Archived Services

Ramona Agnes Dearborn
10-18-2021

Ramona Agnes Dearborn passed away at Country House Residence for Memory Care in Lincoln, NE on October 18, 2021. She lived at Country House for the past four years. She was 88 years old. She was born in Lone Tree, SD to Arthur and Mattee Richter in 1932. She grew up and attended school in Egan and Colman, SD. She attended South Dakota State University, where she met her future husband, Delwyn, and received her Bachelors degree in Political Science.

Following Del’s military service, they married and lived in Brookings. Ramona and Del moved to Rapid City in 1959, where they adopted Lori and Charles. They made memories with their neighbors, the Fergusons, who would become lifelong friends. After moving to Lincoln, NE in 1966, they adopted David. In 1970, they moved to Boulder CO for a year where they were thrilled to live across the street from the Fergusons, who had moved to Boulder from Rapid City. They returned to live in Brookings when Del became Head of Animal Science and then Dean of Agriculture at SDSU.

Ramona enjoyed entertaining faculty and students. She was an avid volunteer in the Brookings community and was very involved with First United Methodist Church, where she served as Education Director. She was active with PEO Sisterhood.

They lived in Clay Center, NE for a year in 1985, where Ramona worked at Younkers in Hastings. They moved to North Platte, where they restored a beautiful old house and enjoyed a close circle of friends. They returned to Lincoln in 1994 and Ramona worked for the Department of Labor for several years, which she enjoyed very much.

She was very involved with St. Paul United Methodist Church activities. She continued to be an active member of PEO. She loved having her granddaughters visit and she always had activities ready for them.

She and Del enjoyed trips to Alaska, Europe, China, Russia and Panama, among others. She loved attending Lincoln Saltdogs Baseball games and Cornhusker Women’s Volleyball games.

When Del moved to a nursing home in Brandon, SD in 2013, she lived with his sister for a couple of years to be able to spend every day with him until his death. Following his death, she returned to their home in Lincoln, which she shared with her son, David.

Ramona is survived by three children: Lori, Duluth, MN, Charles, Sioux City, IA, and David in Lincoln, NE; two granddaughters: Paige (Charles), Omaha, NE and Skye (Lori), Boston, MA; three great-granddaughters: Mariah, Olivia, and Hadley (Paige). She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Delwyn, and her sister, Bette Troup.

A Memorial Service will be Saturday, October 30, 2021, 1:00 PM at Brookings First United Methodist Church. Memorials may be directed to St. Paul Methodist Church in Lincoln, Nebraska.