Joanne Bitting

Joanne Bitting, age 82, of Kadoka, South Dakota, died on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 at the Kadoka Nursing Home.
Joanne Bitting was born on June 25, 1938 in Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho to Daniel and Evelyn (Karel) Kulhavy. The family moved from Sioux Falls to Belvidere and ran the drug store “Belvidere Sundries”. Joanne graduated from Belvidere High School in May of 1958.
On May 25, 1958 Joanne was married to Clair Bitting at the Concordia Lutheran Church in Kadoka, while he was home on leave from the Army.
Joanne held a variety of jobs during her life. She and Clair owned and operated their own custom spraying service, she ran Club 27 for the Legion, she managed the Belvidere Bar assisted Kenny and Cindy Wilmarth with Centro, and she ran both desks at the Double H and El Centro Cafe. Joanne also worked for Dean and Rita Blom at the Double H Café in Belvidere.
In 1975 they moved to the original Bitting Homestead north of Belvidere. They also bought the Dithmer house from Long Valley and moved it to the ranch and remodeled it. Joanne did a lot of the finish work in the house. She enjoyed stripping and refinishing all the woodwork and various pieces of furniture.
Joanne raised a large garden every summer and enjoyed canning all sorts of things. In her later years she enjoyed putting puzzles together. She was a big card player and loved to play cribbage anytime she could. Joanne taught herself how to crochet and could make any outfit just by looking at it. She did not read patterns. She loved to bowl, and you could find her on Wednesdays at the Western Lanes in Kadoka. She was a longtime member of the Concordia Lutheran Church and the Belvidere Legion Auxilliary.
In November 2014 both her and Clair moved into the Kadoka Nursing Home.
Grateful for having shared her life are her children, Kolette Struble of Belvidere and Curtis Bitting of Philip; niece, Kimberly Kulhavy; nephews, Dan and William Kulhavy; great nephew, Stephen Kulhavy; and her dog Taz; and a host of other relatives and friends.
Joanne was preceded in death by her husband, Clair, on June 23, 2015; her parents; and two brothers, Derald and Warren Kulhavy.
Graveside services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, at the Belvidere Cemetery with Pastor Kathy Chesney officiating. Live streaming will be provided which can be watched from www.rushfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements are with Rush Funeral Home of Philip.