Fern Bovee

Fern Laurene Bovee, age 96 of Parker, SD passed away on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, at Sanford Hospice Foundation Cottage in Sioux Falls, SD. A memorial service will be at 11:00 am Saturday, August 26, 2023, at Hofmeister-Jones Funeral Home of Parker with Pastor Brian Mosmann officiating. Visitation with the family present will follow the memorial service. A private family burial will be held prior to the service at the Rosehill Cemetery of Parker, SD.

Memorials may be directed to Main Street Living, 1400 S Duluth Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57105. Arrangements provided by Hofmeister-Jones Funeral Home of Parker.

Fern Laurene Nelson was born on December 31, 1926, in Madison, SD to Gust and Signe (Gustafson) Nelson of Lake Preston, S.D. She attended Spring Lake #3 country school through 8th grade near Lake Preston before graduating from Oldham High School in 1944.

After high school, Fern worked as a clerk at Bonde Store in Lake Preston before attending South Dakota Beauty Academy in Sioux Falls, SD. After graduating from the academy, Fern moved to Parker in October 1946 to work as a beautician with Maurine Micheal. Upon Maurine’s retirement Fern managed the Beauty Shop.

On September 10, 1948, Fern married Arnold Bovee. They had three children, a son Alan Lee, two daughters Gwen Renae and Suzann Kay. They farmed most of their life north of Parker before building their new house on 2nd Street in Parker in 1984. Fern worked as a waitress at the Kitchen Cafe and the Parker Steakhouse for several years then as a custodian with Arnold at the Turner County Courthouse for ten years. After Arnold died from cancer she worked for a short time as a custodian at the Parker School and then at the Parker Post Office for eight years before retiring. She later moved to Turner Village in 2005.

Fern was a member of the First English Lutheran Church, First English LWML, VFW Auxiliary, Senior Citizens, and SIS Club. She volunteered for many years in the Church stand and Open Class building at the Turner County Fair. She enjoyed playing bingo, cards and dominos with her family and friends. Fern also enjoyed gardening, doing counted cross stitch, crocheting, making quilt tops with the church ladies, putting together puzzles and watching the Minnesota Twins.

Before her passing, Fern expressed that she’s had a good life and is ready to be at peace.

Grateful for having shared her life are her son Alan (Mary) Bovee, daughters Gwen Van Gerpen, Suzann (Tim) Matthies; three grandchildren, Nathan (Shanna) Bovee, Joshua (Erin) Bovee and Tyler Matthies; two great-grandchildren Claire and Connor Bovee; sister-in-law’s JoAnn Nelson, Mary Ellen Nelson, Carol Dawson and several nieces and nephews.

Fern was preceded in death by her husband Arnold in 1996, her parents Gust and Signe Nelson, four brothers, Lloyd, Herbert, Waldo, Leo, a sister-in-law Zelda Nelson, son-in-law Jim Van Gerpen and great-granddaughter Elizabeth Marie Bovee.

Lastly, the family would like to express its heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the caring professionals from the Sandford Hospice Foundation Cottage. The compassionate and loving care you provided to our mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and the support our family received from all of you was a gift to us.