Mary VanNIngen

Mary Van Ningen, 85, died suddenly Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011 following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's disease at the Lennox Good Samaritan Center. Mary Ann Distad was born on February 20, 1926, the daughter of Andrew and Mabel (Baak) Distad, on a farm two miles east of Lennox, South Dakota. She grew up here attending Miller rural school and then graduating from Lennox High School in 1944. She went on to work at the Nickel Plate Restaurant in Sioux Falls. On February 25, 1945 she married Earl VanNingen. The couple lived for three years in Wentworth, S.D. before moving to their farm southeast of Lennox where they lived for the next 35 years. In 1985 they moved into Lennox. Mary was homemaker and sold Avon. She was the Lennox Commercial Club Welcome Lady for many years. Earl died on February 3, 1998. Mary was an active member of First English Lutheran Church, Lennox and Trinity Lutheran Church, Tea. She was also an active member of the Lennox American Legion Auxiliary and had served as District Auxiliary President and various local offices. She had been a 4H Leader and loved to garden and bake. Her grandchildren especially loved her banana bread and malts. Besides her parents and husband, Mary was preceded in death by a sister, Lucille Jewell. Grateful for having shared her life are her three children: Glenn (Linda) VanNingen, Lennox, Betty (David) Jacobs, Canton and LaVeryl (Mary) VanNingen, Lennox; seven grandchildren: Carolyn (Terry) Ebright, Nancy (Chad) Nelson, Janelle (Joe) Podzimek, Mitchell (Shauna) Jacobs, Derrick VanNingen, Rachel VanNingen and Danica VanNingen; nine great-grandchildren: Brody & Bailey Nelson, Clayton, Cole & Tori Ebright, Sarah & Kaden Podzimek, Burken & Tenley Jacobs; brother-in-law, Robert (Jean) VanNingen, Sioux Falls, half brother Raymond (Kathy) Black, Canton as well as other relatives and a host of friends. Services will begin at 10:00 a.m. Monday, Nov. 14 at First English Lutheran Church, Lennox with burial to follow at the Lennox Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 2:00 p.m. Sunday with the family present from 2 to 4 p.m. at Dindot-Klusmann Funeral Home, Lennox. Online go to dindotklusmann.com

Mary VanNIngen

February 20, 1926 - November 10, 2011

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