Obituary for Lena L. Hartford
Lena L. Hartford, age 97 of Watertown, SD passed away Saturday, December 5, 2020 at Country View Assisted Living Center in Florence, SD.
There will be a PUBLIC visitation on Sunday, December 13, 2020 from 2-4:00 pm, at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel in Watertown, SD.
Please note: Out of respect for Lena’s family, everyone in attendance is required to wear a mask at all services. Thank you.
A private funeral service will be Monday, December 14, 2020 at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel with Reverend Luke Smith officiating.
Pallbearers will be Greta Bauer, Mae Iskierka, Jason Hartford, Larry Lynch, Andy Hartford and
Cheri Hartford-Lynch
Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Lena Lorraine Shinkle was born to Valentine W. and Milla (Briggs) Shinkle on October 29, 1923 in Topeka, Kansas. Her childhood was spent in Omaha, NE. She was baptized in Mosher Memorial Presbyterian Church in Omaha. Lena graduated from Omaha South High School in June 1941. She worked as a bookkeeper in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Weather Bureau and the General Accounting Office from 1942-1945.
Lena married Donald S. Hartford on December 19, 1945 at Mosher Church in Omaha.
Because of Don’s work with Northwestern Bell, the couple lived in Fremont, Nebraska, Rapid City, Deadwood, Willow Lake and Bryant, South Dakota until their final move to Watertown, South Dakota in 1965.
Their son, Darrell was born in Omaha in 1949 and son, Donald Scott was born in 1953 in Deadwood.
Lena worked at First National Bank of Black Hills in Deadwood from 1950 to 1953.
Lena commuted from Bryant to attend Huron College from 1961 to 1965 and received her BA with a major in English.
She was employed as an English teacher in Watertown High School from 1965 until retirement in 1981. Teaching was always her dream; she considered it an enjoyable hobby, as well as her work. To see some of her students years later was always a pleasure.
The couple enjoyed 13 retirement winters in Port Isabel, Texas. Besides enjoying vacations with the children early on she enjoyed motor home travel in retirement with her husband, Don. She also enjoyed knitting, crocheting, reading, music, and water skiing and riding motorcycle with Don. In later years, she studied piano, learned and used her computer. As stimulating hobbies, she enjoyed cryptograms and crossword puzzles.
After Don’s death in 1996, she moved from Lake Kampeska, after the flood in 1997, to her present address.
Lena is a member of Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Watertown. She was a member of National Teachers of English where she recorded books for the SD State Library. She was a present member of Watertown Retired Teachers and volunteered as a reading instructor for the Laubach Literacy. Lena was also a member of VFW Auxiliary and a volunteer at Prairie Lakes Hospital.
Lena is survived by her son, Donald Scott (Susan) Hartford of Maple Grove, MN; her daughter-in-law, Cheri (Larry) Lynch of Clark, SD; her five grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her son, Darrell; her husband, Don; her sister, Shirley Ann Eldridge; sisters-in-law, Annely (Arthur) Bissell and Phyllis Robbins.
***** There will be a public visitation on Sunday, December 13, 2020 from 2-4:00 pm, at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel in Watertown, SD.
***** A private funeral services will be Monday, December 14, 2020 at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel.
Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery.
***** Out of respect for Lena's family, masks are required at all services. Thank you.
There will be a PUBLIC visitation on Sunday, December 13, 2020 from 2-4:00 pm, at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel in Watertown, SD.
Please note: Out of respect for Lena’s family, everyone in attendance is required to wear a mask at all services. Thank you.
A private funeral service will be Monday, December 14, 2020 at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel with Reverend Luke Smith officiating.
Pallbearers will be Greta Bauer, Mae Iskierka, Jason Hartford, Larry Lynch, Andy Hartford and
Cheri Hartford-Lynch
Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Lena Lorraine Shinkle was born to Valentine W. and Milla (Briggs) Shinkle on October 29, 1923 in Topeka, Kansas. Her childhood was spent in Omaha, NE. She was baptized in Mosher Memorial Presbyterian Church in Omaha. Lena graduated from Omaha South High School in June 1941. She worked as a bookkeeper in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Weather Bureau and the General Accounting Office from 1942-1945.
Lena married Donald S. Hartford on December 19, 1945 at Mosher Church in Omaha.
Because of Don’s work with Northwestern Bell, the couple lived in Fremont, Nebraska, Rapid City, Deadwood, Willow Lake and Bryant, South Dakota until their final move to Watertown, South Dakota in 1965.
Their son, Darrell was born in Omaha in 1949 and son, Donald Scott was born in 1953 in Deadwood.
Lena worked at First National Bank of Black Hills in Deadwood from 1950 to 1953.
Lena commuted from Bryant to attend Huron College from 1961 to 1965 and received her BA with a major in English.
She was employed as an English teacher in Watertown High School from 1965 until retirement in 1981. Teaching was always her dream; she considered it an enjoyable hobby, as well as her work. To see some of her students years later was always a pleasure.
The couple enjoyed 13 retirement winters in Port Isabel, Texas. Besides enjoying vacations with the children early on she enjoyed motor home travel in retirement with her husband, Don. She also enjoyed knitting, crocheting, reading, music, and water skiing and riding motorcycle with Don. In later years, she studied piano, learned and used her computer. As stimulating hobbies, she enjoyed cryptograms and crossword puzzles.
After Don’s death in 1996, she moved from Lake Kampeska, after the flood in 1997, to her present address.
Lena is a member of Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Watertown. She was a member of National Teachers of English where she recorded books for the SD State Library. She was a present member of Watertown Retired Teachers and volunteered as a reading instructor for the Laubach Literacy. Lena was also a member of VFW Auxiliary and a volunteer at Prairie Lakes Hospital.
Lena is survived by her son, Donald Scott (Susan) Hartford of Maple Grove, MN; her daughter-in-law, Cheri (Larry) Lynch of Clark, SD; her five grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her son, Darrell; her husband, Don; her sister, Shirley Ann Eldridge; sisters-in-law, Annely (Arthur) Bissell and Phyllis Robbins.
***** There will be a public visitation on Sunday, December 13, 2020 from 2-4:00 pm, at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel in Watertown, SD.
***** A private funeral services will be Monday, December 14, 2020 at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel.
Interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery.
***** Out of respect for Lena's family, masks are required at all services. Thank you.