ELLEN PUDWILL

Ellen Pudwill, 84, formerly of Tea, most recently of Mitchell and Springfield, died Monday, April 17, 2023 at Avera St Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen. Funeral services were Thursday, April 20 at the Friedensburg Bible Church, rural Avon. Burial was in Friedensburg Cemetery. Peters Funeral Home in Springfield was in charge of arrangements.

Ellen Louise (Ratzlaff) Pudwill was born on a farm south of Avon on July 6, 1938, the daughter of Ezra and Olive (Swoyer) Ratzlaff.

Ellen graduated from Avon High School in 1956. She received a one-year teaching degree from Southern State Teachers College, in Springfield. While teaching full-time, Ellen spent many summers completing her bachelor's degree in elementary education. In 1972 she received her degree from the University of Sioux Falls, formally known as Sioux Falls College. She started teaching in 1957 south of Avon at the Bangert School, then went to the Hornstra School west of Springfield. After moving to Sioux Falls, she taught two years in Minnehaha County at Wellington #107. Her next school was the LaValley School north of Worthing in Lincoln County where she stayed for four years. She then moved to the Sherman school in Lincoln County where she taught until the country schools closed and that school became part of the Lennox District. In 1970 she began teaching in Tea and taught first grade for four years. When Julie started first grade the third-grade teacher left so Ellen assumed the position and taught third grade for the remainder of her career. At retirement, Ellen had taught for 38 years.

Ellen was united in marriage with Red Pudwill on May 16, 1959, in Avon. Red and Ellen were married for 57 years. During those years they lived in Sioux Falls, Tea, Mitchell, and Springfield.

Ellen enjoyed time spent with family, cooking amazing meals, making fudge and cinnamon rolls for her grandkids, and playing games. (As long as it wasn’t the game Clue.) She spent many hours playing pinochle with friends and family. Ellen loved to watch all levels of football, but her favorite team was the Bon Homme Cavaliers coached by her son, Byron. Ellen had a green thumb and took pride in the flowers she grew at home and the cabin in Springfield. Ellen was very active in the South Dakota Poet’s Society. She had many poems published and continued to write them throughout her life, especially for the people she loved on special occasions. At anytime you’d find Ellen reading multiple books. Her heart for teaching continued well beyond retirement. Ellen loved to create learning activities for her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Thankful for having shared her life: son, Byron (Ginger) Pudwill of Springfield; daughter, Julie (Carson) Larson of Columbia; granddaughters: Katie Williams of Springfield (Harvey, Vera, Violet), Kelsey (Josh) Irish of Springfield (Caden, Harrison, Winston), Emily (Tom) Sternhagen of Groton (Makenna, Morgan); grandsons: Wyatt (Taylor) Larson of Columbia (Adeline), and Chandler Larson of Columbia; and sister-in-law, Leanne Ratzlaff of Sioux Falls.

Ellen was preceded in death by her husband Red, her parents, brother Jim Ratzlaff, and sister Arlene Ratzlaff.