TULARE — Naomi Gross, 90, of Tulare, passed away Thursday, November 24, 2022, at Avantara Huron in Huron, after a short illness and hospital stay at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m., with family present on Monday at Hyke Funeral Home in Redfield.
Naomi’s funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday at the Redfield Wesleyan Church, with Pastor Adrian Timmons officiating. Following a time for lunch and fellowship, burial will take place at Ebenezer Cemetery in rural Doland.
The funeral service will be livestreamed to the funeral home’s website, below Naomi’s obituary.
Naomi Gross was born June 7, 1932, on the family farm near Carpenter, to John Martin and Susanna (Decker) Waldner. She was raised with her 12 brothers and sisters. She attended Wheeler School, just a couple of miles from home and attended Willow Lake High School. After receiving her teacher’s certificate from Northern State Teachers College in Aberdeen, she taught country school near Yale for one year and one year near Frankfort following her marriage to Duane.
Naomi accepted Christ as her Savior when she attended Byron Bible Camp as a young person. She was a long-time member of Ebenezer Church in rural Doland and the Wesleyan Church in Redfield.
Naomi was joined in 63 years of marriage to Duane Willie Gross on June 5, 1959, at Prairie Bible Church in Carpenter. To this union, three children were born, Mark, Jayme and Robin. Due to health issues, they stopped farming after 25 years and moved to Tulare. Following the move, they spent the next 38 years working side by side for their janitorial business, Duane’s Cleaning Service.
Naomi loved her family and enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, Shane, Autumn, Shannon, and Ethan. She was known for her cooking and baking. Church was very important to Duane and Naomi, and they were honored to have provided the janitorial duties for the Wesleyan Church for 36 years.
She is lovingly remembered by her husband, Duane; three children: Mark (Teresa) Gross of Hitchcock, Jayme (Michelle) Gross of Clear Lake and Robin Schafer of Independence, Mo.; four grandchildren: Shane (Jenae) Gross of Redfield, Autumn (Tyler) Faber of Orange City, Iowa, Shannon Schafer of Lee’s Summit, Mo., and Ethan Gross of Clear Lake; her siblings: Bernice Kleinsasser, Pearl Hofer, Norman Waldner, Barbara Gross and Lucille Waldner; and many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents and siblings: Alma Gross, John Waldner, Kathryn Glanzer, Menno Waldner, Viola Hofer, Bennie Waldner, Willis Waldner and Melroy Waldner.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Hyke Funeral Home.
Visit www.hykefuneralhome.com
