Ms Della June Haffner

Della June Haffner, 82, died Saturday evening, January 7, 2017 at Douglas Health and Rehabilitation Center in Milan, TN.

She was born June 22, 1934 in Ellendale, ND the daughter of the late Richard and Irene Genz Henneberg. She was a retired nurse for the State of Florida and a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Della is survived by one son Jeffrey Haffner of Hendersonville, NC, two daughters, Cyndi Milenski of Jackson, TN, Judyne Quimby of Moncure, NC, one sister, Mary Lynn Siedschlaw, of Apopka, FL, two brothers, Tom Henneberg, of Columbia Falls, MT, and Steve Henneberg, of Scottsdale, AZ, seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by two brothers, Ron Henneberg and Dale Henneberg.

SERVICES: Funeral services will be held Wednesday, January 11, 2017 at 11:00AM at the Seventh Day Adventist Church with Dr. Bill Richardson officiating. Burial will follow at Ridgecrest Cemetery. The family will be receiving friends Tuesday, January 10, 2017 from 4:00PM until 6:00PM at Arrington Funeral Directors and also from 10:00AM until service time on Wednesday at the church.

Those serving as pallbearers will be, Lyle Siedschlaw, Ward Milenski, Dale Bradfield, Jeff Haffner, Gavon Bradfield and Joe Myers. Honorary pallbearers will be Tim French, James Milenski, Crystal Quimby, Sean Haffner, Martine Stedman, Austin Haffner, Jared Milenski and Jennifer Bradfield.

Arrington Funeral Directors, 148 W. University Parkway, Jackson, TN 38305. 731-668-1111 www.arringtonfuneralgroup.com

