Aldene Powers, 85, of Lemmon, SD, passed away on Monday, September 16, 2024 at West River Health Services of Hettinger, ND.

Aldene's family is planning a "Party of Life" to celebrate her on June 20th at 3 pm at the Prince of Peace Chapel at Evanson Jensen funeral home. There will be a party at the Legion Club at 8 pm that evening where we can dance to Badger Horse and celebrate our person. Her family will take her ashes to San Francisco Bay, the place that has always held her heart and her peace.

Aldene L. Powers was born on November 2nd, 1938 in the Lemmon Hospital. She died on September 16th, 2024 at West River Health Services of Hettinger, ND. She left this earth surrounded by her loving family.

Aldene was raised by her natural parents, Arnold, and Agnes Molitor. She was a bright child and attended South Fork School, where she skipped kindergarten and 3rd grade. When she was ready for 8th grade, her father moved the family to Lemmon, where it was easier for Aldene and her brother Allen to attend public school.

Aldene always knew she was going to get married and raise a family, she just didn't know it was going to happen so fast. In 1955 when she was 16 years old and getting ready to graduate High school, she met the love of her life. It was a Saturday night down at the American Legion Hall, and Aldene's life was about to change. She was standing in the corner by the American flag when John Powers walked by and gave her a wink. A couple of minutes later he walked by again and grabbed the flag in such a way as to hide them both from the crowd, then he kissed her. They were married later that year and spent the next 36 years side by side.

John and Aldene had 3 children Tom, Mike, and Denise born in 1956, 1958, and 1960, respectively.  Tom married Ann Vang and they had three children, Samantha, Zachary, and Nicholas. Mike married Jackie Random, and they also had three children, John, Mike Jr and Jennifer. Denise married Steve Skjoldal and kept up the theme by adding three children, Stefanie, Daniel, and David. Next, Hunter joined the clan and rounded out the grandkids, Aldene's heart was bursting. Her children, her grandchildren and later on her great grandchildren were cherished and loved by Aldene.

After Tom was born in Lemmon, SD, John and Aldene moved their growing family to San Francisco where Aldene fell in love with the bustling city and the California lifestyle. For the next 21 years the golden state was their home and the Powers family flourished. John got a job with PG&E, a California utility company. Aldene decided she wanted to work outside the home. It was the 60's and she wanted a career as well as a family. She went to nursing school and studied Radiology, graduating in 1963, earning a degree she was very proud of. By then, San Francisco was getting a little rough around the edges, so John moved the family to Santa Clara, CA, before it became Silicon Valley. Aldene got a job as a Physician's Assistant and settled into her life as a mother and career woman. They bought a nice house on Pomeroy Street in Santa Clara. John bought a Dough-boy swimming pool and Aldene became "Mom" to all the kids on the block. John affectionately nicknamed the neighborhood kids the "Pomeroy Punks."  The Powers family lived the American Dream and John bought Aldene a MG Midget. She loved that car and would often be seen with the soft top removed, her hair blowing in the wind.

In 1974, Aldene's father, Arnold Molitor, was killed in a collision with a fast-moving train. The horrific accident was never adequately explained and remained a moment in history that changed the trajectory of her life. He left a 2,000-acre farm with no one to operate it. John made the critical decision to move back to Lemmon and become a farmer. He gave Aldene a choice, he told her, "I am moving back to Lemmon, you can stay in California, and we will make it work or come with me, but I am going." Aldene loved her husband very much, so she left her beloved California and became a farmer's wife.

Denise was very close to her mother; they were like sisters.  They did everything together, amplifying the bond between a mother and daughter. Living so close together they enjoyed each other's company. Then Stefanie came along, and therewere three. Aldene must have taken thousands of pictures of Stefanie through the years. She thrived as a grandmother, but she never lost her attachment to California.

John got sick in 1992, and Aldene became a nurse again, to him. He passed that same year and Aldene went back to work, this time as a mail carrier. She hauled mail from Lemmon to Prairie City and Sorum and back. The route included servicing the boxes along the way. As she did with everything, she put her heart and soul into the work, sometimes bringing the mail to the customer's front door. She got to know everyone along the way. She used her special kind of love and humor to spread joy and make the day a little brighter for everyone. She continued hauling mail from 1992 until 2009.

During the 90's and into the new century she blossomed as a single grandmother. She got the Sturgis t-shirts. She got a Dale Earnhardt tattoo. She bought a little red sports car and adopted her signature hair color. She made friends easily and everyone loved and respected her.

As time pushed on the grandkids got married and had children of their own. Stefanie married Todd Dauwen and Morgan was born in 2002 and Aldene was overjoyed, then the picture taking began anew. Morgan's sister Madison was born in 2008 and Aldene became a full-fledged great grandmother. Mike Jr. married Sara Altermott and their first child; Jeremy was also born in 2008 followed by Anthony who was born in 2011. Jennifer had a son, Adam who was born in 2011 as well. A few years later John and Frances met in Arizona and got married. Before Aldene could get her camera into action, they had three children. Bethany was born in 2016, John Jr. was born in 2019 and Josiah was born in 2023. Zachary married Sally Dixon and another great grandson, Gunner was added to the roster. Samantha provided a rottweiler named Brody and he stole Aldene's heart as her great grand dog. Nicholas married Rylie and Daniel reconnected and is engaged to Melissa Pelkofer, much to Aldene's delight.

In Aldene's twilight years, she kept up with all the birthday and Christmas presents as well as visiting everybody as often as she could. Tom and family along with Mike Jr and Jennifer live in Colorado and Aldene loved going to spend time in the mountains with them. Mike Sr and his wife Noreen, John and Frances and their children live in Arizona which provided the perfect winter getaway.

Aldene's later life was filled with love and precious memories. She was a huge NASCAR fan and went to some of the biggest races. She loved time spent with her family at the races. Most weeks you could find her in her kitchen cooking for her grandkids. Biscuits and gravy, chicken noodle soup and roast beef were the crowd favorites. Most of all she enjoyed watching Morgan and Madison competing as Lemmon Cowgirls and their many traveling teams. She rarely missed a chance to watch the girls compete and she would beam with pride sharing their accomplishments with all who would listen.

The hole left in her absence is unfillable, but we know how lucky we are to know a love that hurts so much to lose, not everyone gets an Aldene. She was our gravity, she was our person, for all things in life. She was a daughter, a mother, a grandmother, a sister, a wife, an aunt, a friend, and a Godfather, you read that right.

She is survived by one sister, Arlis (Molitor) Greco and her two sons Tom and Mike, nine grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband John, her brother Allen, her daughter Denise (Powers) Skjoldal and her daughter in law Ann Powers.

Family and friends are encouraged to sign her online guestbook.