Aileen Goetz, 79, of Aberdeen passed away Thursday, May 30, 2013, at Avera St. Luke's Hospital. Mass of Christian burial will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 4, 2013, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 409 Second Ave. N.E., Aberdeen. Father Jordan Samson will celebrate the Mass. Burial will be in the St. Mary's Cemetery.
Schriver's Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, 414 Fifth Ave. N.W., Aberdeen, is in charge of arrangements.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday at the mortuary, with a liturgical wake service at 7 p.m. Visitation continues for one hour prior to Mass at the church on Tuesday.
Aileen was born to Francis and Evangeline (Phillips) Ahern on May 4, 1934, on the family farm near Brookings. She graduated from Egan High School in 1952 and attended Northern State Teachers College. After marrying Elmer Goetz in July 1955, they moved to North Carolina, where Elmer served in the Marines and Aileen taught school. When they returned to Aberdeen in 1957, Elmer began his banking career and Aileen was busy with their children. In 1961, they moved to Redfield, where Elmer continued banking and Aileen taught school.
They came back to Aberdeen again in 1976, at which time Aileen attended Presentation College and embarked on her nursing career at St. Luke's. After retiring in 1996, Aileen focused her attentions on many hobbies, including calligraphy, quilting, playing cards, book clubs and volunteering for many church and social organizations.
Aileen was a soft-spoken spiritual person who considered her family one of her greatest treasures. Her other loves included quilting, calligraphy, cross stitch and reading. She spent countless hours creating memory quilts, keepsakes for her family and was passionate about her family genealogy.
Aileen was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Donald Ahern; and sister, Marjorie Neal.
Aileen is survived by her husband, Elmer, of Aberdeen, S.D.; daughter, Laura Lueck and her husband, Ed, of Sioux Falls, S.D.; son, Terry, and his wife, Patty, and their children: Danielle and Jameson, of Sioux Falls, S.D.; daughter, Jeanne Goetz, and her husband, Marcus Lerch, and their son, Franz, of Macdoel, Calif.; son, Daniel, and his wife, Joanne, and their children: Ethan Case, Olivia and Gabe, of Aberdeen, S.D. Aileen is also survived by her brother, Maurice Ahern, and wife, Margery, of Salina, Kan.; sister, Mary Catey, and her husband, Bill, of Edmonds, Wash.; and sister, Evangeline Henderson, Flandreau, S.D.; sister-in-law, Margaret Ahren, of Mesa, Ariz.; and many nieces and nephews.
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