Colter Max Stradinger passed away on July 22, 2024, in Brookings, SD. He was born September 15, 1991, in Bozeman, Montana, to Lynn and Maxine Stradinger. After his mother graduated from Montana State University, the family moved to the Roy and Terry Dahl ranch. Lynn worked there until 1994, when the family moved to Camp Crook, SD. Lynn worked for his father-in-law, Max Moseley, and Colter spent many hours at the ranch. His grandma Shirley was his best friend, and they roamed the river and prairie, bringing home as many rocks as they could carry. Grandma Shirley was Colter’s rock and confidant.
His mother’s job with the Natural Resources Conservation Service required them to move several times. Colter attended school in Buffalo, SD; Sturgis, SD; Camp Crook, SD; Culbertson, MT; and Glasgow, MT. He attended high school in Culbertson, MT; Buffalo, SD; and graduated from McIntosh, SD. Colter easily made friends and has kept in contact with many of them all his life.
When his mother’s job took them to Culbertson, MT, they met Dean Rasmussen. He seemed like an okay fellow, so when Maxine married Dean in 2001, Colter walked her up the aisle.
Sports did not interest Colter, but he was a gifted speech and debate competitor. He was a good actor and loved participating in the Bullock Community Play. Colter loved to laugh and make others laugh. He was funny and inappropriately irreverent. He would make fun of you right to your face, his eyes sparkling with glee. Colter spent his summers with Lynn at the Stradinger ranch near Isabel, SD. He worked and played with his dad, grandparents, and cousins.
Colter was united in marriage to Sassy Lermeny on June 4, 2016, in a ceremony in the Slim Buttes. The couple joined the Derek Lermeny ranch while making their home in Belle Fourche, SD. As foster parents to 4-month-old Jaxson Charles, they fell in love with the baby. With great joy and relief, Colter and Sassy adopted Jaxson on September 15, 2020. The couple added Astara Moon on May 30, 2021. Colter moved to Brookings, SD, in January 2024. He worked at 3M and made many friends there.
Colter was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Max and Shirley Moseley; his paternal grandmother, Faye Stradinger; his aunt, Jane Stradinger; step grandfathers, Butch Rasmussen and Vinton Ray and step grandmother, Agnes Pennington.
Colter is survived by his children, Jaxson and Astara Stradinger; his father and stepmom, Lynn and Bev Stradinger; stepsister, Amy (Patrick) Bridges and their children, Shelby and Gabe; paternal grandfather, Paul Stradinger; mother and stepdad, Maxine and Dean Rasmussen; sister, Karissa Rasmussen; step grandmother, Shirley Rasmussen and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held Saturday, August 3, 2024 at the Camp Crook Community Center in Camp Crook, South Dakota. Â Inurnment will follow at the Fairview Cemetery in Camp Crook.
The funeral will be livestreamed and can be viewed on Colter’s obituary page at klinefuneralchapel.com
An online guest book is available at klinefuneralchapel.com
