EARLENE GRACE CLEETON LIND

Earlene Lind, age 76, of rural Strong City, Kansas, died Tuesday, March 8, 2011, at her daughter’s home in Edmond, Oklahoma. A celebration of life service will be held Saturday, March 12, 2011, at 2:00 P.M., at the Saffordville United Methodist Church. Pastor Lori Schwilling will conduct the service. Interment will follow at Hillside Cemetery, Toledo Township, Kansas. The daughter of Earl and Mae Jenuine Cleeton, Earlene Grace was born January 11, 1935, in Chase County, Kansas. She graduated from Saffordville High School. Prior to her marriage, she lived in North Dakota and studied meteorology. She moved to Chicago where she provided weather analysis and support for United Airlines at their O’Hare facility. While in Chicago, she met Robert Gene Lind and they were married in Emporia, KS. He died December 25, 1963. After his death, she remained at home to care for her children. She lived in Denver and she and the children moved back to Chase County after nine years. She graduated from Flint Hills Vocational Technical School with her Licensed Practical Nurse license and worked at Newman Hospital in the pediatric area for two years. She was the director of nursing for seven years at the Chase County Nursing Home. She returned to school and earned her Nursing Home Administrator’s license. She was the Administrator at the nursing home for more than 30 years. She considered both the residents and the staff to be family. She had a special place in her heart for children and flowers. She spent hours planting and caring for her flowers on her farm. Each of her grandchildren has special memories of time with her on the farm. She loved music and won the Kansas state piano competition during high school. She loved animals, including her horse, JuJu, and cats and dogs. She is survived by three daughters: Debbie Little of Lawrence, KS., Cindy Fransen of Edmond, OK., and Sandra "Sam" Cahoone of Cottonwood Falls, KS. and seven grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Betty Owings. There will be a formal family visitation Friday, March 11, from 6:00 until 7:30 at the Brown-Bennett-Alexander Funeral Home in Cottonwood Falls. Friends may call Friday, noon until 7:30 P.M. at the funeral home and Saturday, 10:00 A.M. until service time at the church. Memorial contributions to the Earlene Lind Nursing Scholarship through Chase County High School may be sent in care of the funeral home, 201 Cherry, Cottonwood Falls, KS. 66845. Messages to the family may left at www.brown-bennett-alexander.com.

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