Natalie I. Fernau

Plainview — Natalie Ilene Fernau, 53, of Plainview, formerly of Atkinson, died Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023 at Faith Regional Hospital in Norfolk.

Visitation will be held from 8-10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023 at Seger Funeral Home in Atkinson.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023 at the funeral home in Atkinson.

Burial will be held at a later day in Graceland Cemetery in Burke, SD.

Memorials may be made to the family for future designation.

Natalie was born on Oct. 4th, 1969 at Pine Ridge, SD. Shortly after birth she was adopted by Marlene (Russell) and Ed Serbousek and grew up on a ranch near Hay Springs where she was the fifth of six children in a home full of love. Most of her younger years she spent near the Hay Springs and Chadron area. 

In 1985 she married Scott Fernau. She welcomed her first child into the world Shaeleen Sue later that same year and son Michael Shane in 1987.  Natalie and Scott divorced a few years later. 

She then met Larry Ruegge and sons Tyler Lee (1989) and Cody Alan (1991) were born.  She primarily lived in the O'Neill and Atkinson area. 

She held various jobs at which she always made new friends and tended to be quite the jokester. 

She always had an “off-colored” sense of humor; joking, laughing and making people smile. She knew how to just enjoy life and lived by the phrase, “tomorrow is a new day.” Natalie never knew a stranger. She was always willing to chat with anyone on her walks around town. Her idea of a perfect day was a nice sunny day listening to country music with a fishing pole in one hand and a drink in the other. 

She enjoyed cooking, quoting movies and listening to music. She had a soft spot in her heart for a cute dog, always carried ChapStick and never took life too seriously.

Natalie leaves to mourn her mother Marlene Russell of Butte; two children Shaeleen Sue (Darrin) Liewer of Butte and Tyler Fernau of Mitchell, SD; three siblings Russell Jo (Kari) Serbousek and family of Hay Springs, Nicolette Horn and family of Hay Springs and Tony Serbousek of St. Francis, KS; one brother-in-law Jim Scherbarth and family of Hay Springs; eight grandchildren Westyn and Amiya Liewer, Tayzen, Tahayna and Tahzaya Fernau, Sage, Cole and Willow Fernau; many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews; as well as many friends she met along the way.

She was preceded in death by her father Ed Serbousek, stepfather Lyle Fernau, two sons Michael Fernau and Cody Ruegge, two siblings Roseanne Scherbarth and Troy Serbousek, one stepbrother Stan Fernau and paternal and maternal grandparents.