Lydella Dodd

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Obituary

Lydella Dodd, 85, of Mt. Vernon, SD, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at Prairie View Healthcare Center in Woonsocket, SD. Funeral services will be 10:30 AM Tuesday, May 21, at Bittner Funeral Chapel. Burial will be at Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Mt. Vernon. Visitation will be Monday from 5-7:00 PM at Bittner Funeral Chapel.

Lydella Mae Blevens Dodd was born December 14, 1938, in Mitchell, SD to Clyde and Lukea Batterman Blevens. She lived and attended school in Mitchell until the middle of seventh grade. She moved with her parents to a farm in Aurora County, south of Storla. She finished her elementary education at Hopper Elementary School graduating from eighth grade. She attended Mt. Vernon High School, graduating in 1956. Lydella received her Teaching Certificate from DWU and taught at county schools in Aurora and Davison Counties. She married her high school sweetheart, LeRoy Dodd, in February 1958. They farmed near his folks, George and Freda Dodd, and when his father retired, they moved onto the Dodd Farm and continued raising milk cows, feeder cattle, hogs, and chickens. She also continued working as a teacher’s aide for several years.

Lydella was a devoted child of God.  Her faith, her family and many friends uplifted and sustained her through a life filled with memories, beautiful music, paintings and arts and crafts.  A multi-talented person with a ready laugh and warm hug for anyone within her reach, those who knew her best will agree that what Lydella loved most was farming with LeRoy and raising her children.  If she really loved you, you were the beneficiary of one of her homemade blueberry pies or another delicious treat.

The community where she lived and loved was made even more special because of her service. She was active in church Circles, Bible Study, Vacation Bible School, and Sunday School. She sang in the choir and served on many committees. Lydella also sang alto in the singing group, “The Crossroads”, for twelve years traveling to churches and community events around the Mitchell area sharing music and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A wonderful memento of this time in her life is the recording they made of their triple trio voices for vinyl and cassettes.

Grateful to have shared her life are her husband, LeRoy, for 66 years; daughter, Patti and son-in-law, Mark Cornelius, and their family: Erik and Jeong Hyun and daughter, Ella Kwon Cornelius, of South Korea, Nate and Ashley and their two boys, Tobin and Adin Cornelius, of Texas, and Shay and Jonathan Cavender of Sioux Falls; and son, Brian and daughter-in-law, Susan, and their family: Gabrielle and Colin Nelson, Jesse Dodd and Hunter Dodd all of Mt. Vernon.

Gone before her are her parents, Clyde and Lukea Blevens; son, Ricky Roy Dodd; sister, Mary Helen Scott and brother-in-law Albert Scott; and brother-in-law, Royce Hetland. Remembering her today are her children, sister-in-law Adonna Hetland, and many nieces and nephews, including Daren Hetland and family, Brent Hetland and family, Marci Bartels and family, Tim Scott and family, Janeen Hildebrand and family, and Dan Scott and family.

Tributes or donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association www.alz.org.

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