Laureen Hendricks

Laureen Hendricks, 88, of Duck Creek Township, South Dakota, passed away at Western Horizon's Care Center in Hettinger, North Dakota on Monday, February 23, 2026.  

Service of Remembrance will be Thursday, March 5, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. MT at the Centennial Chapel of Evanson Jensen Funeral Home in Hettinger, ND.  Rev. Alan Wickstrom will officiate and following a time of fellowship and lunch, burial will be at Duck Creek Cemetery in Perkins County, SD.  

Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at the Centennial Chapel in Hettinger, ND.

Laureen Yvonne Murphy was born to William and Rose (Pfeifer) Murphy on October 15, 1937 in Powell, Wyoming. She was the youngest of 12 children. She was raised on a farm outside of Powell, graduated high school there, then attended Presentation School of Nursing in Miles City, MT, graduating as an RN. Her classmate Kaye McIntyre invited her to come to Hettinger to work in the hospital. There, she met her future husband, Gary Hendricks. They were married on June 27, 1959. They had 3 children, Jeff, Lynette and Mike.

They moved to Sturgis SD and Mandan, ND, before coming back to Hettinger in 1973 to purchase the farm from Gary’s parents southwest of Lodgepole, SD. They lived on the farm raising sheep and wheat until they retired, remaining on the farm until health issues prompted a move to Assisted Living in Hettinger in 2017.

Laureen was hard-working and kind. In addition to her own household and farm chores, she helped care for her in-laws as their health started to fail. This required 2-3 trips per day to deliver meals, help with personal care, clean, take them to clinic appointments and just check on their safety. She wrote weekly letters to her children and grandchildren when they moved away from home. She was an avid reader, with numerous boxes of books to prove it!! She did beautiful embroidery and needle work, made many pillowcases and dish towels.

Many evenings were spent playing cards around the kitchen table. When her grandchildren came along, the game of choice was Sorry! which was banned for a time until the children behaved better while playing it.

Laureen was an active member of Duck Creek Lutheran Church as the pianist, on the church board, Ladies Aide and implemented the Candlelight Christmas Service which became a yearly tradition. She was also a member of the Jolly Jills Homemakers Club and served on the election board for many years. She had a beautiful smile and the BEST giggle.

She dearly loved her grandchildren. She and Gary supported them in all of their activities, attending numerous sports games, plays, piano recitals, county fairs and livestock shows and graduations. She kept scrapbooks throughout those years, with pictures and newspaper clippings in which they or their teams were mentioned.

Laureen moved to West Horizons Care Center a few months before Gary’s passing in 2020. She was a favorite with the staff, probably due to her sweet disposition and witty one liners.

Laureen is survived by her children; Jeff, Lynette (Dave) Pearson and Mike; Her grandchildren Caitlin (Wade) Parker, Alix (Kalen) Manthei, and Ben (Cassie) Pearson; Great grandchildren Noah, Finn and Gus Parker and Otto Pearson; brother-in-law Larry Schwartz and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Gary, parents William and Rose Murphy, in-laws George and Gladys Hendricks, all 11 of her siblings; Gary’s sisters Gwen Schwartz and Laurel Hofeldt and brother-in-law Fred Hofeldt.