Mike Heuer, 42, Vivian, died July 18, 2009, at Mount Vernon. Memorial services will be at 2 p.m., Tuesday, July 21 at Feigum Funeral Home in Pierre. Interment will follow at Onida Cemetery in Onida.

Michael James Heuer was born April 25, 1967, at Pierre to Virginia (Spencer) and Virgil Heuer. Mike grew up in Pierre, Vivian and Aberdeen, later moving to Shenandoah, Iowa, where he became known as the invisible fireman. On four separate occasions as fires approached his home, he had them out before the fireman arrived.

Mike had a special ability to relate with children, whether helping with schoolwork, teaching them to fish, to mow yards or to win a video game. Mike was friendly and outgoing; he loved to laugh and joke.

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As a teenager he worked as a custodian at the State Capitol Building in Pierre and the Pierre Post Office during Gov. Janklow and Gov. Mickelson’s administrations. Bud Ruttman taught Mike to cook at his D&E Cafe. He later worked as a chef at the Capitol Cafe, Longbranch, Kozy Korner and other places. He started his own lawn care service, Jaws Pro, at the age of 8. Other jobs included filling vending machines, bee keeping, taxi driver and general handy man. Mike devoted the majority of his adult years to caring for his aging mother.

His hobbies included photography, collecting vinyl records, refurbishing used computers, editing and dubbing audio and video recordings, and bargain hunting.

He will be long remembered for his seemingly endless depth of compassion and generosity, always helping others with no regard for personal benefit or financial gain.

He is survived by his mother Virginia Heuer, of Vivian; four sisters, Sindy (Rex) Dickey, of Emmons, Minn.; Bernadine Sheppard, of Fort Pierre; Vicky (Bruce) Pittman, of Independence, Mo.; Lori (Steve) Carpenter, of Fort Pierre,; three brothers, Virgil and Timothy Heuer, of Midland; Lonnie (Cecilia) Heuer, of Lanze, Italy; his foster father, Ted Kneebone and family, all of Aberdeen; numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his father, Virgil Heuer, of Pierre; an infant brother, Kevin; his maternal grandparents, Martha and Jack Spencer, of Pierre; his paternal grandparents, Odessa and Charles “Red” Mitchell, and uncle James Heuer, of Onida.