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Allyce Ann Halverson, age 87, of Sioux Falls, S.D., passed away peacefully at her home on July 1, 2025.
A memorial service was held at 10 a.m. on Monday, July 7, 2025, at George Boom Funeral Home in Sioux Falls, with visitation one hour prior. All who knew and loved Allyce were welcome to attend and celebrate her life.
Interment will be at the Fort Snelling National Cemetery at a later date.
Allyce was born on November 9, 1937, in Ipswich, S.D., to Elso and Lydia Tiggelaar. She graduated from Willow Lake High School in 1955 and then earned her teaching degree from Northern Normal and Industrial School in Aberdeen, S.D.
Allyce devoted over four decades to her life’s calling as an educator. She began her teaching career in a one-room country school near Willow Lake, S.D., and went on to serve students in Irwin, S.D.; Renville, Minn.; and finally in Pipestone and Edgerton, Minn. Her deepest passion lay in working with her fifth-grade classes, students with special needs, adult education, and English as a Second Language. With unwavering compassion, Allyce left a lasting impact on generations of students whose lives were enriched by her care and commitment.
On December 26, 1969, Allyce married Vernon E. Halverson in Sioux Falls. The couple lived briefly in Osceola, Wis., before Vernon was deployed to Vietnam. Following his deployment, Allyce returned to Pipestone, Minn., where she continued teaching. Tragically, Vernon passed away shortly after returning home from the war. Eight months later, Allyce gave birth to their son, Chad.
Allyce raised Chad in Pipestone with strength, grace, and the loving support of family and friends. As Chad says with a smile, “If I ever do anything right in this world, it’s because of her…she would like that I said that.” In 2005, she moved to Sioux Falls, where she embraced a new chapter of life and friendship. She remained closely connected to her Minnesota circle through the Pipestone Birthday Coffee Group’s monthly gatherings. She loved reading, lunch outings with family and friends, and attending plays and musicals. She joined many family fishing trips over the years—often catching the same tiny perch again and again, while her brother Woody reeled in tournament-winning walleyes. She was grateful for the chance to travel to many memorable places, including Norway, the Netherlands, Australia, and New Zealand.
She is survived by her son Chad (Heather); her brother Woody (Ruth); nieces Crystal (Fred), Cristy (Rob), and Carmen; nephews Lon (Pam) and Rollin (Sherry); and many great-nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Vernon, her parents Lydia and Elso, her brother Bennie, her sister-in-law Connie, and her nephew Duane.
She lived with grace, taught with heart, and loved without hesitation. Her legacy lives on in every life she touched.
(George Boom
Funeral Home)