Ethel Mae Neal

Ethel Mae Neal, age 87, Watertown, formerly of Clark, died at the home of her son, Mike Neal, in Barboursville, VA on Wednesday evening, April 13, 2011. She was the widow of Richard "Dick" Neal. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 10:30 AM in the United Methodist Church at Clark with the Reverend Dayne Zachrison officiating. DuWayne Wallen will be the usher with Dorothy Fuller being the organist. The congregation will sing "The Old Rugged Cross" #504 & "The Hymn of Promise" #707 with Roger Nordhus singing "What A Friend We Have in Jesus". Spring burial will be held in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark. The active casketbearers will be the oldest grandson of each of her children, Ryan Neal, Bill Cypher III, Terry Neal, Jr., Daniel Gronke, Andrew Neal, Rick Fuerstenau and Tom Gabel. The honorary casketbearers will be all of her other grandchildren and longtime friends, Donna Clyde and Beverly Hawkins. Visitation will be held on Monday, from 5-7PM at the Furness Funeral Home Chapel in Clark and after 9AM at the Church on Tuesday morning. She was born on March 26, 1924 at Henry, SD, the daughter of Robert and Gathel (Leighty) Nichols. Ethel attended country school in Graceland Township, north of Henry. She then attended Garden City High School at Garden City, SD. On May 1, 1946 she was united in marriage to Richard "Dick" Neal at Bradley. The couple lived at Clark where she was employed for the Larkin Potato Company and worked painting homes. She and her husband partnered in Neal Construction and then opened and operated Neal Furniture and Carpet at Clark. Her husband died on June 29, 1983. Ethel retired in 1984 moving to Delaware where she worked as a nanny. In the early 1990's she returned to South Dakota living in Watertown. She had gone to Virginia to visit her son Mike and became ill a short time ago. Some of her hobbies included cooking, baking, playing pinochle and being an avid fan of the Minnesota Twins. Ethel will long be remembered for her dedication to her work ethic, her kindness and being a role model to her children and grandchildren. Preceding her in death were her parents, husband, sons, Richard, Jr. and Terry, a daughter, Cathy, a granddaughter, Dawn Gronke, a great-granddaughter, Raquell Lynch, a great-great granddaughter, Kyirsta Lynch, brother Raymond Nichols, sisters, Esther (Jim) Young, Cleo (Frank) Morey and Anna Mae (Merle) Hartley and a son-on-law, Robert "Bob" Dunlavy. Survivors include her children, Carol (Bill) Cypher of Fargo, ND, Nancy (Dick) Carpenter of Milford, DE, Michael (Julie) Neal of Barboursville, VA, and twins Peggy Dunlavy of Watertown and Patricia Gabel of Charlottesville, VA, 21 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. She also leaves siblings, Margie (Erland "Bud") Johnson of Clark, Robert (Bonnie) Nichols of Watertown and Donald (Eileen) Nichols of Spearfish. Funeral arrangements are announced by the Furness Funeral Home in Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com