Stockdale, Illene (Halvorson) 1919 - 2012

STOCKDALE, HALVORSON, HOHNSTEIN

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 2/6/2016 at 15:24:48

Illene Stockdale, age 91, of Lime Springs died Saturday, June 16, 2012 at the Ostrander Care and Rehab Nursing Home.
Illene was a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who was a living model of strong faith, love and forgiveness that is a continuing legacy, passed on to each generation of her family.
She was the third of five girls who lived in the railroad village of Proctor, near Duluth, Minn. Her parents, John and Mabel Halvorson, and two older sisters carried her around in a shoe box because she was so small. Later came two younger sisters.
As young women, they scattered all over the world in the work and ministry they chose. They communicated often with letters and calls. In later years they enjoyed getting together every year at the hot springs in Glenwood Springs, Col.
In her early 20’s she worked for the Pillsbury family at both of their homes in Minnesota and Florida. She married Merle Stockdale on Christmas Day 1942. A son, Sheldon, was born Sept. 9, 1944. They moved to California for several years while Merle served in the Navy. Together they learned leather craft tooling—making and selling leather goods and purses, which they sold for over $100.00 each. After Merle was discharged from the Navy in 1947, they returned to Minnesota to buy a farm in York. Daughter Sharon was born on Jan. 9, 1948. Illene, a city girl, learned how to be a farmer’s wife. She gardened, canned and raised over 1,000 white Leghorns chickens and sold their eggs.
They moved to Denver, Col. in 1965 to be closer to their daughter Sharon and their young grandchildren, Jennifer was three and Daniel was a newborn.
Her son, Sheldon and Carol, and their children, Scott, David and Tamara, have fond memories of their grandma on the farm they will treasure forever. She so loved being a grandma!
She became a great-grandma at 76, and had a total of five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She never shied away from enjoying Amusement Park slides, rides and go carts with her grandchildren.
The most important legacy she left those who knew her was her deep faith in Christ and her example of love and unconditional forgiveness.
Living in Denver at 46 years old, she went back to school, attending Arapahoe Community College, earning her LPN and then her Registered Nursing degree. She worked at various hospitals and Director of Nurses at two large nursing homes in the Denver area.
She loved and cared for several foster girls in Minnesota and Colorado, sharing her deep faith with them. They all found a relationship with our God because of her.
After 15 years in Denver the couple moved back to their Minnesota farm. She became DON at Spring Valley Nursing Home. It was very important to her that she hired capable people who were compassionate in their care of the residents. As DON she would stay with those who had no family throughout the night and prayed with them in their final hours. Her caring love and fairness earned deep respect by those who worked for her. She retired in 1986 as DON in Spring Valley Nursing Home.
Merle and Illene traveled around the world and enjoyed several cruises.
After Merle passed away in 2002, Illene lived on the farm with Sheldon and Carol for four years. In 2006 she became a resident of Ostrander Nursing Home until she went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, June 16, 2012. She was an incredible wife, mother, grandma and great-grandma. She will be dearly missed.
She is survived by her children; Sheldon (Carol) Stockdale of Harmony, Minn. and Sharon Stockdale of Parker, Col.; five grandchildren, Scott (Heather) Stockdale and their children, Brendan (born Dec. 26, 1999) and Judah (Sept. 9, 2004) of Cresco, Iowa, David Stockdale of Harmony, Tamara Stockdale of Minneapolis, Minn., Jennifer Hohnstein and children Mylo (Oct. 20, 1995) and Ahlyas (Aug. 3, 2000) of Parker, Col. and Daniel Hohnstein (Aug. 11, 2004) of Littleton, Col. She is also survived by one sister-in-law, Elaine Stockdale of Ostrander.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Merle; and four sisters, Dorothy, Marian, Tudy and Ruthie.
Funeral services for Illene Stockdale were held on June 20, 2012 at the United Methodist Church in Cherry Grove, Minn. Burial was in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Lime Springs. Condolences may be left at http://www.hindtfuneralhomes.com

Source: Lime Springs Herald, June 18, 2012

Pleasant Hill Cemetery
 

Howard Obituaries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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