CLERGY
Rev. Greg Way
MUSIC
Organist ~ Ruby Dewald
Congregational Hymns
“Just As I Am”
“Amazing Grace”
Solo by Lennis Mehlhaff
“In the Garden”
CASKETBEARERS
Marvin Herr
Myron Liebert
Darrell Magstadt
Calvin Pietz
Merlin Pietz
Josh Wudel
Elsie Permann was born on Thursday, June 17, 1920, at Tripp, South Dakota. She was one of ten children born to Jacob and Kathrine (Mehlhaf) Pietz. She attended country school through the 8th grade. Elsie was united in marriage to Alvin Permann on March 9, 1941 in Tripp. They farmed four miles northwest of Tripp for fifteen years. In 1956, they moved to the Black Hills area, later moving to Belvedere, Illinois in 1966. During those years, she cleaned houses and worked in the laundry at a nursing home. They moved back to Tripp in 1981. Elsie enjoyed quilting and crafts and was a talented gardener of both wonderful vegetables and beautiful flowers. She loved time spent with her family, especially spending Christmases with her grandchildren. In May of 2009, she became a resident of the Firesteel Healthcare Center in Mitchell and was named Resident of the Month in August of 2010. It is there that Elsie passed away on Saturday, March 17, 2012 at the age of 91 years and 9 months.
Elsie is survived by three children: Donna (Vernon) Simmons of Rapid City, Joelene (Frank) Nikkila of Fulton, and Gerald (Bonnie) Permann of Amboy, Illinois; 8 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren; and one sister-in-law, Leona Pietz of Parkston.
In addition to her parents, Jacob and Kathrine Pietz, Elsie was preceded in death by her husband, Alvin, on April 2, 1997; two sons, Darvin Permann in 1943 and Lyle Permann in 1993; one great-grandson, Robert, in 1994; two great-great-granddaughters; five brothers, four sisters, and two half-sisters.