Leny Hannah (Ranschau) Nerland

January 13, 1924 ~ January 22, 2016

Leny Hannah (Ranschau) Nerland, 92, Garretson, died Friday, January 22, 2016, at the Good Samaritan Home in Canton, SD.

Family visitation will be held 2-4pm, Sunday, February 21, 2016, at Heartland Funeral Home, Brandon. A Memorial Service will be 1;00pm, Monday, February 22, at Abiding Saviour Free Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls. Inurnment will be at Falnes Lutheran Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to the McCrossan’s Boys Ranch in Leny’s memory.

Hannah Leny Ranschau was born January 13, 1924, in rural Sioux County, Iowa, to Christian H. and E. C. Wanda (Wenck) Ranschau; both recent emigrants from Germany. She was born and grew up in the Irene stage station; the oldest house in Sioux County, at that time. She graduated 8th grade in a rural Sioux County school. She was confirmed at Peace Lutheran Church. At age 13, she travelled to Chicago to learn housekeeping under the tutelage of a family cousin. She returned after a few months to work on the family farm. Through cousins in South Dakota, she met Julius Nerland and they were married November 12, 1950, at Peace Lutheran Church. The couple farmed with the Ranschaus’ until 1956, when they moved to Pierpont, SD, where they purchased the Jens Rye farm; Julius’ family home. Their children would be the 4th generation to live there.

Leny was an active member of Skudesnes Lutheran Church. In her retirement years, she was a devoted member of the quilting group. She expedited sending quilts to Mexico via the church and to Native Americans in Wyoming via a pastor/missionary. She had a special concern for Native Americans in need, and especially their children.

In her teens, Leny started a pen pal club for young adults via the National American Lutheran Church youth ministry. This led to two special friends. Mary Wilder of Washington state, who became the wife of her brother, Walter Ranschau; and Wilma Boyd Lovell of Nebraska, who became Leny’s life-long writing and personal friend. These ladies wrote regularly until they both reached age 90 and lost the ability to write. Trips to visit Wilma were a special highlight.

Leny began living with Wanda in 2003 and then she became a resident of Good Samaritan Home, Canton, in November 2015.

Leny will be deeply missed by her children, Wanda (Loren) Schoeneman, Garretson, H. Chris (Susan) Nerland, Talbott, TN, and Jonathan (Ethel) Nerland, Mellette, SD; six grandchildren and one brother, Walter Ranschau; grandchildren: Leah (Tim) Thomason, Spencer (Amanda Streed) Schoeneman, Elana Schoeneman, Lance (fiance-Jessica Hardy) Nerland, Sierra Nerland and Sonora Nerland.; one brother, Walter Ranschau; sisters-in-law, Evelyn Ranschau Carlson, Carol Ranschau, Beatrice Nerland (Louis) Rogers; and brother-in-law, Amos (Nancy) Nerland; also many nieces, nephews, and their children; and friend, Wilma Boyd, who resides in a care facility in St. Edwards, NE, and her son Rusty Boyd.

She was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers, Herbert and Cuno Ranschau, Julius Nerland, and sister-in-law, Oriette Nerland Watson.

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