Nadene Ferne Mahaffy

Nadene Ferne Mahaffy age 83, of Watertown, SD, passed away on Sunday, April 30, 2023, at the Avantara Nursing Home in Watertown.  

Funeral Mass was held Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Watertown. Father Richard Fox was the celebrant.  

Visitation was held at the Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel in Watertown on Tuesday and prior to services at the chapel Wednesday.

Burial was at the Plainview Cemetery, Plainview, SD.  Honorary pallbearers will be Dennis Murphy, Jim Steiger, and Brian Mahaffy. Active Pallbearers will be George Bland, Grant McGill, Christian Mahaffy and Nicholas Moriarty.

Nadene was born August 16, 1939, in Sturgis, SD, to Benjamin and Irvina (Walthall) Hellekson.  

On August 16, 1957, she married Richard Duane Mahaffy at Faith, SD.  The couple lived in the Faith area where Nadene loved raising her 15 children.  After retirement they moved to Sturgis, SD, and later to their son Blane’s home in Kalispell, MT.  Richard passed away September 4, 2009, and Nadene moved to Watertown to be closer to many of her children and grandchildren.  

Nadene loved visiting with her family, holding her grandchildren, playing rummy and bingo.  

Nadene is survived by her children: Nila (Kirk) Hansen, Watertown, SD; Gwenda Mahaffy, Wing, ND; Diane (James) Steiger, Watertown, SD; Kenneth (Barbara) Mahaffy, Banner, WY; Marilyn (Ramon) Valenzuela, Brookline, MA; Allen (Dianne) Mahaffy, Spokane, WA; Jean (Gerard) Moriarty, Brookings, SD; Blane (Darrelyn) Mahaffy, Kalispell, MT; Rosemary (Dennis) Murphy, Watertown, SD; Jamie (Susette) Mahaffy, Rapid City, SD;  Anthony (Christine) Mahaffy, Las Vegas, NV; Teresa (Bob) Johnson, Cheyenne, WY; Daman (Linda Falk), Sweden; Nicholas Mahaffy, Watertown, SD; Brian (Laura) Mahaffy, Brookings, SD; 2 brothers: Dave (Denice) Billings, MT, Dennis, Faith, SD; 51 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard;  her parents; 2 brothers: Duane and Daniel; her sister, Irene McGill; 1 grandson, Jace Johnson, and 1 granddaughter, Desirae Mahaffy.

Arrangements by Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel www.crawfordosthus.com Watertown, Hayti, De Smet, Bryant.