Dagmar Marie Hoxsie

Dagmar Marie Gutsch Hoxsie, age 98 of Yankton, SD passed away Sunday, January 18, 2026 at Sister James Care Center, Yankton, SD. Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be 9:30 AM, Thursday, January 22, 2026 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Yankton, SD with Rev. Thi Pham officiating. Burial will be in the Sacred Heart Cemetery, Yankton, SD. Visitations will be 4 to 6 PM, Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Onsite Crematory, Yankton, SD with a Scripture service at 6:00 PM. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. Online condolences may be sent at: www.okfhc.com. To view Dagmar’s service live stream, click this link: https://server.attend.live/static/event/zpq92.

Dagmar Marie Hoxsie (Gutsch) was born June 1, 1927, in Frankfurt, Germany, to Friedrich and Emma (Schmorl) Gutsch. World War II abruptly ended her happy childhood, introducing her to hunger, suffering, and loss. After the early death of her mother, life grew increasingly difficult. When the war ended, Dagmar seized the opportunity to come to the United States.

She married Frank Hoxsie in 1958. The couple lived in Rapid City while Frank attended the South Dakota School of Mines. Following his graduation, his work took the family to several states before they settled in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where their children, James and Angela, were born. In 1978, the family moved to Yankton, South Dakota.

Dagmar trained as a nurse in Tulsa and worked at St. Francis Hospital. After moving to Yankton, she worked at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital. Following back surgery, she took early retirement but remained closely connected to the hospital, volunteering for more than 25 years.

Faith was central to Dagmar’s life. She was a devoted member of Sacred Heart Church and deeply committed to social justice. In 1996–1997, she participated in efforts that led to the founding of the Yankton Area Banquet. Having known hunger herself, Dagmar was profoundly grateful to all who put their faith into action by serving weekly meals.

Dagmar was a longtime member of the Pax Christi Yahweh Shalom Prayer Group and Bread for the World, advocating in Pierre for an end to food taxes and the death penalty. Though those efforts did not bring about the change she hoped for, her commitment never wavered.

More than 30 years ago, Dagmar became involved with the Catholic Worker Movement. She embraced its values of voluntary poverty, works of mercy, hospitality, and nonviolence, and cherished the friendships she formed through the movement.

Dagmar enjoyed line dancing, gardening, canning, cooking, and sharing meals with family and friends. She was always ready for a card game, dominoes, or Scrabble. She treasured her friendships and was rarely without a cat at her side, with Whoopi as her last companion.

Dagmar was preceded in death by her parents, Friedrich and Emma; her sisters, Edeltrud and Seldis; her son, James; her granddaughter, Jade; and her former husband, Frank.

She is survived by her daughter, Angela (Scott) Rembold; grandchildren Justine Rembold, Jenna Pavel, and Shane (Jennifer) Hoxsie; and great-grandchildren Carter, Traeson, Jazper, Lydia, Bonnie, Briggs, Baylor, Alvin, and Jimmy.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a ministry addressing hunger and food insecurity.