Funeral services for Pennie Gilpin, age 69, of Lemmon, SD, will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at the Spencer Memorial Presbyterian Church in Lemmon. Pastor Charlotte Kvale will officiate with burial to be held at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 10, 2015 at the Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis, SD.

Ortha "Pennie" Marie (Schroeder) Gilpin was born on August 24, 1946 to Reuben and Olive "Dickie" (Clark) Schroeder in Lemmon, SD. Nicknamed Pennie by her grandpa George Clark because when he first saw her he said she looked like a Penny's worth of nothing and the name Pennie just stuck and when she was older she refused to answer to any other name. Pennie was raised as an only child but her parents were blessed with a baby boy named Benjamin who died prior to Pennie's birth. Growing up Pennie enjoyed spending time with all her cousins at family gatherings. Pennie attended school in Lemmon and graduated in 1964 from Lemmon High School. Following her graduation, she attended beauty school in Provo, UT where she obtained her operator's license and became an instructor for the school.

Pennie loved spending time at the lake (Fisherman's Haven) helping with one of the family businesses. Pennie found that water activities would be a lifelong love of hers. She was good at swimming and waterskiing. She also loved dancing and had a good ear for music, along with a good sense of rhythm. She loved sitting outside at night gazing at the stars while singing or listening to music or talking with loved ones or friends. When she was little, on hot or rainy days, she loved sneaking away to the ice house on her grandparent's farm with a flashlight in hand to read Zane Gray books. She was always known to "get lost" in a good book. Pennie loved her morning tea, the 4th of July, Shadehill and playing cards.

Pennie was a woman of enormous passion for the people, things, and ideals she loved, especially for her family, friends and the VFW. Pennie had a great sense of patriotism and was a member of both the American Legion and WFW Auxiliaries. She had a unique and well developed sense of humor and sarcasm.

Shortly after moving back to South Dakota from Utah, Pennie gave birth to her first born child, a daughter named Desirae. Not long aftwards she married Lemmon native Rand Petersen growing their family with the birth of two more children – a son named Jemond "Jamie" and a daughter named Autumn.

Pennie later divorced Rand and in 1974 met the love of her life, Wayne Gilpin. Wayne was working on a gravity crew in the Lemmon area and rented a cabin at Fisherman's Haven. Pennie often joked that "He didn't realize I came with the cabin." On May 17, 1975 Pennie and Wayne married combing their two families. Wayne had three children of his own, Allen, Steve and Anita. Allen and Steve were already grown when Pennie and Wayne married, but Anita was only 11 years old. Pennie and Wayne immediately adopted an "our children" attitude. Pennie always said that she had six children and that there was no such thing as "steps" in her family. Pennie and Wayne moved to various places in the US as Wayne's job took them to many locations.

In the summertime, Pennie and Debbie (Gilpin) Williamson were left to run the Haven and raise their families together while Wayne and Steve were often on jobs. Pennie and Debbie grew very close, and even after Deb and Steve divorced Deb remained one of Pennie's daughters.

In 1986 hard times hit the oil industry and so the family returned to Lemmon. Pennie worked with her parents as a cosmetologist at the Style Beauty Shop, another family owned business, until she took it over after the death of her parents, Reuben and Dickie. Pennie owned and operated the Style Beauty Salon until June of 2015 when she sold her business and went to work at Modern Expressions for Lacey Kostelecky. She was excited to just be a beautician without the stress of being a business owner. She was thrilled to finally get a "paycheck". She loved her new job and adored her new coworkers.

Pennie passed away on Thursday, December 3, 2015 at the St. Alexius Medical Center in Bismarck, ND.

She is survived by three sons, Jamie (Melanie) Petersen, Williston, ND, Allen Glipin, Memphis, TN and Steven (Gail) Gilpin, Biloxi, MS; four daughters, Desirae (Rodney) Anderson, Lemmon, SD, Autumn (Kelly) Horner, Wishek, ND, Anita (John) Meehan, Benicia, CA, and Debbie (John) Williamson, Marmoth, ND; 26 grandchildren, Misty (Kenan), Lexi, Ryan (Erica), Aaron, Jecoliah "Cody", Jemond II "Alex", Jacob, Micheal, Conner, Sabrina, Kennadee, Tanner, Cooper, Shannon, Timothy, Shawn, Brandy "DeeDee" (Darwin), Samantha (Scott), Sara, Tara, Alex (Emily), David Wayne, Jesse (Shawn), Johnny, Danny and Billy; and 15 great-grandchildren, Harliegh, Zayden, Kenzley, Travis, Sydney, Sully, Chance, Jasmine, Dawson, Logan, Taylor, Dawson, Ryley, Sarah and Savannah.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Wayne Gilpin; and one brother, Benjamin Monroe Schroeder.

Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. followed by a family service at 7:00 p.m. all on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at the Evanson Jensen Funeral Home in Lemmon.