Lila Schlenker

Lila Sylvia (Hieb) Schlenker passed away peacefully at the Ashley Medical Center, Ashley, ND on August 26, 2025. She was 95 years old.

Lila was born on May 30, 1930, the youngest child of Edward and Amelia (Trautman) Hieb, their first child born in a modern hospital in Jamestown, ND. Lila spent her formative years on the rural family farm north of Cleveland, ND and was raised during the 1930s depression, attending a one room schoolhouse where she later taught. Lila attended high school at the Seventh-Day Adventist Cheyenne River Academy, Harvey, ND and Jamestown High School, and received her GED later in life.

At a dance in Jamestown, Lila met a young aviator student, Jack M. Schlenker, and they were married on September 11, 1949. Lila and Jack spent their early married years farming in the Forbes, ND area and wintering in California working various jobs and enjoying the company of her dear sister Irene and her husband Gene while there. In 1955 Lila and Jack moved permanently to the Schlenker Farm & Ranch east of Forbes, where they spent over 50 years farming, ranching, and providing area custom farm services before moving to Ellendale, ND. During her time on their farm and ranch, Lila was a wife, a mother, chief accountant and banker, a housekeeper and cook for the family plus hired hands, and sometimes she was a combine or truck driver. Lila was also an entrepreneur as the area Tupperware distributer for over 30 years.

Lila loved her family dearly, she held her siblings, relatives, and friends close, and she loved to dance, play cards, socialize, travel, and attend community events and church. She never missed her children’s school events, her Bible class, or her Tuesday bowling nights at Pheasant Lanes in Ellendale.

Lila was proceeded in death by her parents Ed and Amelia, her husband Jack, siblings and spouses Irene (Gene) Nelson, Alvin (Gladys), Earl (Elsie), and Archie (Lindel), and grandson Shiloh Neu.

Lila is lovingly remembered by her son, Rick (Denise) Schlenker of Helena, MT, daughters Jackie (Dan) Silbernagel, of Zeeland, ND, Debra (Ralph) Neu, of Ashley, ND, and Kim (Greg) Heim of Harwood, ND, and five grandchildren and one great grandchild, Oscar and Frieda Schlenker of Aberdeen, SD and Ivan and Lorentina Schlenker, Eureka, SD.

The funeral is 1:30pm Saturday, August 30, 2025 at Presbyterian United Methodist Church, Ellendale with Pastor Becca Hafner officiating. Visitation begins at 12pm Saturday at the church. Burial is at Ellendale City Cemetery. Lila’s service will be live streamed at hovenfuneralchapel.com on her obituary page. Arrangements by Hoven Funeral Chapel, Ellendale, ND.

May Lila’s memory bring comfort to those who knew and loved her. Please visit the guest book to offer a condolence to the family or share a memory of Lila.

To watch the service live: keep moving down this page and watch for a black box. At time of the service, click the red area to start the live stream. Please note the service is also recorded and saved here for viewing at a later time.