Nora Jane Lee

Nora Lee, age 80, of Yankton, South Dakota died on Friday, March 7, 2025 at Avera Majestic Bluffs Hospice House in Yankton surrounded by her loving family.

A memorial service will be 10:30 AM on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Yankton, South Dakota with Reverend Michael Jordan officiating. Burial will be at a later date in Graceland Cemetery in Madison, South Dakota. A gathering of friends and family will be from 5:00 to 7:00 PM on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home in Yankton, South Dakota, with a prayer service at 7:00 PM.

The memorial service will be live streamed and can be viewed below, shortly before the memorial service is scheduled to start.

Nora Lee was born May 13, 1944, in Chester, South Dakota, to Leonard and Ruby Loretta (Haskins) Kuchenbecker. She grew up in Madison, South Dakota and graduated from Madison High School in 1962, where she loved playing French horn in the marching band and met her high school sweetheart, Darrel Lee. They were married on June 8, 1963 in Madison and later moved to Menno, South Dakota in 1972. Nora worked part-time at the courthouse and was later elected as the Hutchinson County Auditor, serving two terms. She was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Menno where she directed the choir and also helped Darrel as the treasurer for many years. They moved to Yankton in 1991, and Nora became the office manager for the Yankton School District until her retirement in 2008.

Nora was a planner and great cook, preparing all of the family meals for the holidays. She enjoyed baking and camping with Darrel, first in a pop-up camper, working their way up to their 5th-wheel trailer. They loved camping in the Black Hills or as they would say, “God’s country”. She loved music, playing piano and listening to music, all the while humming along. She loved her family most of all. She was the most wonderful grandmother and loved playing with her grandchildren. She was an amazing mother and devoted wife and will be greatly missed.

Survivors include her husband of 61 years, Darrel Lee of Yankton; three children: Sherri (David) Hoffman of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Michele (Brian) Tapp of Des Moines, Iowa; and Jeff (Marissa) Lee of Mitchell, South Dakota; seven grandchildren: Miranda Lapour, Emily Herrboldt, Mitch Herrboldt, Cristian VanDyke, Coby (Kelsey) Lee, Caleb Lee, and Carter Lee; sister, Judy Linn of Casper, Wyoming; sister-in-law, Sonja Nelson of Longmont, Colorado; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and infant daughter, Deborah Jane.