Yvonne Ward

Yvonne Ward, age 90, of Montevideo died December 30, 2025 at CCM Health in Montevideo. A funeral service will be held Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 11:00 AM at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Montevideo. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Pastors Don McKee and Michelle Rowell will officiate. Private family burial will be in the Terrace Lawn Cemetery Montevideo, Minnesota.

Yvonne Pauline Ward was born May 23, 1935, at the family farm in Moyer Township, Swift County, Minnesota to Harry Alfred and Olga Bertha (Suckow) Arnold. She was baptized and confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Moyer Township. She attended country school at Swift County District 97 in Moyer Township through eighth grade and graduated from Holloway High School in 1953.

November 25, 1954, Yvonne was united in marriage to Donald Edwin Walter Pauling at St. John’s Lutheran Church rural Holloway. To this union five children were born. They spent their early years of marriage in Holloway before moving to Montevideo. Yvonne was later united in marriage to Leonard Stephen Ward on June 13, 1970.

Yvonne was very passionate about helping others and took great pride in her work with the residents at Luther Haven where she worked for 32 years. She also loved her flower gardens and when she moved to her house on Benson Road had extensive flower gardens. She took great pride in her yard; the eagle statues, flagpole garden as well as raised garden are still there. She was proud to be an American and having a garden with a flagpole to fly the American flag and the eagle statues was very important to her. She loved watching the birds and having bird feeders outside her apartment window provided her hours of entertainment.

Yvonne’s faith was very important to her. She was a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church where she taught Sunday School. During the early years of raising her family they attended different churches, and she often expressed how thankful she was of their support especially Salem Lutheran Church.

Yvonne attained 90 Years 7 months and 9 days of age. She is survived by her children; Jerome (Bonnie) Pauling of Piedmont, SD, William (Connie) Pauling of Montevideo, Kelly (Janet) Pauling of Raymond, and Mary Ann Enger of Emory, TX. She is also survived by her brother Willard (Doris) Arnold, Appleton. Leonard’s sons Leon Ward, Lowell (Susie) Ward, David Ward and daughter Darlene Sulflow, son-in-law Michael Smith. Additional survivors are her 19 grandchildren, 46 great- grandchildren, 9 soon to be 10 great-great- grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husbands, Donald Pauling and Leonard Ward; parents Harry and Olga Arnold; infant brother Milton; brothers Leland Arnold, Vernon (Joan) Arnold; sisters Shirley (Archie) Tallman, Arlene (Marvin) Beyer and Ruby (Jerry) Halvorson; daughter Julie Jordan Smith, son-in-law Jack Jordan, great grandchildren Israel Jordan and Katelyn Pauling, Leonard’s family Janell Ward and Mark Sulflow.

Blessed be the memory of Yvonne Pauline Ward.

In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to St. John’s Church, Moyer Township, Holloway Cemetery Fund, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church Montevideo Heritage Haven project or a charity of your choice.