Evelyn Lois Knorr Ness McDonald was born December 6, 1927 in Canton, SD and died September 9, 2024.

There will be a graveside service at Forest Hill Cemetery just on the West edge of town, on Highway 18, Canton, South Dakota September 27, 2024 at 11:00 am.

Ma grew up on the family farm where she learned to live and be content with a simple life and to love and respect her mother Hazel and father Harry and brother Albert. She attended a country school near canton and graduated from the 8th grade. She was married and divorced 3 times. She had a family of 8 children and was a stay-at-home mother as were most mothers in those days. Ma raised all of her kids pretty much single handedly, for all those years, seven days a week. Ma never ever took a sick day off from raising her kids. Ma was forever dedicated and loyal to her kids till the day she passed away. She always kept a spotless home and provided three good meals a day. Ma was extremely hard-working all day every day, very patient, organized and never demanding. Ma was a simple woman who lived a simple life. She never dwelled on or complained about what she didn't have. She was thankful for what she did have. Ma was humble and naturally passive and shy so she never asked anyone for help but was so grateful for any help offered by family or friends. Ma was so humble she didn't think she deserved to receive social security because she couldn't understand the concept of receiving money without working for it. She felt guilty about it until the end. We had to convince her that she had already earned it.

After her kids grew up and were on their own, she spent many years earning a living cleaning people's homes and paying into social security. She still felt guilty. She was so anxious to earn her keep. Ma was always anxious and fulfilled to share what she could with others, most notably her love, friendship, empathy and her famous baked beans at all the family gatherings and holidays. There never has been someone more generous than Ma.

Ma was loved and adored by all who crossed paths with her. Ma was small in stature but large in human dignity and decency. Wherever and whenever Ma was present everything around felt warmer and relaxed. In her last years Ma's health and medical conditions prevented her from joining us at most family gatherings. The atmosphere was never as beautiful when she wasn't there. She was like an angel. She was our family's Aunt "B" of Mayberry, two times over.

Ma loved her god. She had a desperately deep home for an eternal afterlife after so many years of toiling tirelessly, surviving life's hardships, raising her family and earning her keep.

Ma passed away peacefully while sleeping; finally free of pain and lost dreams.

Thank you to Avantara Nursing Home in Lake Norden, South Dakota for taking good care of Ma these past two years.

Ma was preceded in death by her mother Hazel Stensland; step father Norman Stensland; father Harry Knorr; son Duane Ness; daughter Donna Ness Jones; son in law Ray Jones; and daughters in law Suzanne Ness, Patti Ness, a lot of husbands.

Ma is survived by sons Harold "Humpy" Ness, Roger Ness, Dennis "Mal" Ness, Larry "Lar Dog" Ness, Bob "Piggy" Ness, Donald "Siney" McDonald; brother Albert "Curly" Knorr; and many nieces, nephews, grandkids and great grandkids.

-Some of the things Ma loved-

Country music

Flowers

Coffee

Smorgasboard buffet

Tomatoes

Daning at the VFW

Elvis Presley

Conway Twitty

Howie Gamber

Sweaters

Kids and grandkids

Her entire family

Having visitors

Good conversations

A drive in the country

Birds

Ice cream

Club crackers

Fish sandwich

Cottage cheese

Butter

Hot dogs

Cheese

Vegetables

Crisp tossed salad

Frosted corn flakes

Inexpensive jewelry

Anything lemon

Placing flowers on the graves of her loved ones on Memorial Day

Family gatherings with her brother Albert's family