Wilhelmina "Mina" VanderWal Eggebraaten was born December 16, 1931 to William (Bill) J. and Tessie (Mulder) VanderWal at the Volga Community Hospital in Volga, South Dakota.  She went to be with her Lord and Savior on Sunday, January 1, 2017, at Brookings Health Systems in Brookings, South Dakota at the age of 85.  Services will be held on Saturday, January 7, at 2 PM at the Brookings First Assembly of God Church in Brookings, SD.  Visitation will be held from 4-7 PM Friday, January 6, at the Eidsness Funeral Chapel in Volga, SD.

Mina grew up in the Volga area, the oldest of six children.  She received her education in Volga District #52 country school and graduated from Volga Public School in 1950.  Being the oldest child in the family, Mina helped with farm chores and field work as a teenager.  After graduating from high school, she worked for JC Penney in Brookings, SD and for a poultry processing plant in Madison, SD.  She met her future husband, Graydon, on Main Street in Volga after a ballgame.  Their courtship included roller skating at Lake Campbell.   Graydon was drafted into the Army and was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, where he and Mina were married on April 12, 1952.  While living in Kansas, Mina found work in a home caring for a 6 year old boy whose parents were civilian employees on the Army base.  Graydon was deployed to Japan and Mina returned home to Volga to await his return and during that time, their first son, Bryan was born.  Following Graydon's discharge from the Army in 1954, he and Mina lived in a 27' trailer house while Graydon worked for Mina's uncle, A.J. VanderWal, near Volga.  In 1955, they moved to a farm north of Arlington, SD.  Their second child, Nita, was born shortly before they moved to the farm.  The rest of their children, Keith, Deann, Allan and Carol, were born while living on this farm.  A devoted wife and mother, Mina led a full life raising and caring for her family, growing a large garden, canning produce each year, teaching her daughters to play piano and sew, doing bookwork, and helping with farm chores.  Her applesauce, dill pickle, and rubarb dessert recipes were family favorites.  She enjoyed reading and corresponding with friends and family by snail mail and email.  In her later years, she found joy in sewing hundreds of pot holders and baby bibs which were given as Christmas and shower gifts to family and friends.  She took great interest in her grandchildren's activities and adored her great-grandchildren.  Mina was known for her kind heart and helpful spirit to others.  She saw the good in everyone.

Mina was formerly an active member of the First Reformed Church in Volga, SD and spent many years teaching Sunday School and helping with the music.  Mina currently attended the First Assembly of God Church in Brookings.  Mina and Graydon participated in mission trips to Hawaii and the Philippines with Mina's father, Bill, building missionary housing.  Mina lived her life for the Lord.  She emulated her father's belief of stewardship of the land, daily Bible reading, and applying it to her family and work.

For many years Mina and Graydon spent several months each winter residing in Mission, Texas.  They enjoyed making new friends and frequently spent time with Army buddies and their wives during this time.   In 2016, after living on the farm for over 61 years, she moved to Edgewood Vista Assisted Living in Brookings, SD.  She enjoyed the respite from cooking, appreciated the nursing assistance, and spent many hours reading and sewing, her favorite past times.  She made field trips to the farm to collect sewing supplies and check on her cat, Daisy.

Grateful for sharing her life are her five children and their families:  Bryan Eggebraaten of Farmington, MN; Nita (Robert) Sachen of Brookings, SD, and their children, Krista Sachen of Brookings, SD, Joshua Sachen of Aurora, SD, Matthew (Rebekah) Sachen of Sioux Falls, SD; Keith (Linda) Eggebraaten, of Arlington, SD, and their children, Emily (Tyler) Benvenga and Alisa (Brandon) Bentley, all of Spearfish, SD; and Erick Eggebraaten of Arlington, SD; Deann (Larry) Moulton of Verdi, MN, and their children, Conrad Moulton of Denver, CO, and Samantha (Jason) Jenkins of Dell Rapids, SD; Allan (Laree) Eggebraaten of Arlington, SD, and their children, Tara (Michael) Green & great-granddaughter Adelaide of Watertown, SD, Nicole (Heath) Perry & twin great-granddaughters Jillian & Katelyn and great-grandson Levi, of Lyons, SD, and Amber (Ben) DeWeerd of Flandreau, SD.

She is also survived by her brothers and their wives, Ed (Gina) VanderWal and Ray (Marlys) VanderWal of Volga, SD, her sisters and their husbands, Marcia (Ron) Carver, Volga, SD, and Loretta (Duane) Kleinjan of Sinai, SD, her brother-in-law, Glenn Eggebraaten of Rutland, SD, her former sister-in-law, Janet Drewes of Brookings, SD; her former son-in-law Jerry Gillespie of Brandon, SD, and a host of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and friends.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Graydon, her brother, John Wilmar VanderWal, her parents, William J. and Tessie VanderWal, her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Albert and Mabel Eggebraaten, her youngest daughter, Carol Gillespie, and her nephew, Brent VanderWal.

Mina has now finished her journey here on earth, and is now safely on the other side with her Lord.