Worthington, MN
    Martha M. Vining, 93, was born on November 30, 1919 in Wittenburg Township, Hutchison County, South Dakota, to Nathaniel and Dora (Harnish) Wudel. She was baptized into the Lutheran faith on January 25, 1920 in Parkston, SD by Rev. Lambertus. At the age of six, she moved with her family to Hanson County, living near Emery, SD. In the fall of 1931, she moved to Alexandria, SD. She was confirmed at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church in Alexandria, SD on July 1, 1934 by Rev. W.H. Jergens. Martha graduated from Alexandria High School in 1937.
    Martha was united in marriage to Edward H. Vining on September 1, 1939, in Lake Andes, SD. They farmed near Ethan, SD until March of 1954 when they moved northeast of Mitchell to a farm near Plano. They lived there until they retired from farming in the fall of 1961 and moved to Alexandria, SD. While in Alexandria, Martha was a member of St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, St. Martin’s Ladies Aid, and a Sunday school teacher.
   Martha worked as a cook at Plano Consolidated School and at Alexandria Public School. Martha and Ed moved to the Brittany Apartments in Worthington, MN on March 1, 1987. She lived there until February of 2011 when she went to live with her daughter and son-in-law, Myril and Mary Ferguson. Most recently she was a resident of South Shore Care Center in Worthington. Martha was a member of St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Worthington. She enjoyed making quilts, crossword puzzles, and solving cryptoquotes.
    Martha died on Sunday, April 7, 2013, at the Sanford Worthington Medical Center in Worthington, MN.
    Martha is survived by three children, Helen (Glen) Ewing of Sedalia, MO, Mary (Myril) Ferguson of Worthington, MN, and Thomas Vining of Artesia, NM; eleven grandchildren; twenty-five great grandchildren; six great great grandchildren; one sister, Dory Parks of Pierce, NE, and many loving nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward H. Vining on July 31, 2002; son, Edward W. Vining on August 4, 2012; her parents; two sisters; three brothers, and three infant grandchildren.Â
    Funeral services will be held on Friday, April 12, 2013, at 10:30 a.m., at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Worthington, MN, with Pastor Joe Behnke officiating. Pall bearers will be Martha’s grandsons, Travis Burnham, Kurt Ewing, Mitch Labenz, Wayne Phillips, Steve Randall, and Jason Vining. Graveside services will be held at 3:00 p.m. at the Green Hill Cemetery in Alexandria, SD.
Visitation will be held on Friday, April 12, 2013, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Worthington.
Benson Funeral Home in Worthington is in charge of the arrangements.
