White Lake – Delphia A. Williams, 97, died Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at the Aurora Brule Nursing Home at White Lake, SD.

Delphia Ardena Williams was born to Arthur Harrison and Lydia Katherine (Bachman) Williams on July 3, 1922 at Faith, South Dakota. She was joined later by Ina Rose and Melva Zell. They lived in a sod house with a dirt floor until they moved into the town of White Lake.

Delphia loved reading and designing clothes for her paper dolls. She had a horse that she rode to school that would come back and pick her up when school was over. She graduated from White Lake High School and went on to two years of higher education as she became an excellent seamstress and she was very fast at shorthand.

While waiting tables, she met Floyd Henrichsen who was delivering ice. They dated awhile until the war broke out and he joined the Army. While stationed in California, he sent her money and she took the train to California where they married in 1942. When Floyd was transferred to Australia, she returned home to White Lake where she gave birth to their first child, Ardena Lee (1943). Floyd returned from the war and Ronda Kay was born in 1946 and Lynn Rae was born in 1947. Lyla Dee was born in 1949 and later that year they all moved to Hot Springs. Delphia maintained the house, sewed matching outfits for the four girls for every holiday and drew a fairyland on their bedroom wall.

In 1954, the family moved to Rapid City. Floyd and Delphia built a 5 bedroom house which impressed both of them. They attended church, square-danced (Delphia sewed their wardrobe), and they had a big raft but camping didn't appeal to  Delphia much.

Around 1960, she finally got to work outside the home at the Rapid City Journal as a proof reader. In 1967, Floyd and Delphia divorced and she later married Thomas Wilson. Floyd and Tommy both attended family holidays until Floyd married Helen Gilbert. Delphia and Tommy divorced after 10 years. During this time Helen died.

Delphia is survived by three daughters:  Ardena Leigh Ransom, Ronda Trusty, and Lyla (Sam Klinnert) Henrichsen; six grandchildren: Philip (Jody) Hunter, Leah Thornton, Blake (Kristen) Himsl Hunter, Trent Trusty, Brett (Joey) Hunter, and Joella (Mike) Neumiller; eleven great-grandchildren; one great-grandchild; one niece; and one nephew.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters: Ina Rose (Walter) Miller and Melva Zell (Charles) Linville; two ex-husbands: Floyd Lyle Henrichsen and Thomas Wilson; one daughter Lynn Rae Hunter; and a son-in-law: Joseph A. Trusty.

Her graveside service will be 2:00 pm Thursday, August 1, 2019 at Pine Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Rapid City.

Arrangements by Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home.