Ilene Therma Cromwell

Ilene Therma Cromwell, 90, of Richland, SD passed away at Sanford Vermillion Hospital on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Visitation will be held at Hansen Funeral Home, Vermillion on April 19, 2024, from 5:00-7:00PM with a Prayer Service at 7:00PM. Funeral Service will take place Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Big Springs Baptist Church, rural Alcester beginning at 2:00PM. 
Interment will be held at The Black Hills National Cemetery, Sturgis, SD on Monday April 22 at 2:30PM (MT).
 
Ilene Cromwell, age 90 passed away on April 11, 2024, at Sanford Hospital in Vermillion.

Ilene Therma Stainbrook was born in Alexandria, South Dakota on November 1, 1933, to Robert Milton & Therma E. (Glass) Stainbrook.  Ilene attended country school in Milltown, South Dakota.  In 1951, she graduated from Parkston High School.

Ilene married Clarence Arthur Cromwell on November 6, 1951.  Their first home was in Murdo, SD, where they welcomed their first son, Randall Wayne in 1953.  She had polio while pregnant with Randy.  Their second home was in Webster SD and added a second son, Robert Arthur in 1955.   They returned to Murdo, SD and welcomed their third and fourth sons, Roger Allan in 1965 and Roy Clarence in 1967. Completing their family with 4 very energetic boys.  

Ilene was a housewife and mother to 4 boys while working part time at a local restaurant. Her hobbies included gardening and canning, raising flowers, playing piano, sewing, crocheting rugs out of bread wrappers, going to farmer's markets and her love of playing Bingo.  She also volunteered at the American Legion Auxiliary. She dedicated many hours in having beautiful flower beds, including her favorites, lilies, violets and amaryllis until the age of 87.  Her hands played the piano until arthritis forced her to quit.

In 1969 the family moved to Wakonda after briefly living in Parkston that same year. Clarence took the position of lead lineman for Clay Union Electric.  Ilene would answer all emergency calls and run the base radio, transferring messages to the line crews.   While in Wakonda she butchered chickens for hire.  Her record weekend was a grand total of 270 chickens.  She became a nurse's aide at the Irene Care Center and later a homemaker (home health aide) for the Department of Social Services. Clarence was then transferred to Vermillion where Ilene worked as a janitor in the nursing school at USD, retiring in 1986 due to complications of post-polio syndrome.  

Ilene was a fighter and survivor of breast cancer at the age of 72.  Also surviving polio, living until the age of 90. After Clarence's death, (age 69) in 1995, she continued to live in Vermillion until 2001 and moved  to Richland, SD and resided there until August of 2023.  She loved raising her chickens, all of which she named, Guinea's, ducks, a goose and beautiful flowers that she enjoyed. She had a green thumb for sure! In July 2023 after a fall resulting with a broken arm she moved into Independent Living at Heritage of Northern Hills, Sioux City Iowa.  She celebrated her 90th birthday and loved living there and making many new friends that felt like family to her.  In March 2024, her health forced her to move into the Vermillion Care Center, living there only 29 days before her death.  

She is survived by her sons, Roger (Janet) Cromwell, Elk Point, SD and Roy (Brenda) Cromwell, Sioux Falls, SD, Daughter-in-law, Naomi Cromwell (late Robert), Pierre, SD. Her sister, Iola (William "Bill") Bean, North Glen, Colorado, Sister-in-law, Donna Stainbrook (late Duane). Also surviving several grandchildren, great grandchildren, along with step grandchildren and step great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews.    

 She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Clarence, sons, Robert (2023) and Randy (2024), brother Robert "Duane" Stainbrook (2008) and grandson, Eric Top (2020).

Ilene had a very loving and forgiving heart and will be deeply missed.