Lydia Willman

Lydia Willman, 106, of Yankton, passed away Tuesday May 19, 2026 at the Avera Sister James Care Center in Yankton. Lydia’s funeral service will be 10:30 am, Saturday, May 23, 2026 at Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home in Yankton with Rev. Thi Pham officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Burial will be at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Yankton. Online condolences may be sent at www.okfhc.com. Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home of Yankton is assisting the family with arrangements.

Lydia was born July 6, 1919 as the second child to Martha (Wagner) and Charles Binder on the family farm in South Dakota. She grew up as a child in the Tabor, Scotland and Tripp areas where she worked with her parents and took care of siblings on the family farm. She was united in marriage to Virgil Willman on 8/13/1941 in Hartington, Nebraska. They farmed in the Scotland area where she was a homemaker worked in the fields with tractors, gardened, they raised chickens, hogs, and cattle until 1989 at which time they retired to Yankton. Over the years they acquired many houses in Yankton and remodeled them as rental properties that were offered at reasonable prices to help those with less ability to pay.

Lydia was a past member of St. Mary’s Church and alter Society, Scotland, South Dakota for 48 years and presently a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Yankton South Dakota. Her hobbies included gardening, flowers, canning, reading, feeding and watching birds and squirrels. She kept a beautiful garden and was a devoted caretaker of her beloved Boston terriers, first Tiny then Babs and Maggie. Above all else she loved God and her huge family immensely. She cared about all animals and donated endlessly to their relief. She enjoyed listening to religious TV programs and music. Though she never had any children of her own, she was a second mother to many. She was such an amazing woman and will be remembered loving by all.

Grateful for having shared her life are three sisters, Phyllis Pfeiffer, Sylvia Gratzfeld, and Sophia Ryken all of Yankton, South Dakota, two brothers Albert (Elvira) Binder, Bullhead City, Arizona, Donald Binder, Highmore, South Dakota, and many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and great great nieces and nephews. She was especially proud to be a great great aunt to triplets.

Lydia was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Virgil on September 29, 1991, five brothers Benedict, Louis (Ike), Charles (Chuck), Paul, and Raymond and many brothers and sisters in law.