Mozelle Hotchkiss

**VIDEO TRIBUTE CAN BE VIEWED BELOW** Mozelle Hotchkiss, age 87 of Mud Butte, died Sunday, January 15, 2017 at the Belle Estate in Belle Fourche. The funeral service will be held 2pm Friday, January 20th, 2017 at the Opal Community Church in Opal. Visitation will be held 5 to 7 pm Thursday at Leverington Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche, and one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will take place in the Opal Cemetery. Memorials are requested to Gideon’s International or Opal Community Church. Mozelle Hotchkiss was born in Las Vegas, New Mexico, on May 11th, 1929, to Ruth (Wilbanks) and Meritt David Johnson. She was the oldest of five daughters. Being 5 years older than June, the next in line, she was a great help with the little sisters. She grew up exploring the piney woods of east Texas with her big German shepherd “Old Abe”. Her family lived on the Johnson homestead near Kilgore where they raised cotton, peanuts, ribbon cane, and watermelons. She always helped her daddy drive the team of mules with the wagon full of ribbon cane to the cane mill to be ground and made into syrup. When she was 11 years old her family moved back to Las Vegas, New Mexico. She loved reading and drawing and was a part time telephone operator during her Junior and Senior years of high school. Her best friend, Reta Hotchkiss, had a brother in the Army. Reta and her mother convinced Mozelle to write to their homesick soldier. The romance blossomed and when Dub returned home, he came calling. They were married on June 4th, 1948. Dub and Mozelle made their ranch home near Capulin, New Mexico. Daughter, Sandy, was born in 1952. After years of drought took their toll, they sold out and moved to Nebraska to farm with Dub’s parents. They bought a ranch near Livingston, Montana in 1956. Son, Terry, joined their little family that year. Hard work was always at hand including a dairy and hundreds of chickens. Mozelle raised a big garden and did lots of canning. Cindy, their youngest, was born in 1961. In 1966 they moved again, buying a ranch north of Big Timber, MT, where they lived until 1973. Dub longed for good grass country and no irrigation. He found a ranch near Mud Butte, SD. They pulled up stakes and moved to South Dakota settling in for 35 years. They moved to Miles City for a time and Dub was in a nursing home there. After his passing, Mozelle moved back to the ranch and enjoyed two wonderful, contented years. Mozelle was a great cook. She enjoyed sewing beautiful clothing, teddy bears, dolls, and toys that she gave to her grandkids and sold at craft fairs. She loved and studied art and displayed her talent with pencils, oils, and watercolors, drawing and painting many lovely pictures. Mozelle loved music. She played the guitar and sang even over the radio when she was young and with Dub while he yodeled. She was a lifelong learner. She loved the birds and flowers and knew all their names. She was a woman of laughter! She loved good humor and was always clipping funny stories, pictures, and jokes out and sharing them with others. Mozelle was known for her happy and gracious spirit and loving heart. A women of prayer, she had an unquenchable desire to read and study the Scriptures and a deep devotion to her “Precious Lord”. Her love for the Lord and His Word radiated to all those around her. She has been a great example to all of her family whom she loved so dearly. Her grands and great-grands were special treasures to her. She came to be known as Grandma-Great to all the little ones. Her family and friends are so grateful for the privilege and blessings of being part of her life. She is dearly loved and will be deeply missed. Mozelle entered glory at the age of 87 on Sunday, January 15, 2017 at the Belle Estate in Belle Fourche, SD. Mozelle is survived by her son, Terry (Beth) Hotchkiss of Mud Butte; daughters, Sandy (Max) Blanchard of Athol ID, Cindy (Ken) Baumeister of Buffalo WY; 8 grandchildren, Cassie, Andrea, Evie, Jamin, Wesley, Ashley, Christian, Blane; and 15 great grandchildren. She is also survived by her sisters, June Hotchkiss of Reva, Omy (Ted) Berg of Stevensville MT, Jackie Caywood of Sitka AK, and Hazel Lynn (Dale) Cleveland of Fairland, OK; and Mary Warner of Mud Butte who for the past few months has been a special angel to Mozelle. She was preceded in death by her parents; and husband, W.A. “Dub” Hotchkiss. Celebration of Life 2:00 P.M. – Friday – January 20, 2017 Opal Community Church Opal, South Dakota   Officiant Pastor Steve Talley   Casketbearers Christian Baumeister                                                     Wesley Hotchkiss Blane Hotchkiss                                                              Krayden Krause Dan Hotchkiss                                                                       Aaron Price Marc Hotchkiss                                                                  Kenny Rhoden   Special Music “The Lilly of the Valley”, “Majesty” Cassie Bastian, soloist Hymns– “He Hideth My Soul”, “It Is Well” Larinda Price, pianist   Interment Opal Cemetery Opal, South Dakota