Donna Schinderling, age 74, of 926 9th St. SW, Huron, SD, died Sunday, October 5, 2008, at her home.
Her funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, October 9, at American Lutheran Church with burial at Restlawn Memory Gardens Cemetery.
Visitation will be Wednesday from 1-8 p.m. at the Welter Funeral Home with the family present from 6-8 p.m. and a Prayer Service at 7 p.m.; or Thursday morning one hour prior to the funeral service at the church.
Donna Schinderling was born Donna Jean Phillips on October 10, 1933, to Edward and Viola (Peterson) Phillips at Willow Lake, SD. She graduated from Willow Lake High School in 1951. During her high school years, Donna began working in Willow Lake for Northwestern Bell Telephone Company as a switchboard operator, whose telephone equipment was located in her aunts home. Donna continued to work for the telephone company all of her working life.
On January 11, 1952, Donna married Robert Schinderling in Huron, SD. They made their home in Huron for several years prior to moving to Topeka, KS. They returned to Huron, and in 1981 the couple moved to Sioux Falls. Donna retired in 1985 from Northwestern Bell and they purchased a motor home and began traveling throughout the United States. At that time they also began wintering in Yuma, AZ, where they purchased a home in 1995. Robert died in 1999, and Donna returned to Huron where she has lived since that time.
She was a member of the American Lutheran Church in Huron, Girl Scout Leader, and the Telephone Pioneers. Her many interests included traveling, dancing, playing shuffleboard, baking, cooking, and playing cards and games with her family.
She is survived by 4 children, Ronda (Robert) Swanson of Pierre, LaDona (Bill) Delaney of Sioux Falls, Robert (Carolin) Schinderling, Jr. of Wichita, KS, and Deanna (Russ Lenning) Wells of Huron; 13 grandchildren, Roy (Kari) Swanson, Laura (Mike) Bowman, Staci (David) Pokorski, George (Sara) Vansco, Angie Russell, Jon (Bree Ogden) Kotas, Jon Wells, Johann "Jo" (Crystal) Wells, Justin Wells, Jeremiah Wells, Sunshine "Sunny" (Dale Keefe) Lenning, Zachariah (Jenny Schmitz) Lenning, and Breeze (Chad Vaughn) Lenning; 6 great-grandchildren; 1 brother, Jerome Phillips of Rapid City; 1 sister, Verla (Dale) Kellar of Sioux Falls; 4 sisters-in-law, Ina (Pat) Dowd of Huron, Leona Phillips of Redfield, Ruby Phillips of Watertown, and Edith Phillips of Huron.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Robert on April 25, 1999; 4 brothers, Ronnie, Gary, Ted, and Horace Phillips; 1 sister, Bernice Austin; and 1 brother-in-law, Chet Austin.