Audrey Lorden, age 78, of Brookings, died Friday, November 6, 2009, at Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Funeral Mass will be 10:00 A.M. Monday, November 9, 2009, at St. Thomas More Catholic Parish in Brookings, with interment at a later date at St. Marys Cemetery in Elkton. Visitations will be from 4-7 P.M. Sunday at Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings, with a wake service to be held at 7:00 P.M.

Audrey Lucile (Blomgren) Lorden was born May 27, 1931, in Fountain Prairie Township of Pipestone County, Minnesota, to Clarence and Margaret (Houselog) Blomgren. She lived there with her parents and brother until March 1937 when the family moved to a farm near Elkton, South Dakota. She attended public school in Elkton, graduating in 1949. She attended Eastern Teachers College in Madison that summer and began teaching in Parnell District No. 9 school that fall. She continued college in the summers and teaching in rural schools. In 1964 she received her two year teaching certificate and began teaching in the Elkton School. In 1968 she joined the elementary teaching staff at Lake Benton, Minnesota, as a first grade teacher. She continued teaching there until her retirement in January 1998. In 1970 she received her bachelor of science degree in elementary education from Dakota State University in Madison. She taught school for 46 and a half years and always said I never felt I went to work a day in my life, each day was fun.

Audrey married Robert Lorden at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Elkton on June 25, 1960. They were the last couple to be married in the old church. They made their home on a farm in Richland Township until they moved to Brookings in 1998. Two children were born to themCharles Edward Chuck and Diane Marie. Audrey loved reading, knitting, children, spending time with family and friends, traveling, and her grandchildrenshe referred to herself as a people person.

Audrey was a member of St. Thomas More Catholic Parish, Brookings Hospital Auxiliary, Brookings Area Retired Teachers Association, and the Saturday Afternoon Literary Club. She did volunteer work at the Brookings Hospital.

Survivors include her husband, Bob Lorden; son, Chuck (Carol) Lorden of Elkton; daughter, Diane Smith, of Pierre; her grandchildren: Sara and Chris Smith and Cameron and Cierra Lorden; a brother, Clarence (Vivian) Blomgren, of Mt. Lake, Minnesota; a sister, Jean Blomgren, of Ellsworth, Minnesota; four nephews and a niece; and many great-nieces, great-nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents; grandparents; and godson, Michael Blomgren.