then moved to Hubbard, where she worked as a cook at Geno’s Lounge until 1985. They then moved to Snyder, where she worked at Big Moe’s Lounge as a cook for seven years. Les passed away on April 9, 2002. In 2013, Mary returned to South Sioux City. She loved to play bingo on Wednesday’s at Regency, working on crossword puzzles, and spending time with her family. She loved her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Mary is survived by one son, Timothy VanCleave of Lincoln; four daughters, Cheryl (Kyle) Oliver of Albuquerque, N.M., Juanita (Charlie) Steele of South Sioux City, Tina (Lanny) Bodlak of Hubbard, Kim VanCleave of Socorro, N.M.; two sisters, Sharon Tremayne of Sioux City, Iowa, and Doris Hitt of Helena, Mont.; 14 grandchildren and 37 great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Les; three sons, Gary, Danny, and Doug; three grandchildren, Jessica, Tyler, and James; and two sisters, Thelma Barg and baby Velma.
