Paula Tuttle, 62, of Wagner

Funeral services are 10:30 AM, Wednesday, September 7, 2022 at the United Methodist Church in Wagner. Burial is in the ZCBJ Cemetery, rural Wagner. Visitation will be at the church on Tuesday from 5 to 7 PM.

Her personal request was that everyone dress casually and to wear blue jeans and Sue Bastemeyer or Missy Wunder Memorial golf shirts if you have them.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Paula Tuttle Memorial at Commercial State Bank in Wagner, to be directed to local cancer groups.

Paula J (Bastemeyer) Tuttle received her heavenly wings on Sept 3, 2022, surrounded by her loving family, at the Community Memorial Hospital in Wagner, following her short but very courageous battle with cancer.

Paula was born in Wagner, SD on Oct 12, 1959 to Melvern "Bee" and Norma Sue (Garberick) Bastemeyer. She attended school in Wagner and was united in marriage on July 10, 1977 to John R Tuttle. They were blessed with three children: Jeremy, Trista and Aaron. Together they owned and operated Wagner Bowl for 18 years. They were partnered in TNT Enterprises with Ken Thaler for 17 years, until recently, owned Phinney's Pub, and presently Dogger's Dive.

Paula had a passion for helping others, always doing it silently and wanting no attention drawn to herself for doing it. She planned, organized and ran two very successful golf tournaments, back to back, for nearly twenty years, benefitting PASD in memory of her mother, and Wagner Cancer Walk in memory of her very dear friend, Missy Wunder. Paula loved to decorate her house and yard for Halloween and Christmas, and made sure her "special" kids got her popcorn balls in their Halloween bags. She was the first person to make her famous chocolate chip cookies or kolaches when someone she knew lost a loved one. She always made sure all of her family felt welcome in her home, especially on Christmas Eve for her traditional ham, potato salad, dill pickle wraps, and her awesome slush, followed by a chaotic gift exchange. Paula always made sure that every grandchild and great grandchild had their small red stocking hung around her door.

Thankful for having shared her life are her husband of 45 years, John R Tuttle of Wagner; children: Jeremy (Cynthia Carlson) of Apple Valley, MN, Trista Kourt of Wagner, and Aaron (Becky) Tuttle of Sioux Falls; grandchildren: Hannah Tuttle of Boca Raton, FL, Sam Carlson of Apple Valley, MN, Skyler and Kennedy Kourt, Addison, Jackson and Easton Fischer of Wagner; her sisters: Sandy Fechner, Deb (Mike) Abdouch both of Sioux Falls, DeElla (Dick) Soukup of Wagner, and Carla (Mike) Grosshuesch of Springfield; her brothers: Mark (Paula), Rick (Karen) and Craig Bastemeyer, all of Lawrence, KS; brothers-in-law: Joe Groom of Mitchell, Dave (Pat) of Alexandria, Rod (Norma) Tuttle of Mitchell; and sister-in-law, Ramona (Fred) Persan of Valley Stream, NY. Paula was adored by her many nieces and nephews and their families.

Paula was preceded in death by her parents; her in-laws, Melvin and Wilma Tuttle; her sister, Dana Groom; brother, Dennis (died in infancy); brother-in-law, Don Fechner; niece, Michelle Bastemeyer; and her dear friend, Missy Wunder.

As Paula would say, "Day by Day, Fight the Fight".