Gail LaVonne Kortan

Gail LaVonne Kortan, age 82, of Tyndall, South Dakota and formerly of Tabor, South Dakota died on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton.

Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be at 2:00 PM, on Thursday, July 6, 2023 at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Tabor with Reverend Darin Schmidt and Reverend Joe Forcelle officiating.  Private family burial will be in the St. Wenceslaus Cemetery in Tabor.  The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church.  Arrangements are under the direction of the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Yankton, South Dakota.

Gail was born October 13, 1940 to John and Violet (Pechous) Machacek.  She grew up on a farm near Utica, SD and graduated from Tabor High School in 1958.  Gail then attended Cosmetology School in Sioux Falls where she became a hairdresser.  She married Emanuel Kortan on June 1, 1960 in Tabor.  After their marriage, she traveled with her husband who was serving in the United States Army.  After his discharge in 1962, they moved to a farm south of Tabor where they farmed for the next 55 years until they moved to Tyndall in 2017.  Gail worked at many places throughout her life while also raising four children.  Some of them include working as a hairdresser for Ruth’s Beauty Shop, a seamstress for Coyote Sports in Tabor, as well as for Shur-Co and TruXedo in Yankton.  Her final place of employment was as a janitor for Bon Homme Schools in Tyndall.  Gail loved watching sports and especially loved watching her children and grandchildren play baseball.  She loved cooking for her family and friends and was a wonderful cook.  She also enjoyed doing word search puzzles.  Gail was so giving, always willing to help others, and would rather serve than to be served.  She will be greatly missed.

Gail is survived by her husband, Emanuel Kortan of Tyndall; four children: Tammie Kortan of Vermillion, MN, Bruce (Linda) Kortan of Tyndall, Jack (Susan) Kortan of Albert Lea, MN, and Gary (Lisa) Kortan of Tabor; 13 grandchildren: Tressa (Brian), Tiffany (Dustin), Jordan, Logan, Connor, Carter, Ross (Sara), Megan, Chase, Jacqueline, Bailey, Cassidy, and Jaden; 10 great grandchildren; sister, Ilene Sternhagen of Tabor; brother-in-law, Larry Reining of Tabor; and many nieces and nephews.

Gail was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Norma Reining; and two brothers-in-law, Eugene Caba and John Sternhagen.