West River Eagle

Neil Roy Tolton


Neil Roy Tolton, age 49, of Midland, South Dakota, died on Monday, April 1, 2019 at his home north of Midland.

Neil was born July 3, 1969, in Pierre, South Dakota, the youngest of five children born to Robert and Kathleen (Merkle) Tolton. He grew up on the ranch 17 miles north of Midland and received his education at Midland.

He was united in marriage to Tammy Jean Lesmeister on June 30, 1995 in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. They made their home on the family ranch north of Midland and from this union were born four sons Thomas, Robert, Samuel, and Matthew.

Neil loved anything to do with ranching. He could rattle off memories of cattle, precip, or occasions without hesitation. He knew how much snow we had in ’97, when the last time the dam was full, how big the calf was last year out of that cow, and especially loved to rope. Robert’s arena, roping with friends, and traveling to team ropings really meant the world to him. Many wonderful memories were shared with Neil and the life he made with his family and friends.

Survivors include his wife Tammy; four sons Thomas Tolton of Baltimore, Maryland, Robert, Samuel, and Matthew Tolton of Midland; his mother Kathleen Tolton of Midland; two sisters Cindy Koehler and her husband Mike of Midland, and Wendy Standiford of Pierre; two brothers Tim Tolton of Big Piney, Wyoming, and Gordon Tolton and his wife Bonnie of Mitchell, Oregon; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Neil was preceded in death by his father, Robert Tolton, on February 23, 1984; his paternal grandparents Roy and Ellen Tolton; and his maternal grandparents Oscar and Helen Merkle.

In accordance with Neil’s wishes he requested a private funeral service for the immediate family. The family invited everyone to a gathering at the ranch north of Midland from 3-5 p.m. CDT on Monday, April 8.

Arrangements are with Rush Funeral Home of Philip.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *