Funeral services for Patricia Lenker, 89, Canton, formerly of Winner, were held Dec. 20 at the Orthodox Presbyterian Church of Winner. Burial followed at the Winner city cemetery.
Patricia “Pat” Ann Nelson Lenker died on Dec. 16, 2022, at her home near Canton, South Dakota.
On June 5, 1933, in Winner, SD, Harry Ivan and Wilda Leona Nelson celebrated the blessed arrival of their third born daughter, Patricia Ann Nelson, born at home during a hailstorm where her Dad had to hold rugs at the broken window to keep the hail from coming in. The family was ultimately blessed by six daughters, who from birth through life were bonded by love and compassion: Vera Mae (Lowell) Nelson; Eileen (Robert) Frescoln; Patricia (David) Lenker; Helen (Robert) Stone; Janet (Charles) Warner and Shirley (Ronald) McGuire. Pat was a Winner resident growing up except for two years spent in Nashua, Iowa, as her father H. Ivan was serving his country during World War II. On a trip alone to Iowa at one time, she started at the Canton Train Station, where she rode with soldiers coming home from the war, which was interesting that she lived the last two years of her life near Canton. She loved the time in Iowa. Most of her elementary years she attended Winner grade school. While attending Winner High School, as seniors, she and David Lenker were crowned Warrior and Princess of the homecoming. They then graduated in 1951.
On July 29, 1951, Pat married her high school sweetheart, David Witmer Lenker. Their marriage was blessed by three children: Lynne Marie (Doug, now deceased) Simkins, Kenneth David (Cindy) Lenker, and Karla Jo (Wallace) Cain. As life progressed, Dave & Pat were gifted with the births of five grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren, each one of whom was a precious treasure to them.
After their marriage in 1951, Pat and Dave moved to the family farm in Ideal, SD, where they raised their family. Pat was a busy farm housewife during those years, often cooking big meals for cattle roundups and canning vegetables she raised in the garden, and also canning beef and chicken that were raised on the farm, so she provided delicious food all year through. She would make homemade noodles that were so good, some would disappear as they dried on the kitchen table. She also was a seamstress and made many nice clothes.
They were active in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and she was Sunday Superintendent for several years and a teacher for Vacation Bible School. They would often have church families for dinner after church. She was also very active in the Gideon Auxiliary. They also ran a Christian bookstore, the Ideal Church Supplies, in Winner for a few years.
In 1972, Pat began schooling in Sioux Falls, SD, at the Stenotype Institute of South Dakota, where she learned the trade of court reporting. In 1975, they moved to Winner, SD, where Pat began a court reporting career that spanned the next 24 years. She was an employee of the State of South Dakota Sixth Judicial Circuit, during which time she worked for three South Dakota Judges: Marvin S. Talbott; Max A. Gors, and Kathleen Trandahl. The circuit court at that time traveled a circuit that included Todd, Bennett, Gregory, Lyman, Tripp, Jones, Jackson and Mellette Counties. She retired in 1998 after an interesting and challenging career.
Pat knew her most precious possessions on earth were not of monetary value. Her source of inspiration flowed from her love for Christ and her joyful gratitude for her own and extended family.
Pat had many interests centering around family, church and home. She loved compiling family histories, gardening, cooking, and Historical Society memorabilia. Photography was always a passion, with family the main subjects, but she also enjoyed her collection of pictures of old barns and sunsets. Pat loved to read and write poetry. In the Spring of 1957, she won first place in the WNAX Neighbor Lady Poetry contest. Living in the house in Winner, Dave and Pat created a huge garden, and for several years, they specialized in perennials and all kinds of roses. In fact, they won Garden of the Month at one time, and their 16-foot climbing roses became a showpiece for town residents to enjoy. They kept a home that was always ready for company, and they truly loved having people come and visit or stay with them. As busy as she was, she always had time for a good conversation.
After her retirement, she devoted much time to creating scrapbooks of many pictures for her family. Pat filled her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren with a love of learning and a witty humor. She and Dave played cribbage on a regular basis, but Pat’s specialty game was Scrabble, which she had been playing with her siblings and children all her life.
In 2018, Pat began experiencing health concerns, which her family, especially her granddaughter Heather Karstens, felt it was imperative that she receive health care in the Sioux Falls area. She and Dave briefly moved to a small apartment in Canton, and at her doctor’s appointment one day later, she was diagnosed with colon cancer. Amazingly, she survived the extensive surgery, which began a long and courageous battle to return to health. Heather and her husband Brian worked tirelessly and researched extensively to give the best care possible to both Grandma Pat and Grandpa Dave, surrounding them with a loving family, and our entire family is deeply grateful for them making their last years as fulfilling and joyous as possible.
Preceding Pat in death were her parents; sisters Vera Mae Nelson and Eileen Frescoln; brothers-in-Law Robert Stone, Lowell Nelson, Robert Frescoln and Ronald McGuire; grandson Jaden Hallberg; son-in-law Doug Simkins; great grandson Tauren Karstens; and husband David, who passed three weeks shy of their 71st anniversary.
Family and friends will mourn the loss of Pat’s physical presence on earth, but the knowledge of her faith in the risen Lord, Jesus Christ serves as a promise of reunion in heaven.
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