Almida "Mida" G. Hester, 97, Rapid City and formerly of Whitewood, died Friday, March 12, 2010 at the Golden Living Center in Rapid City.

Visitation will be 1 p.m. until time of services on Thursday at the Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis. Funeral services will be 3 p.m. Thursday, March 18, 2010 at the Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis with Rev. Bob Savot officiating. Burial follows at the Whitewood Cemetery in Whitewood, SD.

Memorials have been established to the Volunteer Fire Department, Library and Senior Center, all in Whitewood.

Mida was born August 10, 1912, at Dallas, SD, to John Harden and Gertrude (Weaver) Lushbough.

She attended school and grew up in Dallas. She moved with her family to Orchard, NE and North Bend, NE.

She married Frank Heinsohn at Fremont, NE. They had a son, Elbert. Her husband Frank died when Elbert was two weeks old.

Mida moved to Harrison, NE, with her parents. They owned the first Mobil service station in Sioux County.

Mida married Cecil Hester in Chadron, NE. They had two sons, John and Jim.

In 1951 Mida and Cecil moved to Sundance, WY and in the summer of 1954 they moved to Rapid City, SD. When Cecil retired in 1970 they moved to Whitewood.

Mida loved music and church. She learned to play the piano and pump organ and played for church and Sunday school for many years. She was a lifetime member of the Homemakers Club and Hobby Clubs. She was a wonderful cook and handcrafter.

Her greatest loves were family and her God.

Survivors include her sons, Elbert Heinsohn, Whitewood, Gene Hester, Arizona, John (Louise) Hester, Rapid City, James (Doreen) Hester, Cut Bank, MT; grandchildren, Paul (Carolyn) Hester, Charles Town, W VA, Lynda (Scott) Johnson, Belle Fourche, Mark (Sherry Blake) Hester, Denver, CO, Michael (Stefanie) Hester, West Bend, WI, Trevor and Brooke Johnson, Belle Fourche; great grandchildren, Nichole (Darrick) Nitschke, Wishek, ND, Lacy Fonder, Belle Fourche, Alina (Forrest) Hester, Charles Town, W VA; great great grandchildren, Reese Nitschke, Conner and Garrett Hester.

She was preceded in death by her two husbands, , three brothers, three sisters, one infant daughter, Lynda, stepson Charles and granddaughter, Karen.