Verna R. Clark, 95, passed away Sunday May 22, 2016, at Custer Regional Senior Care. She was born on February 18, 1921, in Scarville, IA, to Verne and Minnie Pringle.

Verna married Joseph Clark in 1942, in Phoenix City, AL, and lived in Whitefish, MT, while Joe served as an Army Paratrooper in WWII, after which they moved to Mason City, IA, Huron, SD, Rapid City, SD, and finally Piedmont, SD. She worked as a beautician until her retirement. Her final years were spent in Custer.

Verna was a lifelong animal lover who took in stray cats in need of a loving home. She also enjoyed doing crossword puzzles in the daily newspaper, reading, working in her yard and garden, and, especially in her retirement, getting together for coffee and conversation with longtime friends. As her eyesight gradually failed in the last decade of her life, one of her greatest pleasures was listening to talking books.

Verna was preceded in death by her husband, Joe; mother, Minnie; her father, and stepmother, Verne and Maxine Pringle.

She is survived by her daughter, Illona (Tom) Hansen of Custer; grandchildren, Paul (Lindy) Hansen of Minneapolis; Chris Hansen of Rapid City; Juliet (Jeremy) Johnson of St. Joseph, MI; great grandchildren, Jonah Hansen and Willow Hansen of Minneapolis; half-brothers, Jerry Pringle of Mason City, IA; Joe Pringle of DeSoto, WI; and Jack (Joan) Pringle of Clinton, IA.

Verna will be interred alongside her husband Joe this summer in the Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis. The family requests no flowers. Donations may be made to the Humane Society of the Black Hills, 1820 E St. Patrick St, Rapid City, SD, 57703.

Committal services will be held 1:30 p.m., Thursday, July 7, 2016, at the Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, SD.