OBITUARY

Colleen A. Alexander

June 7, 1947 – June 22, 2024

Colleen was born in waterloo, Iowa to Nathan C. Spears and Eva Spears.

Colleen was an outdoors and animal lover from a very young age and all her life.  As a child she kept baby chicks, ducklings and an occasional bunny.

Her dad was an avid traveler and camper.  For at least one month, and sometimes more, each summer they traveled around the country.  The bigger part of those trips were spent at the Circle H ranch south of Rapid City.  That's where she came to love the Black Hills and horses.

She was very quiet and reserved in school.  You hardly knew she was there.  After she graduated from high school she found a job in the office at a furniture store.  That's when she bought her first horses.  A mare and foal.   On June 23, 1967, she married the boss's son.  Two days after the wedding she was headed to Georga to his Air Force assignment.  She found a job there that she loved working as a re-buyer for a chain store.  She stayed in Georga while Steve completed his overseas assignment.

After discharge they moved back to Iowa.  Colleen held jobs with two different auto dealerships.  Then she started her own business of engraving and awards.  She stayed with that for 18 years until retirement.  About six months before retiring, she found an ad for some property in Fall River County, SD.  She took us on a three-day trip to see the property.  She had it bought and finalized by the time we got back to Iowa.

We spent the summer of 2011 camping on the property.  By the end of the summer, it was decided that keeping two properties wasn't going to work.  The decision was made to move permanently to South Dakota.  She never regretted that decision for a minute.

Colleen was preceded in death by her parents and an infant son, Troy.

She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Steven of Oelrichs, SD, Children Cory (Bethany) Alexander of Clear Water, Fl.  Kellie (Ryan) Corkery of Jesup, IA.  Sisters Deborah (Rick) Smart of Iowa City, IA, Beverly Donavan of Hudson, IA.  Four grandchildren; Kassidy, Daniel, Anthony and Emma.  Also, four nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at Chamberlain McColley's Funeral Home in Hot Springs, SD.

Funeral services will be held 10:00 a.m., Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Prairie View United Methodist Church near Smithwick, SD with committal services following at Hillside Cemetery in Oelrichs, SD.

Memorials may be sent to Prairie View United Methodist Church in Smithwick, SD.