Yvonne Ward
Yvonne Ward, age 90 of Montevideo, Minnesota, passed away Tuesday, December 30, 2025, at CCM Health in Montevideo, MN.
Visitation for Yvonne Ward will be held Thursday, January 8, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Montevideo, MN.
Funeral services for Yvonne Ward will be at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Montevideo, MN, with Pastors Don McKee and Michelle Rowell officiating.
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.
She is survived by her children; Jerome (Bonnie) Pauling of Piedmont, South Dakota, William (Connie) Pauling of Montevideo, MN, Kelly (Janet) Pauling of Raymond, MN, and Mary Ann Enger of Emory, Texas; also survived by her brother: Willard (Doris) Arnold of Appleton, MN; Leonard’s sons: Leon Ward, Lowell (Susie) Ward, David Ward; and daughter: Darlene Sulflow; son-in-law: Michael Smith; nineteen grandchildren; forty-six great- grandchildren; nine soon to be ten 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.
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.
Arrangements are with Wing Bain Funeral Home in Montevideo, MN.
