Florence Charlotte Brenden

Florence Brenden, age 94, formerly of Clark died peacefully with family at her side on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, in the Good Samaritan Center at DeSmet where she had resided since June of 2018.  She was the widow of Lyle Brenden.

Funeral services will be held at 1PM on Saturday, November 6, 2021 at St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark with visitation beginning at noon.   Pastors Jim Millman and Jody Peterson will officiate with Dorothy Fuller as organist.  All of her grandchildren and great grandchildren should consider themselves as an active casket bearer.  Burial will be in the Pleasant Lutheran Cemetery at Vienna.

She was born Florence Charlotte Gustafson on September 6, 1927 at Bryant, SD, the daughter of John and Rachel (Braaten) Gustafson. She attended school in the Dixon #3 Hamlin County School and graduated from Bryant High School in 1945.

On September 8, 1945 she was united in marriage to Lyle Brenden in the parsonage of the Lutheran Church at Vienna. They left the Vienna area and purchased farmland in Fordham Township, south of Raymond, SD. They farmed with his parents for the next two years and then their own farm where Florence helped farm, even driving tractor, while raising their children.  She also drove the school bus, a station wagon, in Fordham Township. They retired from farming and moved into Clark in 1981.

In the late 1980's, she began working as a CNA at Clark Care Center which she did for 21 years. She was a member of the Pleasant Lutheran Church near Vienna and since the early 1960's an active member of St. Paul Lutheran Church at Clark. Her Church home was very important to her, having served various offices of WELCA, belonging to circle, quilting and was influential in the annual lutefisk supper. In the community, Florence was also active having served as a 4-H Leader for 20 years with the Fordham 4-H club and a member of the Jolly Neighbors Club. In her free time in years past, she thoroughly enjoyed flower and vegetable gardening, canning, sewing, and baking lefse and the "Best Apple Pie". Family was extremely important to her as well, taking an active part in the annual "Brendenfest" held each August for over 17 years, a gathering of her entire family for a great weekend of family activities.

Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband, Lyle, her 2 Angels (Pink roses on piano in memory of), daughter, Cheryl Ann and granddaughter, Nichole, and her siblings, Agnes Spilde, Arvid Gustafson, Ruth Olson, Herbert Gustafson, George Gustafson, Clarence Gustafson, and John E. Gustafson.

Grateful for having shared in her life are her children, Dennis (Margy) Brenden of Brookings, Roxy (Larry) Jensen of Mitchell, Jean (Scott) Rogers of Sioux Falls and Lori (Bill) DeLay of Long Lake, MN; 8 grandchildren, Megan (Shane) Madsen, Mark Brenden, Jason (Kari) Pommer, Josh (Kasey) Pommer, Renee' (Stephen) Varga, Jeremy Sedelmeier, Lauren (Jackson) Stephens and Taylor DeLay; and 10 great-grandchildren, Landon, Connor, Brenna, Hayden, Elijah, Ben, Gage, Brady, McKenna and Brayden.  She also leaves in-laws, Genny, Shirley, & Mavis Brenden & Robert Forest along with numerous nieces and nephews  and a special friend and care-giver, Kelly McCune

Funeral arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com