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Funeral services for Gloria Cornelius, 87, long-time Lemmon, SD resident, will be held on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 10:30 am at Calvary Lutheran Church in Lemmon, SD. Charlotte Kvale will officiate with burial to follow at Greenhill Cemetery.

Gloria Fern (Olson) Cornelius was born to Melvin and Myrtle Olson of Brookings, SD, where she was raised and graduated from Brookings High School in 1953.While in school she proudly served as a majorette in the Brookings High School Band. Following graduation, Gloria attended South Dakota State College for one year studying Secretarial Studies.

Gloria married Ron Cornelius in May 1955 and they moved to Lemmon, SD where they made their family home and raised their four children.  Gloria worked under Johnson & Kelly as a legal secretary until they started their family in 1956.

Gloria was an avid card shark and played many card games with the neighborhood ladies including Hand & Foot, King's Corner, Old Hell, and Pinochle. When she wasn't dealing cards, she loved tending to the family pets including Lucy, Roscoe, Freckles, and Pierre giving lavish treats.

Gloria lived a life of service and was happiest when she was serving others and giving back. She enjoyed serving on the Communities Against Violence and Abuse Board, The Boss Cowman Parade Committee, as a Luther League youth advisor, and the Hospital Legion Auxiliary where she volunteered for nearly 40 years at the local Lemmon Thrift Shop. She loved to help others in need and took painstaking care to search for secondhand items to donate. One of her greatest missions was packing up nearly 100 boxes of carefully chosen necessities for a shelter in Bismarck, ND.

Family and friends were at the center of Gloria's life, and she enjoyed being the neighborhood mom to all. Everyone who entered her home was welcome and did not leave hungry. She was an excellent cook and loved to share. Ron and Gloria purchased a cabin on the north side of Shadehill Reservoir and spent their free time fishing, cooking, and making memories at the lake.

Gloria was straightforward and honest, and you always knew where you stood. She made a point to "Tell it like it is" and to never beat around the bush.

Gloria entered Five Counties Nursing Home in October 2019. Her loving family visited often, and she was surrounded by caregivers that she affectionately referred to as "mommas" and "bug-bugs" until her final days.

Gloria passed away at West River Regional Medical Center in Hettinger, ND on February 3, 2023 surrounded by her family.

She is survived by one sister, Delores Coleman of Des Moines, IA, one son, Dan (Tracy) Cornelius of Ft. Pierre, SD, three daughters, Debbie (Dwight) Wenner and Pam (Doug) Schackow of Lemmon, SD, and Heather (Shane) Jordan of Clark, SD; 13 grandchildren, Josh Wenner (Brooke), Justin (Sara) Wenner, Janci (Jeff) Herr, Lisa (Jesse) Huschle, Daniel (Kaylee) Cornelius, Damon Cornelius, Reanne Cornelius, Haden Ford, Megan (John) Riedy, Mandy Schackow, Zach Jordan, Kayla Jordan, and Brady Jordan; 15 great grandchildren, Addy and Marley Wenner, Kylie and Bennett Sanford, Landon, Kinley, and Brooke Wenner, Jacoah and Juliana Herr, Alivia, Abigail, and Isaac Huschle, and Elijah, Carter, and Brody Cornelius.

Gloria was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Ron Cornelius, her parents Melvin and Myrtle Olson, her sisters Maxine Cameron, Lavonne Hines, and Lucy Schoon, one brother, Arvin Olson, and one grandson, Aidan Ford.