Marlys Robertson

Our matriarch, Marlys Marie Robertson, age 87, made her journey home to the Lord on May 18th in the presence of her family at Sanford-Sioux Falls. A woman with the need to rummage and a lead foot that will make you think she's being chased, Marlys was the community's Kunsi and will be missed by so many people.

She was born in Winner, SD and raised by her cherished Kunsi, Lucy Raymond Kitto, in Winner and Santee, NE. After her Kunsi’s passing, she moved to Rapid City with her parents and siblings, where she eventually married and began a family with ToTo Robertson. Together they built a life centered around family, laughter, hard work, and love.

Kunsi had a way of making everyone feel welcome. Whether you stopped by for a visit, a cup of coffee, or one of her famous baked goods, you never left hungry or unloved. She carried deep love for her family and especially for the children she cared for throughout her life. To so many, she was more than a grandmother — she was comfort, guidance, humor, and home.

Marlys lived her final days in Waubay doing what she loved most: baking pies and banana bread, sewing crazy quilts, and loving all of the children around her. Her hands were rarely still, and her heart never was. She leaves behind generations of family and friends who will forever cherish her warmth, her humor, her stories, and the unforgettable way she lived life fully and fearlessly.

Though her family mourns the loss of their beloved Kunsi, they find comfort in knowing she has made her way home to the Lord and is reunited with those who went before her. Her memory will live on in every shared meal, every stitched quilt, every roadside rummage sale, and every child lucky enough to have known her love.