Juanita Joyce Hauf passed away peacefully on September 1, 2025, in Platte, South Dakota after a long illness.

Juanita was born on May 6, 1932 in Valentine, Nebraska to Donald and Ruby (Mundt) Lux.  Raised on a farm between Mission, SD and Valentine, NE during the 1930's, Juanita was taught the lessons of hard work, frugality and a strong will.

Even before her graduation from Mission High School in 1949, she knew she was going to marry Leonard Schaefer and as soon as she turned 18, they were wed on June 28, 1950.

After a few years of farm life, they decided that town living was more to their liking and they moved to Burke, South Dakota in the spring of 1953, where Leonard ultimately became the owner of the Burke Barbershop.

Leonard passed away unexpectedly in May of 1966.  Left with four young children, no job, no job experience outside the home and few job opportunities, the next few years were tough, and in order to support her family on her own, she pieced together part-time jobs at First Fidelity Bank and the US Post Office.

The latter job became full-time and by the time she retired in 1992, she was the Postmaster of Herrick, South Dakota.

In November of 1970, she married Norman Hauf and they spent nearly 25 happy years together before his sudden death in 1996.

Juanita was a 70-plus year member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Burke, which was her anchor in life, and she remained active there until her health prevented her attendance.

She also had three credos that she staunchly lived by and tried to teach her kids:

1.Mind your own business.

2.Be nice, and

3.If you can't say something nice about someone,

don't say anything at all.

Juanita owned her Burke home that she and Leonard purchased in 1955 for 70 years and was always very proud of her independence.  However, due to her failing health, it became necessary in the spring of 2022 for her to move into the Haisch House Assisted Living Center in Bonesteel, and later to the Platte Care Center in Platte, South Dakota.

Juanita is survived by her four children: Dale Schaefer (Memphis, TN), Sandy Faucett (Palm Harbor, FL), Loren (Sue) Schaefer (Spearfish, SD), and Dave (Brenda) Schaefer, (Overland Park, KS), along with seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; her sisters Letha Osnes (Valentine, NE) and Twylah (Mick) Ward, (Burke, SD) plus a host of nieces and nephews, all of whom she adored.

Juanita requested no flowers, but donations may be made to the Burke Community Fund.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Grace Lutheran Church in Burke.  Burial will be in the Graceland Cemetery, Burke.  There will be a visitation one hour prior to the service at the church.