Ila Mae Fenenga

1932 - 2025

Ila Mae Fenenga

May 8, 1932 - September 1, 2025

Ila Mae Fenenga, 93, died on September 1, 2025, at the Skyline Pines Assisted Living. She was born to Iver and Enger Lien in Kennebec, South Dakota. She graduated high school at Chamberlain, South Dakota, in 1950. In February 1949, she met Burdette and they were married November 26, 1950. They were married for 66 years. To this union five children were born: Mary, Judy, Jim, Steve and Tom. Ila had nine grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

Ila loved to sew and made her own wedding dress, as well as her two daughters' wedding dresses and bridesmaids' dresses.

As a stay-at-home mom, she became involved in many hobbies such as ceramics, baby knit afghans, full-size knit afghans, lots of baking (the cookie jar was always full) and proudly, 45 Christmas stockings. She entered the Central States Fair for 37 years and took home many blue ribbons and rosettes filling a box full. She won a plaque at the fair one year for entering the most entries at her age.

Ila was very active in her children's activities: Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, children's programs, baseball or whatever was going on, she and Burdette were there. All three boys earned their Eagle Scout badge in Boy Scouts, as well as one grandchild. While Jim was in Scouts, he broke down the Lord's Prayer and how he understood it while earning his Pro Deo church badge.

Ila and Burdette took several Caribbean cruises and trips to Alaska and Hawaii.

Her children and grandchildren were very important to her and she will forever love and cherish them with all her heart.

Ila is survived by five children: Mary (Joe), Judy (Randy), Jim (Kay), Steve (Janine) and Tom (Gretchen); nine grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; three brothers, Earl, George and Manvil; and two sisters, Betty and Donna.

Visitation will be held at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, from 5 to 7 p.m. Funeral services will be held at Zion Lutheran Church on Thursday, September 4, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., with burial at Black Hills National Cemetery at 1:30 p.m.

At Ila's request, memorials may be given to the Cancer Society and the Heart Association. Please leave condolences at: www.OsheimSchmidt.com.