Theodore A. "Ted" Mayer, Jr., age 65, of Yankton, died Monday, July 16, 2007, at his residence. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 AM, Thursday, July 19, 2007 at St. Benedict Catholic Church, Yankton, with Rev. Ken Bain officiating. Burial will be in the Sacred Heart Cemetery, Yankton, SD. Visitations will be 5 to 9 PM, Wednesday (July 18, 2007) at the Kostel Funeral Home and Crematory, Yankton, with a rosary at 7:00 PM followed by a memorial video tribute and scripture service at 7:30 PM. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. Pallbearers will be Richard "Dick" Robinson, Donald Casey, Daniel Wentworth, Andy List, Lloyd Sudbeck, and Allen Bonertz. Honorary pallbearers will be are his grandchildren: Nick, Kristen, Kelsey, Shana, Amanda, and Zachary Mayer and Alicia, Colton, and Brooklyn Bender.
Ted was born May 26, 1942 in Bismarck, ND to Ted Sr, and Madeline (Tatarek) Mayer. He moved to Jamestown, ND at the age of nine, where he attended school and graduated. He married Carol Walters on September 5, 1959 in Jamestown, ND completing 47 years of marriage at the time of his death. In September 1970, the family moved to Yankton, SD where Ted managed the White Drug Store. In 1971, he took on the role as Chamber Director. He assumed the position of Chamber President in 1977. That year, he was elected and served as a City Commissioner. In, 1981, he was elected as Mayor of Yankton, taking on the title of Mayor Mayer. In the spring of 1979, he owned and operated Mayer OK Hardware. In January 1982, Ted moved back to Jamestown to manage White's Home Center. He also worked for Comb Retail Outlet Store in Sioux Falls, SD before joining Tractor Supply Company. Ted worked for the company in Sioux Falls and Omaha, NE before moving home to Yankton in January 2000. Ted retired from the TSC in May 2006. At the time of his death, he was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks, the Seratoma, and was a member of the Fox Run Golf Course and St. Benedict Catholic Church. He enjoyed spending time with his nine grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons, Steve (Sue) of Palmer, Alaska and Tim (Beth) of Jefferson City, Missouri; daughter, Rhonda (Brad) Bender of Yankton, South Dakota. He is survived by nine grandchildren and one great granddaughter. He is also survived by one brother, Jerome of Jamestown, ND and five sisters: Delores Johnson of Gackle, ND, Jeanette Kaiser of Puyallup, WA, Diane Lutman of Jamestown, ND, Elizabeth Meyer of Bismarck, ND, and Jacquelyn Walters of Jamestown, ND.
