ELAINE C. LERAAS

Elaine C. Leraas, age 80 of Sioux Falls, passed away on Thursday, November 14, 2024. Funeral service was held Friday, November 22 at George Boom Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory, Sioux Falls. In lieu of flowers, consider donations to the Special Olympics. Our mother was a kind, funny, generous, humble and beautiful soul with the extraordinary ability to meet people where they are. She would likely frown on us (her kids) for sharing any of her notable accomplishments with you but we are very proud of her legacy, truly a life of service well lived. Elaine graduated from Nursing School in 1964 and began her career as an RN working at Indian Health Services in Wagner before moving to Yankton to work at Sacred Heart Hospital and then the Human Services Center. She was the first Facilitator of the AIDS Support Group and the Friends and Family of Persons with AIDS Group. She facilitated Grief Groups and was instrumental in coordinating the Gingerbread Village at the Festival of Trees in Sioux Falls. She was a founding member of the Sioux Empire Critical Incident Stress Management Network for the state of South Dakota. As a compassionate and devoted lifelong mental health nurse, Elaine assisted with McKennan Hospital outreach during the Farm Crisis in the 1980's and helped bring a portion of the AIDS Quilt from the NAMES Project to Sioux Falls. She was also an integral part of the expansion from what was a small inpatient mental health unit to the facility it is today serving as Program Manager and Nurse Manager for Avera Behavioral Health. In retirement Elaine loved to travel, set up lunch dates and spend as much time as possible with her children and grandchildren whom she adored with her whole heart. She was the kind of fiercely loyal friend, daughter, sister, mother, grandmother and aunt everyone dreams of having. She loved people. And animals, especially dogs. All breeds and sizes from Huskies to Pekingese to her current fur babies JoJo and Diggs her beloved Shih Tzu and Chihuahua. Saying goodbye to such an amazing woman is almost unbearable but we are comforted in the knowledge that God has welcomed her to Paradise. Our mother truly taught us everything except how to live without her. Grateful for having shared her life are her son, John Fathke Jr (Jaime Watchorn) of Avon; her daughter, Heather Leraas (Jesse VanderMaten) of Sioux Falls; her grandchildren, Dana (Andy) Luikens of Parkston, Sara Fathke of Parkston, Shelby (Zain) Craft of Mitchell, Taylor (Austin) Pullar of Sioux Falls, Mason VanderMaten (Leslie Van Engelenhoven) of Sioux Falls, Trevor Watchorn of Ames, IA, Eli Watchorn of Madison, and Noah Watchorn of Vermillion; three great-grandchildren, Harper Luikens, Camden Luikens, and Elaina Pullar; her sister, Audrey (Gary) Stevens of Yankton; brother, Lee (Theresa) Raabe of Sioux Falls; her sister-in-law, Lil Raabe of Sioux Falls; her special friend, Jim Ferris; and a host of many other relatives and friends. Elaine was preceded in death by her parents, Herbert and Sarah (VanAsperen), her daughter, Brooke Leraas, her sister, Arlys Oliver and her brother, Larry Raabe.