Lyla Scott Mendenhall

Funeral services for Lyla Scott Mendenhall of Chadron, Nebraska will be November 17, 3:00 pm at Chamberlain Chapel with Pastors James Medin, Virgil Adams, and Aaron Sprock officiating. Burial will follow the service at Greenwood Cemetery, alongside her husband Wilford Scott; a dessert coffee will follow at First Baptist Church.

A memorial has been established in her honor to Open Door for Missions, Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), Gideons International, or Chadron Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Booster. Donations may be left at the Chamberlain Chapel in Chadron or mailed to Chamberlain Mortuary, P.O. Box 970, Chadron, NE 69337.

Lyla was born to Perry and Willa (Weldon) Crom December 8, 1920 in Oral, South Dakota and died at the age of 100 years plus 11 months at Chadron, Nebraska. The family moved to Hot Springs, South Dakota and in 1930 to Chadron, Nebraska. Lyla attended Chadron High School and graduated salutatorian in 1938.

Lyla married Wilford (Shorty) Scott in 1939. This union lasted 40 years until his death in 1979. Lyla and Wilford were blessed with four daughters: Elizabeth Raney, Bonnie (Virgil) Adams, Billie Jo (James) Medin, and Patti Sellers. In 1980 Lyla married Lewis Mendenhall, which added four children: Marian (Ralph) Beutler, Helen Mendenhall, Mark (Jami) Mendenhall, and Jane Mendenhall. Lewis died in 2009. This combined family is composed of 132 living members (including all spouses): 12 children, 44 grandchildren, 62 great-grandchildren, and 14 great-great grandchildren.

In 1980 Lyla traveled to Brazil and Indonesia to visit three of her daughters and their families in missionary work. Later she and Lewis made a trip to Australia to spend time with family and on to Honolulu to visit the Pearl Harbor Memorial. She also traveled extensively in the States, visiting her family, and sharing in their life events.

Lyla spent her life in service to her family and to the Savior she loved—as was evident in the years she spent as CEF director in Northwest Nebraska, in Christian Women’s Club, and Women’s Bible Studies. She was active in Extension Clubs, 4-H, Cowbells, RSVP, American Legion Auxiliary, Gideons, and church activities. She continued to teach Bible Studies through her 98th year.

She will be missed by a host of friends and neighbors and many nieces and nephews, including Mary Lou Marshall and Rosemarie Meradith, who were always nearby to help in her later years.

Lyla was preceded in death by her parents and parents-in-law; infant sister Bonnie; brothers Melvin and Marvin Crom; husbands Wilford Scott and Lewis Mendenhall; sons-in-law George Raney, Gary Sellers, and Paul Bubna; and great-granddaughter Emily Adams.