August 2, 1948 – February 14, 2025

A funeral service for Kandyce Blankartz, 76, who resided in Mobridge, will take place at 10 AM on Saturday, February 22, 2025, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Following the service, her ashes will be laid to rest at Greenlawn Cemetery in Redfield at a later time. Prior to the funeral, there will be a visitation starting at 6 PM, followed by a prayer session at 7 PM at the church on Friday. Kandyce passed away on Friday, February 14, 2025, at the Mobridge Regional Hospital. The arrangements are being handled by Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge.

Kandyce K. Ewing Blankartz was born on August 2, 1948, in Huron, SD, to Dewey T. Ewing Jr. and Arlene L. (Harford) Ewing. She spent her early years in the Doland area until the age of 5, after which her family relocated to the Black Hills. She attended Hill City school until her sophomore year, and then the family moved to Pierre, SD, in 1965, where she graduated from Riggs High School in 1967.

Following her high school graduation, Kandyce pursued education in business in Omaha, focusing on computer studies. She went on to work in data processing for the State of SD from 1968 to 1978, eventually holding a supervisory position before moving on.

Kandyce met and married Richard Blankartz on August 26th, 1972. They then moved to Mobridge in 1978 working construction.  In that union they had 5 children a son, Donald, 4 daughters, Darcey, Dawn, Desiree, and Deidra. 

Raising 5 kids was very hectic which involved basketball, volleyball, softball, and golf and football and baseball.  There were a lot of quick hot dog suppers. The girls were also in Girl Scouts of which Kandyce was a leader of the Daisy troop. Kandyce very much-loved hobby was refunding to make little extra money.  

Kandyce is a member of the Ladies of the Moose, Mobridge Sr. Center, and member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Mobridge.

Kandyce, being born asthmatic, started having more trouble with her lungs and being very sick 1997 went on oxygen so things became harder for her to do but she always kept trying, never giving up. She was officially diagnosed with asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and bronchiectasis in 2014 and pulmonary hypertension.

Kandyce started advocating for COPD in 2004 writing many newspaper articles trying to get the message out about COPD and how bad smoking is for the lungs.  Kandyce wrote to the Governor of SD for the Proclamations making November COPD AWARENESS in South Dakota for 10 years.  In October of 2013 the COPD FOUNDATION asked Kandyce to be Captain of SD for Advocacy. She was so appreciative of being asked for this position.  Kandyce belonged to many support groups on FB helping people with asthma, emphysema and alpha 1 sand Bronchiectasis.  This was her passion for helping people.  Her favorite pastime was being with the 13 grandchildren.  Picking up from school, babysitting, did do some biking.  Kandyce tackled roller skating at her granddaughter’s birthday party.

Then came the grands ball games and concerts at school.  Kandy enjoyed these until her health prevented her from going.  She surely missed these times.  

She is survived by her 5 children, son,  Donald (Stacey Kulm) Blankartz , daughters, Deidra (Nate) Shillingstad, Desiree (Robert Carlson) Blankartz, Dawn (Justin) Feyereisen all of Mobridge and Darcey (Kevin) Koch of Bismarck ND,13 grandchildren,  Amy Blankartz, Tyler Blankartz, Kayla Blankartz, William Blankartz,  Kaycey Koch,  Noah Feyereisen, Kyah Feyereisen, Avah Feyereisen, Jaah Feyereisen, Chloe Blankartz, Laney Blankartz,  Kiana Shillingstad, and Kinley Shillingstad and 1 great grandson, Westen, one surviving sibling sister Sandra (Gary) Arnburg of Lenexa Ks. 

Preceded in death were her dad, Dewey Ewing, her mom, Arlene Ewing, both paternal grandparents and many aunts and uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.

In lieu of flowers memorial can be made to the COPD Foundation. www.copdfoundation.org

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