Edna Sieh, 102, of Burke, South Dakota died on Friday, December 12, 2014 at the Winner Regional Long Term Care Facility.

During this extraordinary long life, Edna proved to be a woman of her time during each stage of her life.  She was born on April 12, 1912 at her parent's home, Jacob and Elizabeth (Frank) Fuhrman, who were recent German immigrants. At home and in the German Reform church in Herrick they spoke only German.  Beginning school she quickly overcame this language barrier to graduate second in her class in 1930.  In 1930-31 she attended Southern Normal School in Springfield and graduated in 1931 with a one-year teaching certificate.  She taught country schools around Herrick for three years.

On June 9, 1934, she and Harold Sieh were married.  During the fifty two year marriage, five children were born: 1936 Ruth (Sieh) Wagner, 1938 Donald Sieh (wife Connie Kocer), 1940 Judy Sieh, 1944 Charles Sieh (wife Nancy Moor) and 1946 Lois (Sieh) Holmberg.  She was well prepared for the hard work of farm life.  Without electricity for fourteen years of married life, she kept a clean house, cooked three meals a day, milked more cows than Harold or the kids, raised 500 chickens, washed mountains of clothes each week, raised a garden and canned fruit and vegetables.

Edna, Harold and the children, joined the Herrick United Methodist Church in 1948.  She remained a member until her death.  With the children leaving home, she renewed her teaching certificate in 1956 and taught school for nine and one half years in the Herrick area.

In 1970 Harold, ran for and was elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives.  She accompanied him to Pierre, wrote many of his press releases and served as chairwoman of the Capital wives.  Upon Harold's sudden death in 1986, she served the remainder of his term in the legislature.

She served several offices with the Herrick Methodist Church.  She was a fifty year member of the Eastern Star and served one term as worthy matron. She and Harold retired from farming in 1977 and moved to Herrick.  She continued to live there until 2005 when at age 93 she moved to the Assisted Living Facility in Burke.

Survivors are her children Ruth, Don (Connie), Judy, Charles (Nancy), and Lois, one sister Lydia Cahoy, eleven grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren.  Preceding her in death were her husband Harold, her parents Jacob and Elizabeth, Sisters Frieda Hieb and Alma Hieb, grand son David Wagner, great grandson Vance Johnson, sons-in-law Harry Wagner and Norman Holmberg, brother's in law Sam Hieb and Ben Cahoy, and many of her extended family.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, December 19, 2010 at 10:30 AM at the United Methodist Church in Burke. Burial will in the Herrick Cemetery, Herrick. Visitation will be Thursday from 6 pm to 7 pm, with a prayer service at 7 pm, at Clausen Funeral Home in Burke.