Ellen Gramm, 89, of Avon

Ellen Lea (Van Gerpen) Gramm passed away November 26, 2021 at the Good Samaritan Society in Tyndall. She was born at home on the farm to Louis and Ida (Sattler) Van Gerpen, on October 22, 1932.

Ellen grew up on the family farm south of Avon, SD. She graduated from Avon High School in 1949. Ellen attended Yankton College in Yankton, SD and Southern State Teachers College in Springfield, SD. She then moved to Pierre, SD where she worked for the State of South Dakota. It was there that she met Marvin Gramm and they were married August 27, 1954.

They moved to California in 1960 where Ellen worked for the State of California until 1980, when they moved back to Avon. In 1998, they purchased a home in Mesa, AZ where they wintered until 2005, when they sold their farm in Avon and moved to Mesa permanently.

Ellen enjoyed singing and sang in church choirs in Avon, Arizona and Omaha. She was active in the senior communities where she lived, playing cards and doing crafts.

After Marin's passing on February 21, 2007, Ellen moved to Omaha, NE in 2013 and then to Yankton, SD in 2017. In January of 2020 she moved to Walnut Village in Yankton and in March of 2021 to the Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Tyndall, SD.

Preceding her in death were her parents Lou and Ida Van Gerpen, her husband Marvin, sister Myra Klock, brother Robert Van Gerpen, and brothers-in-law: Clayton Walkes, Richard Johnson and Lawrence Klock.

Ellen is survived by her sister Dorothy Walkes of Tyndall, brother Dale (Janice) Van Gerpen of Yankton, sister-in-law Irene Anderson of Denver, CO; three nephews: David Walkes, Myron Walkes and Rodney Van Gerpen; three nieces: Twila (Walkes) Henning, Jean (Walkes) Prater and Ronda (Van Gerpen) Foley; along with the extended family.

There is a private family burial planned at the Trinity Presbyterian Cemetery, rural Avon, SD.