Sondra Lee Floyd (Giacometto Courtney) 84, of Belle Fourche passed into God’s hands on May 29th, 2024. She was born on November 16, 1939, in Spearfish, South Dakota, to Gifford and Leone Floyd. Her Dad passed when she was just four years old, and her mom leased out the ranch, packed-up, and moved them to Miles City where Leone taught school until they returned to the Floyd Family Ranch. Sondra attended the Five Mile School, which was within walking distance from the Ranch. Her mother, Leone, was the only teacher in the one room schoolhouse! Sondra finished grade school at Five Mile and attended high school in Ekalaka. She then attended college in Bozeman for a year and a half.
Sondra married Leo E. Giacometto on June 29, 1959. Shortly after the wedding, they headed to Canada where Leo worked on a very large ranch. Sondra was 19 and the living conditions were very “rugged”. She was often asked to cook for 10 to 30 ranch hands.
After Canada, they lived in Rapid City, Belle Fourche, and Spearfish. Sondra stayed home with little Leo (Tony) and Sabrina while Leo taught school on the Rosebud Reservation and in Regent, North Dakota. When the school year ended, Sondra and the children returned to Alzada while Leo attended Naval Officer Candidate School. The family was stationed in Georgia, California, and Florida while Leo served in the Vietnam War until 1968.
The family moved to Alzada in 1968 and purchased the Floyd family ranch where they raised their four children: Sabrina, Leo A, Joe, and John. In 1974, Sondra and the children moved to Belle Fourche to attend school and spent their weekends and summers at the ranch. In 1980, the family moved south of Belle Fourche to “the Ponderosa”. They sold the family ranch to their son, Leo, in 1983, and he still owned the ranch at the time of his passing in 2022.
Cousin Becky and family members remember Sondra as full of life, fun, and skilled at making people smile and laugh. Sondra’s later years were spent with her second husband, James Courtney. They enjoyed traveling and dancing.
Sondra was preceded in death by her husband James Courtney in 2021 and her son Leo A. (Tony) Giacometto in 2022.
Sondra is survived by her first husband, Leo E. Giacometto, Children: Sabrina Schroeder, Joe (Margarita) Giacometto, and John (Lisa) Giacometto, Grandchildren: Jenna (Connor) Farrar, Joseph Giacometto II, Kayla Giacometto, Tasha Giacometto, Leo C.Giacometto, and Casey (Brittany) Dschaak: Great Grandchildren: Caitlin Giacometto and Vincenzo Giacometto, Roy Dschaak, Rosalee Dschaak and Adelynn Dschaak.
Casketbearers are Joe Giacometto, John Giacometto, Leo C. Giacometto, Tasha Giacometto, Casey Dschaak, Jenna Farrar, Joseph Giacometto II, Kayla Giacometto, Caitlin Giacometto, and Vincenzo Giacometto.
Visitation will be held Friday, June 14 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Kline Funeral Chapel in Belle Fourche with a Vigil at 7:00 PM.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, June 15 at 10:30 am, at St. Paul Catholic Church in Belle Fourche with Father Kevin Achbach presiding. Interment will follow at Pine Slope Cemetery in Belle Fourche.
The family suggests memorials to the High Plains Western Heritage Center, 825 Heritage Drive, Spearfish, SD 57783.
The funeral will be livestreamed and can be viewed on Sondra’s obituary page at klinefuneralchapel.com. An online guest book is available at klinefuneralchapel.com
