Delores Margaret Lehnhausen

Delores Margaret Lehnhausen, 97, of Wasilla, passed away April 24, 2015, at her son’s family home. She died peacefully with family at her side.

A service is at 5 p.m., May 8, at the LDS Chapel, 560 W. Arctic Ave., Palmer. A viewing is at 4 p.m.

Delores was born Dec. 3, 1917, in Bismarck, N.D., to George and Selma TeKippe. She married Paul Gene Lehnhausen in Los Angeles, California in 1949. They raised their two children, Gary Lehnhausen and Paulette Suddarth, in Hacienda Heights, California.

She and Paul retired and moved to Tollhouse, California, in 1981 to fulfill their dream of a rural lifestyle. She moved to Wasilla in 2004 to live with her son, where she could be cared for and loved by her family.

In her youth, she was responsible to make desserts for family dinners. This translated into a lifelong love of cooking and sweets. She was an excellent seamstress, and loved to crochet and spend time with her children and grandchildren.

She was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where she faithfully served in a variety of callings.

Delores had a passion for education and hard work. When she and Paul became empty-nesters, she enrolled at Mt. San Antonio College and received an Associate of Arts degree in 1971.

After her husband Paul passed away, she went back to college and graduated from Fresno State University in 2001, with a bachelor’s degree in social studies, women’s studies and gerontology at age 83.

Surviving are her two children, Gary and Paulette, and their spouses, Christy Lehnhausen, and Terry Suddarth; nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.