August 12, 1977 – April 12, 2023
Roy “RJ” Schiley, 45, of Meadow, passed away at his home near Meadow on April 12, 2023 after a short but hard fought battle with cancer.
Mass of Christian Burial for RJ was Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Lemmon. Fr. Adam Hofer officiated with burial at the Greenhill Cemetery at Lemmon. Evanson Jensen Funeral Home of Lemmon was in charge of arrangements Roy was born August 12, 1977 at Hettinger, ND to Bob and Connie Schiley and was raised on a ranch near Meadow.
Roy attended the Progress Country School south of Meadow and elementary school in Lemmon. He finished his school years in Mobridge, graduating with the MHS Class of 1996. Following graduation, he joined the South Dakota National Guard and became a member of the 200th Engineering Company. He served with the 200th until 2002.
Following his National Guard training, he attended college at South Dakota State University for one year before transferring to Mitchell Technical Institute and receiving a degree in Powerline Construction and Maintenance. Following graduation, he worked for High Power, Inc., travelling and burying underground electrical line until 2001.
In 2001, he married Karin (Simon) and they started to farm and ranch with her family near Tolstoy, purchasing their first cows. To this union, five children were born: Macy, Cash, Kate, Hope and Anne. They ranched near Tolstoy until 2007, when an opportunity to purchase their current ranch became available and they moved to Meadow.
He was proud to be a fourth generation farmer and rancher and it was important to him to pass that love of the land and livestock down to his children.
Growing up hunting and fishing, he was an avid outdoorsman who loved to share his enthusiasm for the outdoors with others, especially his children. He eventually started a hunting business and some of his clients became like family to him.
He was his children’s number one fan and enjoyed travelling to their sporting events, especially rodeos. Many a Father’s Day was spent with his children at a rodeo and he enjoyed every minute of it.
RJ was a member of the Meadow Fire Department and the Boss Cowman Rodeo Committee and the advisor for the Lemmon High School Rodeo Team.
He is survived by his wife, Karin; his five children, Macy, Cash, Kate, Hope and Anne; his sisters, Tina (Charles) Bradley, Yvonne (Joe) Malley, and Lea (Dennis) Kling of Keldron; one brother, Buck (Abby) Schiley of Rapid City; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father, Bob Schiley; his mother, Connie Schiley; his brother, Don Landis; his father-in-law, Roger Simon; his grandparents, Roy and Angela Schiley and Paul and Mae Schliessman.