Dorothy Leone Schaunaman

Dorothy Leone Schaunaman, 92, of Aberdeen, passed away Saturday, March 28, 2015, surrounded by her children, at Bethesda Home of Aberdeen.

Dorothy's funeral service will be 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, at Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, 431 West Melgaard Road, Aberdeen, with Pastor Jill K. Warner officiating. Refreshments will be served following the service.

Burial will take place at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, April 1, 2015, at the Westport Cemetery in Westport, SD.

Visitation will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, at the church.

Schriver's Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, 414 Fifth Ave. N.W., Aberdeen, is in charge of arrangements. Friends may sign her online guestbook at www.schriversmemorial.com.

Leone was born February 22, 1923, at the home of her parents, Leon and Pearl (Krueger) Porter, in the bustling prairie town of Wetonka, SD, where she was raised and helped her parents, along with her sister Margaret, run the Joint and the grain elevator. She attended school in Wetonka and Mina, SD, and graduated from Aberdeen Central High School. Leone then attended the Aberdeen School of Commerce prior to joining the war effort and moving to the West Coast to take a job in a defense plant, building the P-51 Mustang.

Upon her return to Aberdeen, Leone worked in the community and became a fan of baseball. It was at a baseball game that she met her future husband, Herb Schaunaman. They married in 1945, and returned to the Wetonka area to farm. They moved to California for a short time in 1950 before returning to Aberdeen and purchasing and operating the River View Tourist Court. In 1955, Leone and Herb purchased a farm located in the Elm River valley northwest of Westport. It was here that they raised their four children: Herb (Kathy) Schaunaman, Westport; Mary London, Rapid City; Jane (Marc) Johnson, Groton; and Pearl (Wayne) Holt, Aberdeen.

Leone helped with the workload on the farm as well as being actively involved in Church Circle, Extension Club, Election Board, and family activities. She could bake perfect caramel rolls and was a candy-making specialist. The game of Bridge was her real passion. She maintained her love of Bridge throughout her life. A horrific car accident in 1961 nearly ended her life. She recovered by taking a proactive approach to self-therapy. Leone was one of the first employees of the 3M plant in Aberdeen. Her yard and garden was an added jewel in the beauty of the Elm River valley. Leone kept a daily diary of her life as a mother and farm wife. Those memories are, and always will be, cherished and shared by her family.

Leone is survived by her children, as well as her grandchildren: Lori Schaunaman, Scott Schaunaman, Maggie Berry and Tanner Johnson and six great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband in 2010; parents; sister, Margaret Henrikson; brother-in-law, Leo Henrikson; and son-in-law, Stephen London.

The family extends their gratitude to the dedicated staff of Angelhaus and Bethesda who helped care for Leone in her declining years.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to Storybook Land.