Rockey De Waggoner

Rockey De Waggoner, age 67 of Yankton, SD passed away away peacefully, surrounded by those who loved him most on Saturday, September 6, 2025 at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, Yankton, SD under hospice care due to complications with liver disease. Funeral services will be 10:30 am, Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at St. Benedict Catholic Church, Yankton, SD with Rev. Tom Anderson officiating. Visitations will be 5 to 7 pm, Tuesday, September 9, 2025 at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home and Crematory, Yankton, SD with a Scripture service at 7:00 pm. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. On line condolences may be sent at: www.okfhc.com. Livestreaming of Rockey’s service may be viewed at https://server.attend.live/static/event/v2Y0M.

He was born September 16, 1957, in Lynch Nebraska to Alvida and Robert Speidel and was raised in the Bonesteel area where he attended school and earned his GED. He moved to Yankton SD in 1979. He met and married the love of his life Mary Jo in 1982 and they enjoyed over 40 years of marriage. During that time they were foster parents to over a dozen children to whom Rockey provided a positive and loving male role model. In 2002, they adopted their forever children, Mikayla and Moses. To them he was the best father, friend and confidant. When Mikayla passed in 2020, our granddaughter Nakita came to live with us. She had such a special bond with “Papa”, they were always together, and he was her hero. If you saw Rockey, Nakita was probably somewhere close! She was definitely his favorite person in the world and he was hers as well.

He started working for Concrete materials (now Knife River) in 1988 and performed many duties within the company. He drove cement truck, dump truck, payloader and multiple other tasks. He could run any machine there and enjoyed his time with them. He retired due to health issues in August, 2025.

Anyone who met him had a friend. He thrived on being around people and shooting the breeze. He loved to hunt deer and pheasant, as well as fishing and golf. When he was not outdoors, he loved to play cards, drink and shoot the bull. His many friends will miss the time he spent with them

Grateful and blessed to have shared his life are his wife Mary Jo, daughter Mikayla, son Moses Waggoner, daughter Cindy Hicks and grandchildren Nakita Simpson and Kayden Earl (Mikayla) and Trey Neth (Moses); Jared, Derrica and Shannavion Hicks and Steve Gordon (Cindy) and two great grandchildren Cordaryus and Camorrah Craigen (Shannavion). Brothers Mike Speidel and Howard Waggoner. Sisters Robin Holden, Susan Reidle and Stacey Robinson.

He was preceded in death by his daughter Mikayla Waggoner, Keannan Simpson, fathers Elton Waggoner and Robert Speidel, and mother Alvida Waggoner.