Lona Bess Vining

Lona Bess Vining, 89, of Ulster Park, NY, formerly of Port Ewen, passed away on Friday, May 31, 2014, at her home in Ulster Park.
She was born April 2, 1925, in Ocheyedan, Iowa. Her birth parents, Leon and Mildred Moore were lost in an automobile accident when Lona was three (1928). She was adopted by her aunt and uncle Meda & Carl Dahle and grew up in Stoughton, WI, as Lona Bess Dahle.
After graduating from Stoughton High School, Lona went to Wheaton College in Illinois, where she earned her bachelor's degree in Elementary & Secondary Education, class of 1948.
While at Wheaton, on a"Sadie Hawkins Day", Lona asked a handsome fellow student to "have a cup of coffee" with her. This was her soon to be husband of 64 years, Scott E. Vining. They were wed in 1949. Sadly Scott predeceased Lona last year, 2013, also in May.
Scott was the founding pastor of Grace Community Church in Lake Katrine, today known as Grace Community Evangelical Free Church. While Scott preached the sermons, Lona taught Sunday School. She also offered Vacation Bible School classes in the Summer for children in the neighborhood of her home in Port Ewen. After Scott left the ministry in the mid 60s, Lona, for some years devoted herself full time to raising their three growing sons. However she missed teaching, so she began taking courses at SUNY New Paltz, to get her Masters Degree in Education, so she could teach in public schools. For the first couple years she was a substitute teacher at Robert Graves Elementary School. Then, on one of the happiest days of her life, Lona was offered the job of Special Reading Teacher at Anna Devine Elementary School in Rifton. This was the most personally and professionally satisfying work of her career. She spent over two decades working with children who had learning challenges. Reading is one of the most important foundations of all of education. If a child was having difficulty learning to read, Lona would help them. With dedication patience, and compassion, she loved every minute of it.
Starting before she retired from teaching, and continuing for many years after, Lona was a volunteer at the Port Ewen Library. She had a passion for reading and she loved teaching. She contributed her talents to the library as long as she was able.
Lona was known to serve holiday banquets for up to 20, seemingly effortlessly. She enjoyed cooking and was always ready to bake something for any special event at the school, church or the library. She could knit, crochet, do needlepoint, her house was always decorated with her own handcrafted creations. She had a beloved old Singer sewing machine and would create her own dresses, or do repairs for anyone in the family.
While she was still able to attend church, Lona was very active and involved at the Reformed Church of Port Ewen, she taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School.

Lona is survived by her children, Steve Vining and his wife Kathy of Port Ewen, and their children, Jeremy, Julie, Cassandra, Robin and Aimee, Doug Vining and his wife Bonnie of Ulster Park, and their children David and Karen and Russell Vining and his wife Joyce of Kingston, 14 great grandchildren, and a brother Donald Vande Steeg. She was predeceased by a grandson Richard Savino.
Entrusted to the care of Eric Keyser, Keyser Funeral & Cremation Service, 216 Broadway, Port Ewen, the family will receive their friends on Friday from 3 - 7 pm. The Memorial Service will be on Saturday at 1:00 pm. at the Reformed Church of Port Ewen. Inurnment at Wiltwyck Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, Lona's family requests that well wishers send a donation to the Town of Esopus Library, PO Box 1167, Port Ewen, NY, 12466 or the Reformed Church of Port Ewen, PO Box 580, Port Ewen, NY. Light a candle in memory of Lona at www.KeyserCarr.com