Lea Jane Moran, 68, of Mitchell, passed away at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015, surrounded by family and friends.
Her funeral was Monday morning, Nov. 23 at St. Wilfrid Catholic Church in Woonsocket with burial in St. Wilfrid Cemetery. Her wake was Sunday evening, Nov. 29, preceded by the rosary, at Basham Funeral Home in Woonsocket.
Lea Jane Moran was born June 26, 1947, to Francis “Red” Moran and Bertha Ritter Moran, together with her twin sister, Lynn Ann Moran. The twins were the first of the Moran siblings to be born in a hospital. Lea attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Woonsocket for her elementary education and graduated from Woonsocket High School. She received her bachelor’s degree in education from Dakota State College and her master’s degree in education from Northern State College.
Lea taught at the elementary level for 32 years and retired from teaching in 2004. She began her teaching career at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Salem, followed by first grade at Holy Spirit School in Mitchell, as well as Longfellow School, Gertie Belle Rogers School, and finally, L.B. Williams. Lea was a Title I teacher, who taught children remedial reading and math and then became a certified Reading Recovery Teacher, teaching beginning readers at the first grade level.
She was active in SDEA, Beta Sigma Phi and Lions Club and was an active member of the Catholic Church. She was also a Democrat active in campaign work with her first campaign being that of Bobby Kennedy in 1968. Lea attended two National Democratic Conventions, one in New York in 1992 and one in Chicago in 1996, and attended many district and national conventions for the Lions Club with her twin sister.
She is survived by her sisters, Cecelia (Leon) Williams of Columbus, Neb., Patricia (Larry) Borgerding of Rolla, Mo., Mary (Denny) Gere of Pierre, Lynn Moran and Geraldine Moran of Mitchell; brothers, Jim (Donna) Moran of Woonsocket, and Dan (Trudy) Moran of Madison; one sister-in-law, Nathlee Moran of Huron; and many, many nieces and nephews.
Lea was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, Tommy, Mathew and Larry Moran; her sisters, Maggie Nelson and Rosemarie Moran; her sister-in-law, Bev Moran; her brother-in-law, Carney Nelson; and a beloved niece, Karen Borgerding Shore.