News you can use

ELIZABETH SKONORD, Obituary

CHESTER Elizabeth Phoebe "Beth" Skonord, 88, died Friday, June 21, 2002, at a Chester hospital after suffering a heart attack.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Chester. Burial is to follow at the Joplin Cemetery.

Beth was born Aug. 18, 1913 to Lorena Eade and James Pimley Jr. in Park Rapids, Minn. Shortly after her birth, her father traveled to Montana to claim a homestead near Joplin. About a year later, her mother brought her to their new Montana home aboard an immigrant train. Beth's older brothers also filed homesteads near Joplin.

In 1923, the Pimley family returned to Minnesota to care for their ailing parents. Beth finished her education at Park Rapids and also earned a teaching certificate. She taught in a rural Minnesota school for a year. In 1934, Beth and her mother came back to Montana to visit her siblings, who lived near the Lara Skonord homestead. While there, Beth met Palmer Skonord. They were married in Joplin on June 15, 1935.

Beth and Palmer made their home on the Skonord farm 21 miles north of Joplin throughout their working lives. In addition to farming and ranching, they raised a family of five. They retired from farming in 1972 and moved to the Chester community in 1974. Due to declining health, they moved to the Liberty County Nursing Home in 1997. Palmer died March 26, 1998. Beth continued to live at the Chester rest home, happy and appreciative to have her children and grandchildren nearby.

During their married years on the farm, the Skonords were active members of the Immanuel Lutheran Church. After retiring to Chester, they became loyal members of Our Savior's Lutheran Parish. They also enjoyed the fellowship at the Chester Senior Center.

In addition to being a farm wife and mother, Beth taught school for several years at the Tingdahl country school near the farm.

Beth and Palmer enjoyed gardening, dancing and playing cards, mainly pinochle and whist. Beth loved to crochet afghans, booties, decorative hangers and other items, doing crossword puzzles, and reading, especially romances. In her younger days, she loved to swim. Later, she enjoyed to walk for good exercise. She also loved to cook and was known for her German chocolate cakes, banana and sugar cookies, and delicious fried chicken. She maintained a good sense of humor and appreciated the love of her family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; two young sons, Gary who died at 2 from Scarlet Fever in 1939, and Gary Dean who died at 16 from automobile accident injuries in 1955; sisters, Hazel King and Muriel Yoctoric; and brothers, Anson, James and Percy Pimley.

Survivors include her daughters, Geri (Bud) Broadhurst of Ledger and Beverly (LeRoy) Green of Chester; son, Rudy (Karen) Skonord of Kalispell; sister-in-law, Alma (Lloyd) Hadford of Joplin; 15 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Arrangements are by Rockman Funeral Chapel, Chester.

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 
Rendered 03/28/2024 03:53