Ardith (Olson) Forbes, 97, of Dell Rapids passed away on Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at the Dells Area Health Center. Her funeral service will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, December 7, 2015 in the Lutheran Church of Dell Rapids Chapel. Interment will be in the Dell Rapids Cemetery. Visitation with the family present on Sunday, December 6, 2015 will be from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Kahler Funeral Home. Condolences may be left at Kahler Funeral Home.

Ardith Olson was born on May 17, 1918 at Dell Rapids, SD, the daughter of Aaron and Affa (Burlingame) Olson. She grew up in Huron and graduated from Huron High School. She was baptized and confirmed in the American Lutheran Church of Huron. She attended and graduated from Northwest College of Commerce in Huron. She worked for Standard Oil in Huron from 1940 to 1957. Ardith married Verne Forbes on August 5, 1959 at Idaho Falls, ID. The couple moved to Minneapolis after being transferred there for work. She worked at the Standard Oil in Minneapolis until 1967 when she transferred to the Kansas City office. She retired in 1975 and moved to Dell Rapids in 1977.

After Verne’s death in 1993, Ardith remained active in the church and traveled to numerous destinations. She loved to quilt and donated over 1000’s quilts to different people. She was a member of the Lutheran Church of Dell Rapids, Women of the ELCA, the Hospital Auxiliary, the Dell Rapids Lutheran Ladies Quilters and the Senior Citizen Center.

Ardith was preceded in death by her parents, one sister and her husband.

She is survived by a cousin, Belva Lantz of Columbus, OH; her extended family, Gary and Kathy Ageton of Battle Creek, NE, Larry adn Janice Ageton of Watertown, Amy (Brian) Kniffen of Madrid, IA, Chris Ageton of Fort Collins, CO, Brian Ageton of Windsor, CO, and Colton and Wyatt Kniffen of Madrid, IA; special friends, Milton Munk, Raymond Schmidt, and Frank and Joyce Farinelli all of Dell Rapids and her numerous cousins and friends.