Dolores M.  (Babe) Ford, 102, of Huron passed away on Friday, March 18 ^th , 2022 at the Avantara Huron.

Her Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 AM Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at the Holy Trinity Catholic Parish in Huron, SD with burial at the St. Martin's Cemetery, Huron.

Visitation, with the family present, will be from 4-6 PM on Tuesday, March 22 at the Welter Funeral Home in Huron with a rosary to begin at 6:00 PM; or visitation one hour prior to the service at the Church on Wednesday.

Dolores Keating, the daughter of Edward and Estelle (Reynolds) Keating, was born on April 8, 1919 in a granary on their farm near Carpenter, SD. Dolores attended school in the Carpenter area.

The fourth of seven children, Dolores grew up in a close-knit community of neighbors that lived in the Carpenter area.  She enjoyed helping her mother and surrounding neighbors in the care of younger siblings.  She was a "kitten ball" player and loved all sports, music, dancing and playing cards.

Dolores met Donald "Darby" Ford at St. Williams Church, north of Yale. Dolores took a train to Oakland, California where she married Donald Ford on February 21, 1943. Don served in the Pacific Theater with the U.S. Navy during WWII.  As a newlywed, Dolores worked at Ellis Pharmacy, J. C. Penney's and Newberry's.

Dolores' dream of a family began in 1945 with the birth of their first child, Mary, followed by daughters Donna and Sue. A son, John, was the last-born.  Many memories were made and friends cherished. Dolores was a second mom to the neighborhood children where she lived for fifty-four years.

Dolores will be missed every day of every year to come.  She has been the bright light of our family, always loving, always accepting, and always making a place to "come home" to.  Our hearts will forever miss our loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great- great grandmother and friend, but we thank God for all the happy times we shared.  She has blessed every life she touched.  Her life was a life well lived.

Grateful for having shared in Dolores' life are her three children: Donna Horner of Lee's Summit, MO,  Sue (Reed) Jandt of Rapid City, SD, and John (Missie Niles) Ford of Gilette, WY; her grandchildren Nikki (Justin) Burwell, Ellen Wetrich, Michael Horner, Michelle (James) Gideon, Lucy (Chris) Naescher, Andrew Jandt and Amber (Sebastien) Cottrell, and  Ty (Elizabeth) Niles; 12 great-grandchildren: Katie Beth, Marissa & Dakota Lee, Chayton & Jazlyn Burwell, Emily Pujanauski, Emily Brown & Nathaniel Gideon, Amandine & Solene Cottrell, and Zoe & Nalle Niles; great- great grandchild, Noah Lee; and many wonderful nieces, nephews and friends.

Dolores was preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Estelle Keating; husband, Donald (Darby); her daughter and son-in-law, Mary and Neil Wetrich; her grandson, Alex Wetrich, her brothers and sisters-in-law: Roy and Lil Keating, Raycroft and Della Keating, Edward "Pete" and Margaret Keating, and John "Jack" Keating; sisters-in-law and brother-in-law, Bernice "Sis" Keating, Frances "Sally", and Nick Kieffer; and also brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, James and Audrey Thomas and  Joe and Esther Ford.