Obituaries

Eleanor M. Offerdahl, 89, of Vermillion, passed away Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at Sanford Vermillion Hospital.

Eleanor was born on February 17, 1921 in Ravinia, South Dakota to Amiel T. and Ethyl (Corrigan) Uecker. She attended school in Charles Mix County and graduated from Ravinia High School in 1939. Her family moved to Clay County in 1941 and settled near Beresford, SD. It was near there that she met her future husband. Eleanor married Merle Offerdahl at the Roseni Parsonage on November 1, 1941. Two children were born from this union: Robert M. Offerdahl and Joyce A. Zimmer.

Eleanor attended Springfield Normal Teacher's College for one year to earn her teaching certificate. Thus began a career that would span 41 years. She taught in country schools in Clay and Union Counties for 17 years. Then she went back to school to earn a certificate to teach special education. She taught Special Ed in the Vermillion School District for 17 years. She finished her career by teaching second grade for 7 years. She was also the Sunday School Superintendent at Trinity Lutheran Church for so many years.

Eleanor led a very active and involved life. She loved to dance, play cards and dominoes, travel, read, camp, eat out, do craft work and spend time with her family and friends. She and Merle traveled to every state in the union, camped in much of Canada and made two trips to Europe. Along with that, she was very active in many local and state organizations, including: Alpha Lambda Chapter of ESA for (49 year member), Delta Kappa Gamma, Retired Teacher Association, SDEA/NEA Life member, the Senior Citizens's Center, Hospital Auxiliary, W.H. Over Museum, Clay County Historical Society, Trinity Lutheran Church, Good Sam Club life member, Merry Homemaker's Extension Club, and the Dinner Belles Red Hat club.

During her high school years, Eleanor was active in sports and other school activities. She remained an avid sporrts fan her entire life and loved pointing out all the errors the referees made. She especially loved following the Coyotes, the Vikings and the Twins. Eleanor will be remembered by her spunk, her "get it done" attitude, her smile and laugh, and her enormous generosity to those she knew and loved and to causes she believed in.

Theose mourning her passing are her husband, Merle of Vermillion; her son, Bob (Fran) Offerdahl of Youngtown, Ohio; and her daughter, Joyce (Dave) Zimmer of Vermillion; her sister, Lorraine Koehler of Desert Hot Springs, CA; her brother, Leonard Uecker of Beresford, SD; 5 grandchilodren: Scott (Maria Zimmer, Nathan (Jami) Offerdahl, Lucas (Sarah) Offerdahl, Martha Offerdahl, and Ellen (Jon) Duby; 9 great-grandchildren; and numerous friends and other family members.