Gail Newell

GAIL LYNN NEWELL was born on July 14, 1954, to Ralph and Ruth (Jensen) Hansen in Tyler, Minnesota. She was baptized at Danebod Lutheran Church in Tyler on September 5, 1954. During her earlier years her love of animals began to show as she regularly brought home many different stray animals, especially dogs, and loved having them as an audience for all of her stories. Gail could often be found riding her horse, Kim, or following her Bedstefar everywhere. Many happy memories were made between Gail and her three sisters while growing up, even though they nominated Gail as the taste-tester of their delicious mud pies. After her graduation from high school in 1972, she continued to be a life-long resident of Tyler. Gail worked at Maynards Grocery Store in town for several years prior to her retirement in 2019. Gail passed away on September 18, 2019, in her home at the age of 65 years, two months and four days.

In her spare time, Gail loved to bowl and previously participated on a dart league. Gail's unique talent of crossing one eye always entertained her family. She was very artistic and it showed through her love of photography and assembly of memoirs. Her family was very dear to her and she always appreciated the time they spent together. Some of Gail’s favorite memories were of their holiday traditions and family vacations; she especially loved their trips to the Black Hills. Her love of the outdoors carried on into her adult life and she always enjoyed spending a warm sunny day outside with an ice-cold Old Milwaukee light beer in hand. She was a strong, determined, and proud, yet, stubborn Dane like her father, Ralph. Gail taught her family the importance of sticking up for yourself, to never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something, and that when you don’t know what to say, a simple pointing of the finger could say it all. Her unmistakable laugh will surely be missed.

Gail is remembered by her beloved, Neil Enderson of Tyler; children, Shawna (Matt) Smith of Breezy Point, Minnesota, Amie (Timothy) Lingen of Lake Benton, Minnesota, and Justin (Melissa) Newell of Holland, Minnesota; 10 grandchildren, Felisha Smith-Carlson, Kara Newell, Brianna Andresen, Mady Smith, Brittany and Nathan Christensen, Conner and Kaden Lingen, and Kyle and Brady Newell; four great-grandchildren, Gavin and Gracelyn Koster, Haylee Wettstein, and Peyton Erickson; sisters, Elizabeth (William) Baxter of Phoenix, Arizona, Karma (Richard) Dingman of Littleton, Colorado, and Ruthann (Darwin) Dorn of West Bend, Wisconsin; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and niece, Megan Dupre.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Sioux Falls Humane Society.