December 24, 1946 - September 20, 2026
Funeral services for Ronnie Long, 79, of Timber Lake were held September 28, 2026, at the Timber Lake Community Center. Burial was at the Timber Lake Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge.
Ronnie Ray Long passed away on September 20, 2026, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, MN, surrounded by his family.
Ronnie was born on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1946, at Mobridge Regional Hospital to Kenneth and Maxine (Cudmore) Long. He spent his childhood on the family ranch south of Timber Lake and attended the rural Madsen School through the fourth grade. He often shared stories of riding horseback to school and of being caught in a blizzard with his sister, Myrna, relying on their horses to follow the fence line home safely.
He later attended Timber Lake Public School, graduating with the Class of 1965. Following graduation, Ronnie attended lineman school in Furley, KS, through Pratt Community College in Wichita. On January 17, 1966, he married his high school sweetheart, Lila Faye Ducheneaux.
The young couple made their home in Huron where Ronnie worked for Beadle Electric for several years. They later returned closer to home, and Ronnie worked briefly for Marshall Lund Line Construction in Selby before accepting a position with Moreau-Grand Electric in Timber Lake.
A few years later, he joined his father in full-time farming and ranching. Together they became one of the largest hog producers in South Dakota. When the hog market declined during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Ronnie and Kenneth transitioned into cattle ranching. Following the devastating winter of 1996-97, Ronnie eventually joined the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Game, Fish and Parks Department in 2004, where he worked until his retirement in 2013.
In 2017, Ronnie’s health began to decline when kidney failure threatened his life. Through the generosity of his nephew, Bill Walters, who donated a kidney, Ronnie was given the gift of more time with those he loved. In 2018, he survived a severe battle with West Nile virus. Although he lost 95% of his vision, he continued ranching and living life on his own terms until he journeyed home to meet his Lord and Savior.
Ronnie is survived by his daughters: Bonita Richter, Rhonda (Gerald) Takes The Knife, and Sheri (Marty) Thompson; his Hunka son, Eric (Abby) Tuckner; grandchildren Jaclyn (Vinny) Richter, Marilyn (Brandon) Myran, Dayton (Tommy) Bry, Justin, Cheyenne, Ronnilyn, Kaycie, Sky, and Alli; great-grandchildren Ridge, Beasley, Millie, and Declan; siblings Myrna Fiddler and Robert (Darshan) Long; sisters-in-law Mary Jane Anderson and Betsy Ducheneaux; brothers- in-law Bill Wientjes, Whitey Keller, Ross Lawrence, and Frankie Thompson; and numerous nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Lila Faye Long; his parents; brothers Kenneth Long Jr. and Terry Long; sistersin- law Delores Ward, Audrey Hagel, Phyllis Gunville, Janice Aberle, Arlyce Wientjes, Sharon Keller, Debbie Lawrence, Bunny Thompson, Butchie Thompson, Hilda Ducheneaux, and Debbie Iron Wing; brothers-in-law Lyle Ducheneaux, Roman Ducheneaux, Elmer Gunville, Al Aberle, Richard Anderson, Bob Hagel, Dick Ward, and Vincent Thompson.