Irene Elsie Lura

Irene Lura, 93, formerly of Clark, joined her Heavenly Father on February 28, 2019 at The Willows in Oxford, Florida with her family around her.

A memorial service and burial will be held Saturday, June 22, 2019 at 11:00 am at Clark Center Lutheran Church, rural Clark, with a lunch following at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Clark, SD.

Irene Elsie Wehrkamp was born March 23, 1925 to Sophia & Emil Wehrkamp near Hartford, SD. She played the drums in high school, liked to help on the farm and dance and roller skate at the Wall Lake Corner.

She married Jasper Lura on June 13, 1943 and moved to Garfield Township to farm near Clark, SD. Irene helped by tending the garden, milking the cows and driving the grain wagons. Every year she fed many hired men and high school boys that picked rocks in the spring.

At Clark Center Church she was in the Women's Chorus, taught Sunday School and helped with the Ladies' Aide. Irene was also known for her cooking, bread baking, dessert making, meticulous sewing, needlepoint and Hardanger embroidery. She was a member of the Thrifty Gals Extension Club, a leader for the Garfield Go-Getters 4-H Club and served many years chairing the St. Paul Lutefisk Supper.

Jasper and Irene enjoyed gardening, bowling, dancing and car rides exploring places with friends. Irene also enjoyed many bank bus trips and long distance visits to family. In later years she enjoyed coffee downtown, having her hair and nails done, playing cards and dominos with her girlfriends.

The couple have two daughters: Margie (Rex) Rolfing of Sioux Falls, SD and Marcia (Vincent) Battista of The Villages, FL. She always enjoyed seeing her grandchildren: Melissa (Robert) Bantum, St Johns, FL, Gina (Patrick) Bellamy, Cedar City, UT, TJ (Jena) Rolfing, Sioux Falls, SD and Tiffany Rolfing, Philadelphia, PA. Her great-grandchildren all loved to visit and play music for her: Brooke and Makenzie Bantum, Hannah and Aubrey Bellamy, Miles, Gage and Graham Rolfing. Irene also treasured her many dear nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, sisters Mildred and Della and brother Walter and grandsons Robb and Alex Rolfing.

Arrangements are announced by the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com