(DRG News – Pierre, SD) The 109 year old woman who has held the title of South Dakota Centenarian of the Year for the last two years has passed away.
Hazel Baumberger’s obituary says she died peacefully Tuesday (Dec. 30, 2025), surrounded by family. Her funeral will be held Jan. 13, 2026, at the Catholic Church in Pierre, with burial in the Onida Cemetery.
Baumberger was born in January of 1916 and spent much of her life on a farm in Sully County. Later in life, Baumberger moved into Pierre, then spent her final years living in Fort Pierre.
Among her life’s activities, Baumberger attended the very first Sturgis Bike Rally in 1938. She attended off and on throughout the years with one of the times being at the age of 86, riding on the back of a motorcycle with her nephew, a former Sturgis Police Chief.
When asked what factors contributed to her long life, Baumberger refered to her many years of regular exercise, her good diet and her optimism about life that was rooted in her faith in God.
