Lorna Gardner

Lorna M. Gardner

A memorial service will take place 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 10, 2022, at Heritage Funeral Home with a visitation to begin at 10:00 a.m.  Burial will be in the Schartner Cemetery near Marion, SD.

Lorna Mae Foster was born on May 26, 1939 In Marion, SD to parents Delilah D. Foster and William H. Foster. She died peacefully in her sleep on Nov. 26, 2022 at Sanford Centennial Hospice Cottage in Sioux Falls, SD at age 83 from kidney failure.

Lorna attended school at Marion SD and Bonesteel, SD. She was baptized in the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, Marion, SD along with her two older sisters, Mona Lee and Lettie Elaine Foster.

She married Ted A. Gardner, son of Albert Theodore and Bella Marie Fleck Gardner. They had two sons. Robert John Willis Gardner, born April 20, 1978 in St. Luke’s Hospital, Aberdeen, SD; died May 1, 1978 in Sioux Valley Hospital, Sioux Falls, SD. Services were conducted by pastor Nelson of the Assembly of God Church in Aberdeen, SD.  Burial will take place in Lakeside Cemetery, Aberdeen, SD.  Their son, Nathan Lee Galen, born March 24, 1982 in Aberdeen, SD and was raised by Ted and Lorna from the age of 3.

Lorna had health issues throughout her life. She suffered from Rheumatic Fever at 10 years of age and missed a lot of schooling. She and Ted divorced and she became a single mom. Lorna loved crafts and especially cross stitch.  She made many quilts, bed coverings, pillows, and samplers of cross stitch.   She gave many of these to family and friends. In her later years, she enjoyed traveling to different places. Israel was one of her favorites. When her kidneys started to fail and it was difficult for her to walk, she started  jigsaw puzzles and framed  many 1,000  piece puzzles. She was a member of Sioux Falls Fist Church for years and went on mission trips occasionally.

Preceded in death by her mother Delilah and father William, step father Willis Johnson and son Robert Gardner. She was survived by her older sisters, Mona Lee Craigg, 91 of Forest Grove, OR and Lettie Elaine Osborne, 86, of Broken Arrow, OK, son Nathan, wife Amber and 4 grandchildren, Natalie, 15, Addilynn, 13, Brielle, 10, and Evelynn, 6, all of Sioux Falls, SD.