January 17, 1946 – October 18, 2025
Funeral services for Dorothy Tibbs, 79, of Ridgeview were on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at Casey Tibbs Rodeo Center in Fort Pierre. Burial followed at Scotty Philip Cemetery in Ft. Pierre. Dorothy passed away on Saturday, October 18, 2025.
Dorothy was born on January 17, 1946, to Alvin and Rose (Tracy) Griffith, on the ranch south of Dupree. Due to bad winter weather, her dad delivered her.
Dorothy attended the rural Fairview School through 7th grade and attended high school in Dupree. She was the 8th child in a family of 10, and had many aunts, uncles and cousins close by. Dorothy worked as a waitress in the Dupree Café before and after school.
Dorothy was united in marriage to Bernie Tibbs on September 25, 1963, in Ft. Pierre. To this union two sons, Pat and Delbert, were born. The couple resided at Lantry until 1964 when they moved to Ft. Pierre. In 1966 they moved to Ridgeview and worked for the Grazing Association until 1968, at which time they went into partnership with Bernie’s dad, Shortlog. When Shortlog retired, they took over the ranch.
In the 1960’s, 70’s and early ‘80’s, Dorothy traveled with Bernie, Shortlog, Pat and Delbert to many rodeos and tie down team ropings. For several years, she timed a lot of those rodeos and ropings. She was especially proud when Pat and Delbert went to the SDRA Finals in 1977 at the ages of 12 and 13. She was very active in her grandkids’ lives, traveling to many rodeos, basketball and football games, track meets and wrestling meets. In the last few years, she has done the same with her great-grandkids.
As a ranch wife, married to a Tibbs for 60 years, there wasn’t anything Dorothy could not do. Calving, feeding a few hundred head of cows in the winter, opening up water, fencing, swathing, raking, baling or bucking hay – Dorothy did it all. She was known for being a good cook and was famous every year for her Christmas Eve supper of fried calf nuts. She was also known for her meals at branding.
When it came to sewing, Dorothy was a perfectionist. Everyone in the family received a quilt, usually a star quilt.
After Bernie’s passing, she traveled a little with Lila. In 2022, she and her ranch friends traveled to Nashville for a week. In 2024 the “old ladies from Ridgeview” fulfilled Dorothy’s dream of going to Branson, MO for a week.
Dorothy is survived by her two sons Pat (Lona) Tibbs of Belle Fourche and Delbert Tibbs of Prairie City; grandchildren Jace (Kori) Tibbs of Weesatche, TX, Ketch (Alicia) Tibbs of Belle Fourche, Shawna Tibbs of Las Vegas, NV, Tasha Tibbs and Colt Tibbs of Dupree; great-grandchildren Kasen Tibbs, Kolby Tibbs, Lochlin Tibbs, Corey Cosey, Ashley Cosey, and Kopyn Tibbs; brothers Carl Griffith, Tom (Karen) Griffith, and Rollie (Connie) Griffith, all of Rapid City area; sisters Alva Till of Ekalaka, MT, Mercedes Pritzkau of Winner and Gay (Gary) Ruzicka of Belle Fourche; sister-in-law Lila Taton of Newell; brothers-in-law John Flahaven of Sundance, WY and Mike Tibbs of Ft. Pierre; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Bernie Tibbs; parents Alvin and Rose Griffith; father and mother-in-law Shortlog and Bethel Tibbs; sisters Janet (Bill) Vermilyea, Loretta (Melvin) Shuck, and Maude Flahaven; brothers-in-law Joe Till, Carl Pritzkau, Pat Tibbs; sisters-inlaw Amy Miner, Kay Tibbs, Florence (Lloyd) Eliason; and nephew Richard Griffith.