Bev Kobriger, 78, Dickinson, died Friday, July 2, 2021 surrounded by her family at her home. Bev’s Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m., Thursday, July 15, 2021 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Dickinson with Fr. William Ruelle as celebrant. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 14, 2021 at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson with a rosary and vigil at 7 p.m. with Deacon Ron Keller presiding.
Obituary for Beverly (LaBau) Kobriger
Bev, her preferred name, was born January 4, 1943, in Lemmon, SD. She greeted Jesus at the gate on July 2, 2021 and was immediately ushered through the gate to Heaven’s Paradise. She received her education in Lemmon at St. Mary’s Grade School and then Lemmon High School where she was Junior Class President, and as Senior she was Student Council President. She was a cheerleader for the Lemmon Cowboys, and Homecoming Queen in 1960. During her high school years, she was employed at Lemmon Drug. Her boss, George Bartholomew had a son, Tom, who attended South Dakota State College. In spring of 1960 Tom brought a classmate home to open the trout season at North Lemmon Lake. That classmate was Jerry Kobriger of Huron, SD and he spent more time at Lemmon Drug than at North Lemmon Lake. Jerry became her prince, her best friend and soulmate and her reason for living. Bev and Jerry were married on December 27, 1961. After a short stop in Black Hills, they continued on to Columbia, Mo. where Jerry was working on a master’s degree in Wildlife Management, and they spent the next three years between the University of Missouri in Columbia and Valentine National Wildlife Refuge in Nebraska. After graduation in 1964, the couple moved to Dickinson where they still live. While in Missouri, Bev worked at Hunt’s Drug Store and after moving to Dickinson, she worked at Sears, REGIS, Allied Van Lines and in Medical Records at Dickinson Clinic and Great Plains Clinic. The job she loved most was caring for kids at Sunrise Youth Bureau. One of Bev’s favorite activities was dancing, and she spent several years teaching line dance lessons at the Dickinson Rec Center. She also taught dances to a line dance group in Lihue, Kauai, where the couple spent time each winter for several years. Spending time with the line dance group in Kauai was almost like a second home, as the group there practiced great ALOHA. Even though Bev said she hated to cook, she loved trying new recipes and owned thousands of cookbooks and recipes from everywhere. She was a rummage sale guru and had a knack for a great deal and a great find. She was an extraordinary soul, full of love and kindness and sent birthday cards every year to all of her siblings, grandkids, great-grandkids, nieces, nephews, and even all of her high school classmates. She enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, putting together only the tough ones of 1000 of more pieces.
Bev suffered from primary biliary cirrhosis, and she received a liver transplant nearly 25 years ago. She may have been the longest liver transplant survivor. Our family owes the deepest gratitude to the donor family for those 25 years, knowing that at the time they had suffered a loss of a loved one. We urge everyone to please consider becoming an organ donor.
Bev is survived by her husband, Jerry; sons, Larry (Pam), Park Rapids, Minn. and Marc (Renae), Richardton; daughter, Cheryll, Pocatello, Idaho; and six grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; sister, Jeanne Morton, Yuma, Ariz.; brothers, Jim (Kay), Anchorage, Alaska, and Ken, Monticello, Minn. She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister-in-law, Barb LaBau; and brother-in-law, Ron Morton.
In lieu of flowers, donations to Sunrise Youth Bureau are welcome.
Click to view Rosary & Vigil
Click to view Mass