Mom’s Eulogy
“Della was larger than life,” has been the expression that I have repeatedly heard from so many of you dear folks, since our mother’s passing. How to briefly sum up the full, rich 82 years of this precious lady, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, daughter, friend, mentor, and colleagues larger than life presence in each of our lives, is a worthy feat.
Della’s impact as a registered nurse, 60 years this year, was also large. She truly worked the full
spectrum of a registered nurse as an instructor, supervisor, surveyor, OR head nurse, psych nurse and many other areas of nursing. She loved being a nurse and always wanted to someday be a nurse missionary. Along with her ever professional approach to nursing she was always warm, kind and compassionate.
Wherever mom worked she made fast friends and gained the respect of her colleagues. She created a pleasant environment for everyone, which continued throughout her life. At work she would create activities for patients, she would decorate a bulletin board for the season, special occasions or holiday that it was. This carried into her homes too…including her final little home at Douglas. Mom made it cozy and inviting as she did with any space she created. I always say and feel, that wherever mom is there is home because she just had this knack of making wherever she was inviting and cozy. Many of the staff at Douglas have shared with me that they would just love to go and sit in mom’s room with her and take it all in. The fellow neighbors there too just loved going in her room and though it wasn’t always welcomed, mom was compassionate with them. She just loved people and loved to socialize.
When mom retired in Orlando as a state surveyor some 17 years ago, she created a retirement club, called “Forever Friends,” that is still going strong today…another sweet example of her impact on others. Della didn’t know a stranger and was a good listener, caring about what was going on in each person’s life that she came in to contact with. She made people laugh too. She had a natural humorous side to her that left you in stitches. Even in these last several weeks, her being so sick, she never lost her sense of humor.
Della really carried the theme in her life of being of service to others. In addition to nursing, she was a minister’s wife and as such she was tirelessly involved in the ministerial duties. She was the church organist, pianist and she kept her deep devotion to God through her tithing, her attendance of church and her devotion to her spiritual life, her spiritual practice.
Us kids have many fond memories of mom playing the piano or organ at home on Friday nights as we prepared for the Sabbath. Her playing was so beautiful and uplifting. It was a joy to listen to and sing along to her playing. Mom also loved singing hymns and inspiring songs. Often on our weekend drive we would stop at sunset on the side of the road, with a scenic view and she would lead us into one of her favorite songs, “Day is Dying in the West.’ These were beautiful sacred moments that we as a family were blessed to experience at our mother’s lead. She would sing along to her favorite Andy Williams and Perry Como tunes with her favorite being Moon River.
In mom’s leisure time she loved going to gardens, especially when she lived in Florida. She loved going on cruises and still has wanted to go on one. One thing about mom is that she never gave up on living, she was ever ready for her next adventure. Especially if it was an adventure with friends, family.
She loved being with friends, playing the card game ‘hand and foot,’ watching games of the Orlando Magic, golfing and going to the beach.
Mom also had quite the green thumb. At her homes, she had the most beautiful yard. Every home she had, she planted little gardens and had her cute little garden statues. Her brother in law, Lyle coined the phrase ‘Della’s Flowers,’ which were her plastic flowers that she combined with her live flowers and plants, so that it would always be colorful. We would try to throw away her faded Della’s flowers but she always insisted on keeping them, still seeing their beauty.
Mom also had many crafty hobbies. She was an excellent seamstress. Often making our clothes and our dolls clothes, when we were young. She also crocheted and knitted, painted, made ceramics and as many of you have seen there at Douglas, she loved decorating her door with whatever the season was. Her latest and last craft was this beautiful ‘H’ here that she won an award for. She was so proud of her #1 prize medal. I remember her telling me all about it on the phone and how she was even wearing it to bed. She just loved it and truly earned it with this beautiful work and at a time that her health wasn’t that strong.
Mom also loved collecting her Princess Diana dolls, and her Victorian dolls and then there in her room at Douglas her adorable little wiggle people as she called her solar window sill critters. Their wiggling in the sunlight each day made her so happy and she generously shared her wiggle people with others. Mom was generous in so many ways, her love, her laughter, her knowledge, her devotion to family and others. Mom also loved to bake…at Christmas time we all have such fond memories of her peanut brittle, her popcorn balls, her divinity, and fudge. Christmas was truly her favorite time of the year and as you can imagine her home was always decorated in such Christmas splendor that you just wanted to have time stand still and take in the magic. Mom loved Christmas so much that she often kept her tree and decorations up for months past Christmas.
She just loved pretty, she loved being dressed up and fancy, colorful and always had her lipstick on and her perfume. Even as her health declined over the last few years, she always had her nails and hair done..it kept her feeling younger and she always looked beautiful.
All of this sums up that mom had such a zest for life, a zest for people, for family and for god. She lived life large to the very end. She had so so many health challenges but she never gave up and never lost her zeal. Her family remembers her as loving, devoted, having unconditional love, being funny, always beautiful, strong and always there for us. Her granddaughter Crystal Blue speaks of being so proud to have had such a beautiful, strong, kind and extremely intelligent woman as her grandmother. She was also our friend, our light house, our home. She was proud of her family and her family was proud of her. I’ve been so touched by all the dear folks that have come up to me to tell me how Della had impacted their lives, as a mentor, a soulful listener, a grandmother figure, a friend, a caring person and a humorous person. Della, our mother, your friend, your family member will be sorely missed but we hold her in our hearts the sweet, funny and full of heart memories of her and know that she is at peace. Thank you all for being a part of our mother’s life.

In closing her son, Jeff wanted to share this poem he found that perfectly describes our mom.

“Your Mother is always with you. She’s the whisper
of the leaves as you walk down the street. She’s
the smell of certain foods you remember, flowers
you pick, the fragrance of life itself. She’s the cool
hand on your brow when you’re not feeling well
she’s your breath in the air on a cold winter’s day
she is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep
the colors of a rainbow: she is Christmas morning
your mother lives inside your laughter. She’s the
place you came from, your first home, and she’s
the map you follow with every step you take
she’s your first love, your first friend, even your first
enemy, but nothing on earth can separate you
not time, not space…not even death.”
Unknown






















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