Visitation for Florence M. Stone, 96 of Sidney was Tuesday, October 25, 2016 from noon to 6 p.m. and Wednesday, October 26, 2016 from 9 a.m. until noon at the Fulkerson-Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Sidney. Cremation will follow visitation. Memorial services will be held at a later date under the care of Fulkerson-Stevenson Funeral Home of Sidney. Remembrances, condolences and pictures may be shared with the family at www.fulkersons.com. Memorials may be sent to Sidney Health Center Hospice or a church of your choice.
Florence was born April 26, 1920 to parents Etta (Brailey) and Harvey Winger in Cleveland, Ohio. She graduated from East High School in Cleveland and worked in their family owned hardware store. In 1945 her parents sold their business and the family moved to a farm near Allegan, Mich. Florence married William (Bill) Stone on November 9, 1945 in Allegan, Mich. after he was discharged from the Army. A year later they were blessed with the birth of their son, Richard (Rick) Stone.
Bill’s work took them all over the United States until 1965 when he went to work for Midrivers Communications in Miles City. While living in Miles City, Florence attended June Beauty School obtaining her manager’s License and completed the H&R Block Income Tax Course.
Bill was transferred to Glendive in 1969. Florence helped open the first H&R Block Tax Office and managed that office for 4 years. She ran her own tax office in her home another 14 years, retiring in 1987.
While living in Glendive, Florence was very active in the R.S.V.P. organization and the Hospital Auxiliary, working in both the hospital’s gift store and resale store “The Attic.” She is still a member of the Glendive chapters of the Eastern Star and the V.F.W. Auxiliary.
In 2000 Florence and Bill, along with Bill’s sister Nellie Mesick, moved to Sidney to be near their son Rick and his wife Jeri Dee.
Florence enjoyed everything that involved her 2 grandsons, and 4 great-grandkids. She and Bill came to all the boys’ activities. They even took them on their vacations back to Michigan so the boys could play with their cousins. They “adopted” Jeri’s sister’s two boys, Bruce and Peter and treated them as their grandsons too. In her later years the great-grandkids, Connor, Ashlyn, Alexander and Jaclyn were the light of her life.
Florence passed away Sunday, October 23, 2016 at home surrounded by her son and daughter-in-law.
She is survived by her son, Richard (Jeri) Stone of Sidney; grandsons, Michael (Shannon) Stone of Highlands Ranch, Colo. and Christopher (Jamie) Stone of Mendota Heights, Minn.; great-granddaughters, Ashlyn and Jaclyn Stone of Minn.; great-grandsons, Connor and Alexander of Colo.; her Michigan family; nephew, Robert (Bonnie) Stone and his family; and her extended Sidney family of Jeri Dee’s relatives.
She was preceded in death by her husband Bill, who died in 2005; her parents; 2 sisters-in-law and 2 brothers-in-law.