Lawrence Kaiser

Lawrence Robert Kaiser passed away at the age of 95 September 4, 2026 at the Crestview Care Center in Chadron, Nebraska. He was born on August 19, 1931 in Parmalee, South Dakota to Robert and Martha (Heinert) Kaiser, parents who had immigrated as children from Crimea to South Dakota in 1904 to escape religious persecution and repression during the Bolsheviks under what would later become Russian communism. After the family left their farm in Parmalee amid hard times during the Depression years, Lawrence received his education in the Custer area and eventually moved with his parents and siblings to Hot Springs, South Dakota, where he helped his dad and Uncle Toby build a family home on Canton Avenue.

After a brief marriage to Dorothy (Robertson) Johnson which produced their son, Kenneth, Lawrence was wed to his beloved wife, Darlene Francis Clark, on June 12, 1954, at the Bethesda Lutheran Church in Hot Springs. He and Darlene raised their five children in California and Nebraska where Lawrence worked primarily as a meat cutter and as an over the road truck driver. Darlene passed September 23, 2011, leaving a big empty space in Lawrence's life.

Having been born into a very musical family, Lawrence had a life-long love and appreciation for music and enjoyed playing around on the harmonica and guitar, even writing a song about life as an over the road trucker.

Lawrence was preceded in death by his parents, infant sister Loretta, oldest sister Irene Bolling of Lincoln, NE, and younger brother, James Kaiser, of Hastings, NE. He is survived by his beloved sisters Margaret Beach and JoAnn (Vincent) Tusa, both of California, and brother Bill (Patty) Kaiser of Arizona.

Lawrence and Darlene will be laid to rest together at a family graveside service at Evergreen Cemetery in Hot Springs, SD, on September 26, 2026. They are survived by their children Scott (Rosemary) Kaiser of Rapid City; Ron (Sherry) Kaiser of Scottsbluff, NE; Peggy Sue (Jerry) Mintken of Hemingford, NE; and Dan (RaShelle) Kaiser of Chadron, NE. They are also survived by fourteen grandchildren and 32 great grandchildren as well as numerous nephews and nieces. They were preceded in death by two of their grown sons, Robert Kaiser, and Kenneth Johnson.