Ruth Lemon, age 98, of Sioux Falls and formerly of Huron, passed away on Sunday, May 29, 2022 at Bethany Nursing Home in Sioux Falls. Her funeral service will be held at 11:30 AM on Saturday, June 25, 2022 at American Lutheran Church with burial to follow at Riverside Cemetery in Huron. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday morning.

Ruth Marie Lemon (Noack) was born at the Noack family farm home in Floyd Township, Sanborn County, South Dakota on May 23, 1924. Her father was a second-generation pioneer farmer and her mother was a recent immigrant from Germany. Ruth was the second oldest of five children; Margaret, Ruth, Arnold, Siegfried and Sieglinde.

She grew up during the dust bowl and depression days that severely affected the area. She attended a one room prairie elementary school (Zell School) and graduated from Woonsocket High School.

She met the love of her life, Thyron O. Lemon, while attending what is now Dakota State University in Madison. Their college educations were interrupted by World War II. Thyron entered the Navy and served as a Sea-Bee in the South Pacific and Ruth worked for the Civil Service Commission-Investigation Division. After the war, on a frigid day in January 1946 they married at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Ruth recalled that the flowers in her bouquet froze. They moved to the Huron area and proceeded to have six children; Bruce, Diane, Barbara, Craig, LuEllen, and Loren. They purchased a small home in North Huron where Ruth lived for over 50 years.

Thyron died at the early age of 39 of a sudden heart attack. Ruth was then faced with raising six children (ages 15-4) on her own. She returned to college to get her teaching credentials. She then taught in the Iroquois school district for over 25 years until she retired (commuting daily in all sorts of weather, including blizzards.) Ruth was proud of the fact that all her children have advanced college degrees or professional certifications.

She was a long-time member of the American Lutheran Church in Huron and worked in prison ministry, Native American ministries and Church Women United. Even when she moved to assisted living in Sioux Falls, she remained active producing many crochet works for charities, such as afghans, scarves and prayer shawls.

Ruth is survived by five children, Bruce, Diane, Barbara, LuEllen and Loren; 11 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild; and several special nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Max and Elisabeth Noack; her siblings, Margaret, Arnold, Siegfried and Sieglinde; her husband Thyron; her son, Craig; her granddaughter, Jess; and great-grandsons, Dakota and Carter.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Ruth's name to the Christian Learning Center at American Lutheran Church.