Linda Kluthe

Linda Marie (Kurtenbach) Kluthe was welcomed into heaven on October 23, 2025 at the Good Samaritan Society in Scotland, following a courageous battle with ovarian cancer. Visitation will be held 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with a 7 p.m. wake service with Rosary, Thursday, October 30 at St. George Catholic Church in Scotland. A Funeral Mass will begin 10:30 a.m. Friday, October 31 at St. George. Interment will be at Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery in Parkston.

Linda was born May 7, 1951 in Parkston, SD to Lawrence and Irene (Wieger) Kurtenbach, the youngest of three daughters, and grew up on the family farm near Milltown. From the farm life, Linda was taught an appreciation for nature, animals, the beauty of a sunset, and the pride of hard work.

Linda graduated from Parkston High School in 1969 as the valedictorian of her class. Linda married Terry Kluthe on August 7, 1969. To this union, a daughter and son were born. Linda graduated with a degree in Education from Dakota State College, Madison, SD. Linda and Terry lived and taught in several different communities, including Jacksonville, FL, Madison, SD, Hartington, NE, Bedford, IA, Marcus, IA, before settling into their historic home in Scotland, SD.

Linda had a passion for teaching. She especially loved teaching English, Speech, and Drama and was active for many years directing plays and overseeing the Quiz Bowl. She touched the lives of countless students during her tenure, before retiring for good in 2018.

Linda loved to travel. She was fortunate to visit all 50 states and went on numerous Caribbean cruises and trips to Europe with her husband, Terry. Following Terry’s death in 2016, she continued to travel, taking bus trips throughout the US with her grandkids and going back to Europe with Troy and Lindsay.

Linda was very active in many church and civic organizations. She was a devout Catholic and a proud member of St. George Catholic Church in Scotland where she served in a variety of roles including Lector, Eucharistic Minister, Altar Server Coordinator and Secretary. She had a great appreciation for the arts, attending numerous plays and concerts.

She had a passion for history and served as a Board Member of Preserve South Dakota, and Chairperson of the Scotland Historic Preservation Commission. Many of the historical markers in Scotland were written by Linda. She worked on preservation projects around the state too. Linda loved to restore furniture and collect antiques as part of her passion for preserving the past.

Linda was a devoted mother and grandma. Her grandkids called her “Baba.” Linda was never too busy for her family. She loved to cook special meals with family and decorate for the holidays. She was always happiest when family and friends were visiting.

Linda is survived by her daughter, Lindsay (Mike) Dummer of Lennox, SD and their children Allison, Matthew, and Ashley; son, Troy Kluthe of Scotland; sister and brother-in-law, Kathie and Neil Weight of Brookings, SD; nephews, Tim (Dawn) Weight of Brookings, SD, and Pat (Amy) Weight and their children of Flandreau, SD.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 46 years, Terry; her parents; her sister and brother-in-law, Elaine and David Weight; nephews, Dan Weight and Walter Weight; close friend, Gigi Erickson and numerous other friends and relatives.

As Mom would say at the end of every phone call “bye for now.”