Shantel Penn

Shantel Penn

Shantel Autumn Penn died with her mother in a car accident near Belfield on April 15, 2007. Services will be held at 2 p.m. CDT Thursday, April 19, at First Lutheran Church, Mandan, and 1 p.m. MDT Friday at Harding County School Gymnasium, Buffalo, S.D. Burial will be in Harding Cemetery, Buffalo, S.D.

Visitation will be held from 2 to 7 p.m. today at Eastgate Funeral Service, Bismarck, and continue one hour prior to both services at the church.

Shan was born Oct. 22, 1983, in Spearfish, S.D., to Ab and Bev Penn. In her early years, she was her dad's favorite ranch-hand on the family ranch in Harding County, S.D. She attended Buffalo, S.D., Elementary School. Shan was valedictorian of the 2002 graduating class of Harding County High School in Buffalo. She received the prestigious Wilson Scholarship at Jamestown College. Shan graduated magna cum laude with a double major in religion/philosophy and psychology and a minor in christian ministry in 2006. She began working as the Coordinator of Christian Growth at First Lutheran Church in Mandan, where she was living at the time of her death.

While in high school, Shan participated in volleyball, basketball and track and field and was a member of the 2000 Class B State Championship basketball team. As a high school student, she was active in youth group, Girls State, Honor Society and was a page for the South Dakota State Legislature. Her love for learning and athletics continued at Jamestown College. Shan participated in track and field throughout her college career. She was the Student Senate President, the student representative to the Jamestown College Board of Trustees, student chaplain, a College Fellow in Religion/Philosophy and received numerous scholastic awards. For five fun-filled summers during her college years, Shan grew in her love of ministry while working at Camp of the Cross near Garrison. One of her favorite camp experiences was coordinating the In-Tents program.

Shan loved to surround herself with family and friends telling stories and having discussions about anything and everything. Her other joys included reading, watching movies, playing guitar and napping. Two of her last adventures were going to Africa and Japan with her sister, Tennille. Shan was a beloved daughter, sister, niece, cousin, aunt and friend and will be greatly missed by all.

She is survived by a brother, Jeremiah, and his wife, Siri, and their children, Signe, Josiah and Micah, Mayville; two sisters, Charity Penn, Douglas, Wyo., and Tennille Penn, Omaha, Neb.; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

Shantel was preceded in death by her father, Ab; an infant brother, Zachariah; and her grandparents, Walter and Hattie (Brewer) Penn and Harold and Vi (White) McBride.

Go to www.eastgatefuneral.com to share memories of Shantel and sign the online guest book.