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The Memorial Service for Avis L. Kling, age 89 of Lemmon will be held at 10:30am MT, Monday, June 15, 2020 at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Morristown.  Pastor Gerhardt Juergens and Pastor Bryant Laude will officiate with burial in the Morristown Cemetery.

Special music will be provided by Sarah Juergens.

Serving as Honorary Bearers are her grandchildren, Kevin, Casey, Cody, Levi, Tyler, Todd, Alex, and Dani Kling, Zachary McPerson, and Sara Sowinski.

AVIS LORRAINE HEINITZ was born on February 8, 1931 in Elgin, ND to Jacob and Hulda (Uttke) Heinitz.  She lived on a farm northeast of Morristown on the Cedar River until she was about fifteen years old, then she moved with her family to a farm northwest of Morristown.  She helped her father milk cows on his dairy operation and helped on the farm with a team of horses.

Avis was the oldest of seven children, Albert, Alice, Alaine, Dorothy, Doris, and Donald.

Avis attended a country school north of Morristown which her dad took them by team and wagon.  When she and Albert started school they never knew any English, and only spoke German which she said was very hard.  Avis was picked on by bullies in school until she beat them up then they left her alone.

Avis met Ray Kling when he was delivering a load of coal to the Heinitz place.  They were married December 25, 1948 when she was seventeen years old.  They lived on a farm seven miles south of Thunder Hawk.  Five children, Kenneth, Larry, Jerry, Wayne and Gwen were born to this union.

Avis was a person with strong ideas and purpose.  She could do almost anything she set her mind to.  If she didn't know how to do something, she would work at it until she did it.  As a ranch wife she did it all,  driving tractor or truck, calving out cows, keeping the books, and keeping registration papers on the Hereford cows and bulls, hauling square bales, raising and butchering chickens to sell, and all the homemaking duties. She loved to sew, making many quilts, afghans and cathedral window pillows which she gave to children, grandchildren, and many others.  She enjoyed vegetable and flower gardening. Roses and gladioluses were among her favorite.  Avis loved petrified rocks which she collected.  There were small pieces to very large rocks that usually needed a tractor to move.  She loved pictures of all kinds and always had a camera ready.  The old family pictures and history were a thing she always kept track of.

Avis was devout in her spiritual beliefs.  She was baptized, confirmed, and a lifetime member of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Morristown and a member of the Ladies Aide.  She was fond of the old hymns and likes to sing or hum them.

Avis passed away on Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at Touchmark on West Century in Bismarck, ND.

Surviving family members include her 3 sons and daughters-in-law, Ken and Pam Kling, Lemmon, SD; Jerry and Arleen Kling, Morristown, SD; Wayne Kling, Lemmon, SD; 1 daughter, Gwen Kling, Winnemucca, NV; 10 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren; 2 sisters, Alaine (Roger) Haugen, Hawley, MN; Doris Bjerky, Tucson, AZ; 1 brother, Albert (Pat) Heinitz, in Iowa; and a sister-in-law, Diana Heinitz, Morristown, SD.

She was preceded in death by her parents, a son Larry in infancy, husband Ray, 2 sisters, Alice Froelich and Dorothy Leno; and a brother Donald Heinitz.

Visitation will be on Sunday, from 1:00 to 9:00pm at the Evanson-Jensen Funeral Home in Lemmon and on Monday from 9:30 to 10:30 at the church in Morristown.