Aletha Sperle

Aletha Sperle, 73, of Richardton, passed away Thursday, October 27, 2016 at Richardton Health Center. In accordance with Aletha’s wishes, no formal services will take place. Aletha was born in Richardton on October 3, 1943, the daughter of Mike and Freda (Harmel) Sperle. At a young age, she lived with her grandparents, Andy and Phillapena (Kuhn) Sperle, in Richardton. She went to school there at St. Mary’s School for a time, before joining her parents and little brother, Jim, in Custer, SD. Aletha moved from North Dakota to South Dakota to Wyoming and on to Montana, town after town, state to state. She graduated from high school in Lewistown, Montana in 1961. She made another move back to Hettinger, ND, to help her mother, Freda, take care of her parents, John and Mary Harmel, in Lemmon, SD. In 1963, Aletha’s life would almost become magical for her. She hired on with Western Airlines and off to Detroit, MI she went to begin her airline career. As her promotions began, she supervised in many cities. She traveled abroad, enjoying culture and history in many foreign countries. Her whole being would light up while talking about the experiences and memories of those wonderful travels. A corporate buyout would lead to an early retirement from the airline industry which she loved. From there, new experiences began here and there. She moved back to Richardton to be with relatives, friends from her youth, and new friends to meet and love. She always yearned to retrace the footsteps of her past. She accomplished that and oh, so much more. Aletha’s grandparents, on both sides had large families, so she had many, many relatives throughout the US including New York, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Colorado and also Canada. In North Dakota, so many more from Napoleon, Strasburg, and the Richardton areas. During her airline travels, she loved meeting relatives from east coast to west coast, enjoying reunions, food and beverage, while learning of her ancestry. She always said she was blessed with a family, relatives, friends, and of course, her airline career. Aletha is survived by her brother, Jim, of Richardton, ND. She is preceded in death by her parents.


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Burial Date: November 6, 2016
Funeral Home Dickinson, ND