Edna R. McKercher

Edna R. McKercher was born on April 15, 1939, in La Moure, North Dakota to the late Peter and Bertha (Berreth) Bender. The family later moved to Ellendale, Minnesota. Edna was baptized in 1939 at the Zion Lutheran Church and confirmed in 1954 in that church in Ellendale, ND. Edna received her education in the Ellendale Public School and later received her GED in 1980. Edna later moved to Beaver Creek, Minnesota to live with her brother Mike and his wife Marlene. On April 5, 1962, Edna was united in marriage to Lowell B. McKercher in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After marriage, Edna and Lowell lived on the homestead in rural Parker, South Dakota and then near Hurley, South Dakota where Lowell continued to drive truck until 1982 when they moved into Marion, South Dakota. Edna became certified as a medication/nurse's aide in 1981 and worked at the Hilltop Nursing Home in Parker and the Freeman Nursing Home and later at the Odd Fellow's in Dell Rapids, South Dakota in 1994 when they moved to Dell Rapids, SD to be closer to daughter. Edna always worked the night shift through the years. In April of 1986, Edna became an EMT after taking the course with her son, Jim. In 1996, Edna and...[more]

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well moved to Windom, Minnesota once again to follow along with her daughter. Edna did daycare for her grandchildren for several years. On June 20, 2001, Lowell passed away. After his death, Edna continued to live in Windom until moving to Mt. Lake last July to the Good Samaritan Village. Edna was hospitalized at the Windom Area Hospital on February 28th and passed away on March 2nd with her children, granddaughter and her great-grandson at her bedside at the age of 71. Edna was a warm and loving daughter, mom, grandma, great-grandma, sister and aunt and was called "grandma" by everyone. She was a loving friend. Edna was nonjudgmental-it didn't matter what your past was, she liked you for who you were. Edna loved to garden and she raised puppies (in her earlier years), she loved spending time with her family and friends and loved to sit and visit and have a cup of coffee. These were her greatest enjoyments. She also loved being a nurses/medication aide. She will be greatly missed. Edna is survived by her two children, Debra (Robert) Behrends of Mt. Lake; Jim McKercher (special friend, Jill Kruger) of Brandon, SD; five grandchildren, Eric McKercher of Sioux Falls, SD; Josh and Jared Behrends of Windom; Megan Behrends of Mt. Lake; Levi McKercher of Brandon, SD; one great-grandson, Tyson Behrends of Mt. Lake; one sister and one brother, Sally Meyer of Fargo, ND; Adam Bender of Yankton, South Dakota; and numerous nieces and nephews. Edna is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Lowell McKercher; one son, Ken McKercher; three brothers, Adolf, Mike and Eugene Bender; one sister, Veronica Frederick.