Lenore Brucklacher

Lenore Brucklacher, age 88, Philip, S.D., died Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017, at the Hans P. Peterson Memorial Hospital in Philip. 

  Lenore Marie Nelson was born July 3, 1929, to Albert and Agnes (Hanson) Nelson in Garretson. She was raised on the family farm northwest of Garretson. She was baptized and confirmed in the Beaver Valley Lutheran Church. After graduating high school in 1947, she attended Lutheran Bible Institute in Minnesota for two years.

    “Al came to work for my brother, Ralph, on the farm a mile south of the homeplace where I lived. While we were there, we did chores and field work together. There was even room on the “G” John Deere tractor seat for us to sit together. It was love at first sight and we enjoyed working together. Al and I were engaged in the fall of 1952. I went to see Al every week and watched him do his laundry and play football, mostly on the bench. When Al graduated from Augustana College, we were married the following month on June 26, 1953. Al continued working for Ralph the summer of 1953 until we went to the seminary. Our oldest son Mark was born June 11, 1954. While attending Luther Theology Seminary, we lived a short distance from the seminary, taking care of a retired minister and his wife. We were paid $50 a month for room and board and this helped a lot to pay our way through seminary.

Our second son, Paul, was born June 8, 1955, and our daughter Marie was born June 3, 1956, during our internship in Stanley, N.D., serving five Lutheran parishes. Upon completion of the internship, Al went back to seminary while I stayed in Ross. John, our fourth child, was born  May 17, 1957. Al performed his first baptism, for his son, John, at his ordination in his home church in Freeman. We had four children age two and under for a time, with no twins. Upon completion of Al’s ordination, we returned to Ross as a family, where Janis was born Aug. 19, 1959.

We moved to the Florence Lutheran Parish west of Watertown, which had four parishes. While serving these parishes, our family was made complete with the addition of our youngest boys. Perry on Aug. 11, 1962, and Bruce on Aug. 30, 1963. The family served there for seven years.

We moved on to Philip in 1967 to serve the First Lutheran Church. By this time the Brucklacher family had grown up and the oldest were high school aged. In 1972, we suffered a great loss when our son, Paul, drowned at the Prairie Seed Bible Camp. In 1977, we purchased land and built our permanent home on a ranch near Philip.”

After Al’s passing in June 2014, Lenore continued her life on the ranch, spending her days enjoying the beautiful landscape and long hours on her riding lawn mower.  A proud moment in her life was setting the shot put record in the 1995 S.D. Senior Olympics. In addition to a full life raising a large family and serving as a pastor’s wife, Lenore spent many years as a house painter passing her skills to many and building a successful Amway business. She also drove school bus and the Haakon County Prairie Transit later in life.

Lenore had many interests including being a matchmaker, singing duets with Al, fixing lawn mowers, bowling, playing softball including during the Senior Olympics, helping with Bible studies, making Swedish lefse, tending livestock and enjoying the farm lifestyle. She loved being a sports spectator and was a vocal force at any game she attended or watched.  She demonstrated an incredible work ethic and the joy of a long day of physical labor. This is the legacy she leaves for her children and grandchildren.

Lenore was a member of the United Church of Philip. She could be found weekly in the third pew from the front on the left side.

Grateful for having shared her life include four sons, Mark (Carla), Wall, John (Linda), Windsor, Colo., Perry, Philip, and Bruce (Brigitte), Philip; two daughters, Marie (Tom) Radway, Philip, and Janis (Mike) West, Colusa, Calif.; 14 grandchildren, Jennifer Tietsort (Ron), Custer, Matthew Brucklacher (Sonja), Greeley, Colo., Marcy Morrison (William), Rapid City, Cain Radway (Kristin), Hinton, Iowa, Mindy Smith,  Chadron, Neb., Alex Radway (Jeni), Rapid City, Ashley Harrison (Spencer), Windsor, Colo., Jesse Brucklacher, Amber Torres (Artie), Colusa, Calif., Austin West (Rebecca), Woodland, Calif., Adler West (Molly Critchfield, Colusa, Calif., Derek Brucklacher (Brittanie Cox), Philip, Skye Brucklacher (Beau Walker), Philip, and Gavin Brucklacher, Spearfish; 18 great-grandchildren Noah and Hope Tietsort, Maylin and Alissa Brucklacher, T.J, Spencer and Luther Morrison, Julian Small and Rex Radway, Payton Schoenhals, Creighton Green, Adlee, Henli and Aven Radway, Olivia, Jaxon and Levi Harrison, and Alaina Torres; brother-in-law Ervin (Marlene) Brucklacher and sister-in-law Alice (Mac) Melin, and a host of other relatives and friends.

Lenore was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Al; a son, Paul; a grandson, Dalles Brucklacher in 2007; two brothers, Ralph and Vernon Nelson; and one sister, Edna Nelson.

Funeral services were 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3, at the American Legion Hall in Philip, with Pastor Kathy Chesney officiating.

Private family interment was at the Masonic Cemetery in Philip.

Arrangements were with the Rush Funeral Home of Philip.

Her online guestbook is available at www.rushfuneralhome. com