Service of Remembrance for Miyo Higa Gayette, 79, of Lemmon, SD will be Thursday, September 4, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. at the Spencer Memorial Presbyterian Church in Lemmon. Rev. Webster Brower will officiate and burial will be on Friday, September 5, 2008 at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, SD at 2:00 p.m. Visitations will be from 1:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 3, 2008 at the Evanson Jensen Funeral Home in Lemmon and one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday morning.


Miyo Higa was born September 18, 1928 in Lima, Peru to Eiaso and Chiyo (Yoga) Higa. She lived in Peru until her adolescent years. Due to the impending war, Miyo's father sent the family to Okinawa where she finished her formal education. Miyo served as a civilian employee for the US military. There she met Joe Gayette and the couple were married on January 17, 1948. To this union was born two children, Kathy and Andy. The family moved to Lemmon, SD in October of 1955. The weather was a little colder in Lemmon than in Okinawa. Miyo was not accustomed to fall weather---she was cold.


Miyo was an extremely skilled seamstress. She spent her time sewing for many people in the Lemmon area. Miyo was often able to see a picture of an outfit in a catalog, and without a pattern, she would sew an outfit that matched perfectly to the catalog. Miyo was also very mathematical. The only problem was that she couldn't explain it in English. She would always give the correct answer but was unable to explain how she arrived at the answer. Her daughter would ask her how she arrived at the answer and she would tell her in Japanese. Explain that to the math teacher.


Miyo loved visits from her 3 grandchildren; Brant, Risa and Michael, and 7 great grandchildren; Korbin, Peyton, Kiernan, Alexus, MacKenzie, Caleb, and Kaya. Her face would light up and she had a big smile when they came to visit. She was always asking about them.


Her favorite sayings were, "You gotta be kidding!" and was "famous" for saying to Kathy and Anita "You girls".


Miyo passed away at the Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, SD on August 31, 2008.


Grateful for having shared in her life are her daughter, Kathy (Don) Meink of Crofton, NE, three grandchildren, Risa (Tom) Moes, Kansas City, MO, Brant (Sheila) Meink, Papillion, NE and Michael (Michelle) Gayette, Mandan, ND, seven great grandchildren, Alexus and MacKenzie Moes, Korbin, Peyton and Kiernan Meink, Caleb and Kaya Gayette, daughter-in-law, Anita (Earl) Stugelmeyer, Lemmon, SD and several brothers and sisters that live overseas. Miyo is also survived by a niece Lourdes (Carlito)Yaun, a great niece and nephew, Lelani and Lord from California, two brothers and four sisters in Japan.


She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Joe, an infant child and son Andy.


We will keep her in our hearts forever.